By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

A previously unannounced eight-man bracket-format event next summer that awards a Bassmaster Classic berth to the winner, alterations to BASSFest and a smaller field for the 2017 Bassmaster Classic are among the significant changes to the Elite Series format for 2016.

According to documents B.A.S.S. recently distributed to anglers who've qualified for the 2016 Elite Series, BassFan has also learned that entry fees (B.A.S.S. refers to them as “participation fees”) have increased from $43,000 to $48,375 due to a ninth full-field tournament being added to the schedule.

Also, the number of Classic berths awarded through the B.A.S.S. Nation will be reduced to three (from six) for the 2017 Classic, lowering the field size to 52 anglers. The new Classic bracket event also means one less Classic berth will be awarded through Elite Series points.

No changes were made to the Angler of the Year Championship event – it will continue to boast a $1 million purse and feature a 3-day competition for the Top 50 finishers in AOY points. The marshal program will also remain in place.

Details about some of the noteworthy changes are as follows:

> On July 18-22 – note the Monday through Friday time frame – the Niagara River in Buffalo, N.Y., will host a new Bassmaster Classic Bracket tournament that will include the top 8 finishers from the Cayuga Lake Elite Series (June 23-26, 2016). Details of the format – is Lake Erie and Canadian water off limits? – were not disclosed, but at first glance, an eight-person bracketed competition would require 3 rounds (days?) of competition to determine a winner, who would clinch a spot in the 2017 Bassmaster Classic. The no-fee event will feature a $50,000 purse with $10,000 going to the winner.

> Entry fees have increased by nearly $6,000 so B.A.S.S. can fund the addition of a ninth full-field tournament for 2016. Anglers able to pay in full on or before certain deadlines will be given a $3,000 discount.

> The winner of BASSFest will continue to earn a Classic berth, but the 2016 event will no longer feature anglers from the Bassmaster Opens or a second-chance segment. Those changes were implemented at the suggestion of the Elite Angler Advisory Board. Open anglers who met qualification criteria were invited to compete at BASSFest in 2014 and 2015 and paid a $5,000 entry fee in 2014 and $6,000 this year. As a result, the purse for next year’s event has been reduced to $700,000. The location and dates for next year’s BASSFest have yet to be announced.

> The field for the 2017 Classic will be the smallest it’s been since 2013 (53 competitors) with the elimination of three berths from the B.A.S.S. Nation. B.A.S.S. is implementing a different divisional format for next year for its Nation events, resulting in a reduction of available Classic berths.

Field Composition

Regarding Elite Series qualification for 2016, it appears B.A.S.S. will use the same criteria it put in place last year to determine the field for next season. The field will be comprised using the following formula:

> 70: The top 70 finishers in 2015 points are pre-qualified for next year.

> 15: The top five finishers in each of the three Bassmaster Opens divisions who aren’t already Elite Series-qualified will be invited. The Northern and Central divisions have wrapped up their schedules and the following anglers secured Elite Series invites: Northern – Adrian Avena, Dave Lefebre, Shane Lineberger, Matt Vermilyea and John Hunter; Central – Jay Brainard, Samuel Canoe, Luke Clausen, Matthew Delaney and Brett Preuett. The Southern Division concludes its season at Lake Seminole next week.

> 1: 2015 B.A.S.S. Nation champion receives an invitation.

> 3: Three Elite Series rookies who finished below 70th in points – Ken Iyobe, Paul Mueller, Carl Jocumsen – are exempt and eligible to return.

> That accounts for the first 89 spots. If any of the above anglers elect to opt out, B.A.S.S. will work down the 2015 AOY standings.

> The remainder of the field will be made up of 19 anglers who are ranked by career average Elite Series points finish (minus their worst finish):

1. Randall Tharp
2. Chad Morgenthaler
3. Cliff Pace
4. Mike McClelland
5. Tommy Biffle
6. Takahiro Omori
7. Cliff Prince
8. Cliff Crochet
9. Fred Roumbanis
10. Nate Wellman
11. Matt Reed
12. Derek Remitz
13. Rick Clunn
14. James Niggemeyer
15. Mike Kernan
16. Paul Elias
17. Casey Scanlon
18. David Mullins
19. Kotaro Kiriyama

If all of the above anglers return, it’ll bring the field size to 108. If any of the above anglers opt to not return, B.A.S.S. will work down the career average points finish list. There were four anglers granted a hardship exemption during the 2015 season – Rick Morris, Kelly Jordon, Yusuke Miyazaki and Jared Miller – and if they all choose to return, the 2016 Elite Series field will be 112. If any of the anglers who were granted hardship exemptions elect to not return, that spot will not be filled.

What this means is there is the potential that up to 15 competitors from the 2015 Elite Series that could find themselves facing relegation and be forced to re-qualify through the Bassmaster Opens. That group includes J Todd Tucker, Britt Myers, Kenyon Hill, Kelley Jaye, Kevin Hawk, Byron Velvick (missed part of 2015 with back injury), Randy Allen, Fletcher Shryock, Zell Rowland, Charlie Hartley, Kurt Dove, Kevin Ledoux, Scott Ashmore, David Smith and Joseph Sancho.