Several sources have confirmed that B.A.S.S. is scheduled to make a major announcement Thursday in Alabama. The consensus opinion is that the organization will disclose the site of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.
Alabama, the birthplace and current home of B.A.S.S., has hosted 11 of the 41 Classics contested to date – far more than any other state. The last three of those (and four of the past five) were held at Lay Lake.
Most of the current speculation is focused on Lake Guntersville, which has evolved into one of the top bass-fishing destinations in the country. The lake, about a 90-minute drive north of Birmingham, has hosted one previous Classic – the 1976 event that marked the first of Rick Clunn's record-tying four victories.
If Guntersville is indeed the site, Kevin VanDam's 3-day event weight record of 69-11 (set in 2011 at the Louisiana Delta) will be in serious jeopardy. During the pre-spawn, an average of 25 pounds per day would likely be needed to hoist the trophy.
A B.A.S.S. communications official confirmed that the announcement of the '14 site is imminent, but the organization declined comment on the location.
Other Alabama venues that have hosted the Classic are Logan Martin Lake (three times), the Alabama River (twice) and Wheeler Lake.
