Season opens for Preuett, Horne

The college football season officially ended Monday night. But another season is just beginning for two pro anglers with local ties.

B.A.S.S. begins its 2020 Open tournaments season today on the Kissimmee Chain of lakes in Florida. The highest level of the BASS circuit, the Elite tournament trail, begins next month.

Louisiana is well represented on the BASS circuit this year. Two local anglers qualified for the Elite series of tournaments and may also fish in some of the Opens. Monroe’s Brett Preuett and former ULM champion is in the Elite field. And even though he lives in Arkansas now, Harvey Horne is from Union Parish and still claims this area as home. Horne is fishing this week’s Kissimmee tournament. Other Louisiana anglers on the BASS Elite tour roster include Quenton Cappo of Prairieville, Tyler Carriere of Youngsville, Derek Hudnall of Baton Rouge, Robbie Latuso of Gonzales, Tyler Rivet of Luling and Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia.

“To have all 75 guys back from last year — plus 100% of the anglers who were invited — says a lot about the positive momentum we have with the Bassmaster Elite Series,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “The reaction to last season was overwhelmingly positive from sponsors and fans, and it’s great that everyone wants to continue with us on what will be another exciting journey in 2020.”

The 2020 Elite Series schedule will begin Feb. 6-9 with the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River in Palatka, Fla. From there, it will wind through eight states for nine events as anglers compete for cash and prizes and attempt to qualify for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic.

Each tournament will begin with 88 anglers on Days 1 and 2 before the field is cut to 40 for the semifinal round on Day 3. Only the Top 10 remaining anglers will fish the final day of each event with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.

You can follow results of the tournaments every day and all kinds of other pro fishing news at https://www.bassmaster.com/