Stringer

1st – Goetzman & Goetzman – 15.80 lbs

2nd – Pierce & Monroy – 15.42 lbs

3rd – Haag & Tschumperlin – 14.42 lbs

4th – Urban & King – 14.34 lbs

Big Bass

1st – Urban & King – 7.08 lbs

2nd – Greene & Buller – 6.83 lbs

Fishing world championship and music festival will feature 75 teams in BBQ Cook-off

CONROE, TX (APRIL 23, 2012) – There’s sure to be plenty of big bites at this year’s Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) and this September the fish won’t only be the only thing biting. Today, tournament officials announced the inaugural TTBC BBQ Cook-off, which will bring 75 teams together to battle it out for $8,000 in guaranteed prize money. Teams will compete for best brisket, ribs and other BBQ favorites at the annual world championship of professional bass fishing and country music festival Sept. 28-30.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our event schedule this year,” said Tournament Director Lenny Francoeur. “World championship fishing, free concerts, BBQ and one of Texas’ best outdoor expos, we’ve got it all. The TTBC has truly evolved into the can’t miss community event.”

The TTBC BBQ Cook-off is officially sanctioned by the Texas Gulf Coast BBQ Cookers Association (TGCBCA). The People’s Choice Awards will provide BBQ lovers the chance to sample and select a winner in one category while teams will also compete for best brisket, chicken and ribs.

Registration for BBQ cook-off teams is available online at toyotatexasbassclassic.com or at http://www.tgcbca.org/ and is limited to the first 75 applicants. Event details and competition rules are also available online. Entry fees are based on each team’s cook area requirements, $200 for a 30 by 30 foot space and $250 for a 40 by 30 foot space.

Daily tournament weigh-ins, outdoor expo and free concerts will take place at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center and the TTBC will offer a wide range of activities that families, outdoor enthusiasts and music fans will enjoy. The 2012 concert line-up will be announced this summer with previous performers including Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Pat Green and Blake Shelton.

The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center is a state-of-the-art facility conveniently located minutes from Lake Conroe and The Woodlands and only 40 minutes north of Houston. The location offers easy access to event activities, local shops and restaurants. For more information visit www.thelonestar.org.  

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic tournament functions are operated by the Professional Anglers Association with technical assistance and support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division. Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. For additional information, visit toyotatexasbassclassic.com or call 1-866-907-0143.

Click Here to Print TTBC BBQ Cook-Off Information, Entry Form and Competition Rules.

1st - Greene & Buller

Toyota Texas Bass Classic Sunday Morning Series #3 

3/18/12

Stringer

1st – Greene & Buller – 21.17 lbs

2nd – Wagner & Mertz – 20.01 lbs

3rd – Lawson & Schultz – 17.28 lbs

4th – Lawson & Harrell – 15.30 lbs

Big Bass

1st – Greene & Buller – 7.66 lbs

2nd – Wagner & Mertz – 7.56 lbs

Stringer

1st – Griffin & Griffin – 25.41 lbs

2nd – Svaboda & Carter – 16.64 lbs

3rd – Bielamowicz & Hall – 16.48 lbs

4th – Haag & Tschumperlin – 14.90lbs

Big Bass

1st – Bagley & Hunter – 7.83 lbs

2nd – Ward & Womack – 6.27 lbs

Griffin & Griffin - 18.85 lbs, finished second in the first Toyota Texas Bass Classic Sunday Series

2/26/2012 Toyota Texas Bass Classic Sunday Morning Series # 1

3rd - Howard & Howard - 17.97 lbs

Stringer

1st – Svoboda & Carter – 19.36 lbs

2nd – Griffin & Griffin – 18.85 lbs

3rd – Howard & Howard – 17.97 lbs

4th – Monroy & Pierce – 14.24

Big Bass

1st – Regan & Regan – 5.97 lbs

2nd – Howard & Howard – 5.90 lbs

World championship and music festival will return to Lake Conroe and the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center

CONROE, TX (JAN. 17, 2012) –Dates for the highly-anticipated return of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC), the world championship of professional bass fishing and country music festival, were announced today with all of the action set to begin Friday, Sept. 28. The three-day event (Sept. 28-30) will feature anglers from across all major tours and some of country music’s premier artists with event proceeds benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and its youth outdoor  programs.

“We are very excited to return to Conroe and bring together the best anglers in the world and offer amazing entertainment value each day,” said Tournament Director Lenny Francoeur. “The TTBC has become an annual community event that has generated over $1.2 million for the TPWD and the state of Texas and we are thrilled about what we’re putting together for this year.”

Daily tournament weigh-ins, outdoor expo and concerts will take place at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center and the TTBC will offer a wide range of activities that families, outdoor enthusiasts and music fans will enjoy. The 2012 concert line-up will be announced this summer with previous year’s performers including Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Pat Green and Blake Shelton.

Last year’s world championship was the closest finish in tournament history requiring a sudden death fish- off between eventual TTBC Champion Keith Combs and runner-up for the second straight year, Mike Iaconelli. This year’s tournament field will consist of 50 anglers assembled from the top professional leagues in the world, including the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series, Bassmaster Elite Series and the Walmart FLW Tour.

Anglers will compete on Lake Conroe over three days with the field being reduced to the top-10 who will compete in the final round on Sunday, Sept. 30. The tournament remains a non-entry fee event, with all 50 competing anglers taking home guaranteed prize money. In addition, the TTBC will continue its focus on conservation and adhere to strict catch, weigh and immediate release format that has earned the event national praise for its conservation efforts over the past five years.

“Now more than ever the conservation practices of the TTBC and the TPWD are playing a pivotal role in maintaining the precious natural resources throughout Texas,” said JC Fassino, President, Texas Bass Classic Foundation. “The progressive efforts and education programming the TTBC has helped to fund will only further aid us in protecting what we all value and enjoy.”

The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center is a state-of-the-art facility conveniently located minutes from Lake Conroe and The Woodlands and only 40 minutes north of Houston. The location offers easy access to event activities, local shops and restaurants. For more information visit www.thelonestar.org.

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic tournament functions are operated by the Professional Anglers Association with technical assistance and support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division. Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. For additional information, visit toyotatexasbassclassic.com or call 1-866-907-0143.

TTBC Highlights:

Funds from TTBC vital to youth fishing programs

By Alan Clemons, PAA Communications

CONROE, Texas- Professional fishermen win the prizes, attendees see the anglers and watch the concerts, and sponsors show off their products to the thousands who pass through the annual Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

The biggest prize, though, goes to the beneficiary of the event proceeds, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

TPWD has received more than $1 million from the event since its inception in 2007. Given the sweeping budget cuts this year and next, this year’s TTBC couldn’t come at a better time. Budget reductions have been spread among multiple TPWD divisions and Inland Fisheries was not insulated from those cuts that include money along with full- and part-time staff.

“We wanted the proceeds to go to help introduce youth and families to fishing in Texas, and especially in urban areas,” said Dave Terre, TPWD Inland Fisheries chief of management and research. “Texas has 16 million people living in its urban areas, and many have never fished.”

The Neighborhood Fishing Program was established with the help of TTBC funds, where TPWD partners with local governments to provide fishing opportunities in local parks.

“And a new fishing pond was constructed within San Antonio that is very popular,” Terre said.

TTBC funds also support the Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest, a national competition for students in grades K-12 requiring students to learn about an official state fish and depict it in a drawing or painting.

“And a Texan was the national Best in Show winner this year,” Terre said.

The “Fish Texas” trailer travels to events across the state, thanks to TTBC funds, as well as a series of “Take Me Fishing 101” videos that have been viewed by more than 100,000 people, Terre said.

“Our goal is to increase outdoor participation among today’s youth and develop conservation-minded anglers,” Terre said. ‘”Ultimately, that benefits everyone.”

Terre said the budget cuts have widespread ramifications in the TPWD. Agency officials have looked at every possibility, division, program and plan for the future.

“It translates into a variety of things,” Terre said. “We lost hatchery personnel, but we still have the hatcheries. Can we maintain production with less people? Some of that remains to be seen. We also lost some of our staff in fisheries management research, which is a team that looks at lakes and monitors our lakes, makes determinations on if they need fish and then we make fish for public water bodies.

“We’re committed to the anglers and the resource to do all we can do. We’re not sitting on our thumbs.”

Fishing programs key

Terre said the urban fishing programs “are a high priority in the state” and believes they’ll continue on stable ground.

“I think our ability to produce catfish to stock for these programs will be the same,” he said. “But our ability to expand the program is definitely impacted. If we lost funding through the TTBC, our ability to replace some of what is lost would be difficult.

“It just emphasizes the importance of the TTBC and the donations from people interested in helping. With the TTBC we’ve been able to grow the urban program by five lakes. The $250,000 per year has allowed us to contract with private fish hatcheries in the state to expand the program. The program operates in partnership with local communities or cities and they control those lakes, but we have a partnership with them.

“It’s a complex partnership among groups but one that has worked well, and one we definitely look forward to continuing,” Terre added.

For information on the TPWD’s Neighborhood Fishing program, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/stocking/urban_catfishphtml

All 50 anglers were paired with two amateurs guests for a one-day team competition on Thursday, October 27. The amateur guests were treated to first-class experience with gift package and over five hours of fishing with their pro on Lake Conroe.

Team Winners

First Place: 20 lbs.
Pro: Harold Allen
Amateurs: Larry Egidy, OT Fears

Second Place: 16 lbs. 4 oz.
Pro: Kelly Jordon
Amateurs: Toby Hynes, Marc Watts

Third Place: 15 lbs. 4 oz.
Pro: Mark Rose
Amateurs: Jay Gulley, Chris Mahfouz

Complete Leaderboard > Click Here

Professional Big Bass

Mark Rose – 8 lbs. 4 oz.

Amateur Big Bass

Marc Watts – 7 lbs.