Gary Clouse has withdrawn from the Bass Pro Tour for 2019 and will accept an invitation to the Bassmaster Elite Series, according to a post on Clouse’s Facebook page Saturday afternoon.
Clouse, the president of Phoenix Boats, made the announcement via a statement posted on the Phoenix website.
“I was so honored to be invited to fish the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour in 2019,” Clouse said in the prepared statement. “But in my heart, I felt I had unfinished business with qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series and making my first Classic. That dream and promise I’ve had to myself to make it and qualify for the Classic has fueled my passion in tournament fishing for a lot of years.”
Clouse’s decision seems to indicate B.A.S.S. has expanded its invitation reach into the Bassmaster Opens in an effort to replenish the Elite Series field, which saw a mass exodus of anglers to the BPT last month. Clouse finished 15th in the Central Opens points this season. Previously, B.A.S.S. was to invite the top 5 finishers in each division after the Opens Championship, plus the Opens Championship winner, to the 2019 Elite Series.
Clouse was the only angler among the 80 who committed to the BPT who had not previously competed on the Elite Series or FLW Tour. There was no immediate update on who could replace Clouse in the BPT field.
