The 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule was finalized today when B.A.S.S. announced that Lake Fork – the Texas fishery that produced a pair of four-day weights over 100 pounds last year – will again serve as the venue for Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest.
The tournament will be held June 5-9 on the Sabine River Basin with daily weigh-ins and festivities at the Sabine River Authority headquarters on the shoreline of Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas. South Carolina angler Brandon Cobb claimed the Texas Fest title last year with a four-day total of 20 bass that weighed 114 pounds.
“That was the most amazing four days of fishing I’ve ever had,” said Cobb, who received one of B.A.S.S.’s coveted Century Belts for topping the 100-pound mark, along with Michigan’s Garrett Paquette, who placed second with 101-15. “When you set the hook at Lake Fork, you never know what you’re in for. I’ve wanted to go back there since the moment we rolled out of town.”
Cobb, whose catch for the week included an 11-01 monster largemouth (pictured), earned $125,000 as his winner’s share of the event’s $1 million total purse. He also received a Toyota Tundra pickup truck for weighing the heaviest bass of the event.
“You can look at the weights from last year and understand pretty easily why we’re going back to Lake Fork,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “It’s obviously one of the premier fisheries in the country.
“That, combined with the partnerships we have with Gulf States Toyota, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and several other fantastic area groups makes it an event that everyone at B.A.S.S. is looking forward to and one that we believe fans of the sport will really enjoy.”
Lake Fork presents a unique set of challenges for a bass tournament using a traditional format because of its slot limit. Anglers are required to release bass that measure between 16 and 24 inches, and may only bring in one bass per day that measures more than 24 inches.
To comply with the slot limit regulation, B.A.S.S. will work with TPWD to once again use the “catch-weigh-immediate release” format.
