For the 25th anniversary of his Big Bass Splash tournament at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in 2009, Bob Sealy had anglers from 42 states and six countries show up – 7,552 in all.
Sealy’s goal next spring, when he celebrates the 35th anniversary of the event, is to shatter that mark. A $300,000 top prize should get the attention of plenty of bass fishermen the world over.
Sealy announced Thursday that the 2019 Big Bass Splash will feature a guaranteed $1.2 million purse in cash and prizes, double the total of the 2018 spring event at Rayburn.
“I really want to break the 25th anniversary record and I’m extremely excited about it,” Sealy said while addressing a group of outdoor writers and pro anglers at the Rayburn Country Club who are in town for the Big Bass Splash Fall Shootout, which runs Saturday and Sunday. “My motto has always been, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’”
Sealy thinks it’s possible that 10,000 anglers could sign up for the 2019 spring event, especially with a top prize worth the same as the winner’s share at the Bassmaster Classic or Forrest Wood Cup.
Online registration will open Nov. 1 at SealyOutdoors.com.
