With the 40th Bassmaster Classic less than two weeks away, fans are preparing for the event. And, whether they watch comfortably from their homes or live in Birmingham, Ala., they will be able to fully experience the biggest tournament in professional bass fishing, the Feb. 19-21 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake.
Three days of ESPN and BASS coverage will originate from land and water, beginning daily before dawn and extending well into the evening. Fans will be able to track the 51 Classic competitors hour by hour as they go for a piece of the $1.2 million payout, including the $500,000 first-place prize and Classic trophy.
As always, all the Classic news and views will be online 24/7 at Bassmaster.com and BASSInsider.com. The coverage will include blogs, stories, analysis and photo galleries, all updated throughout the day, and Bassmaster.com will host a slate of video content, including BASSCam, a real-time technology application that allows users an on-the-water look at the competition as it plays out.
Bassmaster.com will also be home to BASSCast technology, which allows viewers to see first-hand what happens on the water during a tournament -- conditions, location, casting technique, reaction, equipment and more. BASSCast will be made available along with BASSTrakk, an unofficial leaderboard for real-time action and unofficial results. Other features include daily Bassmaster text alerts during the tournament and exclusive fan-favorite photo galleries.
Bassmaster.com will also feature a real-time leaderboard and fans will be able to download on-demand the Bassmaster Tournament podcast, which will highlight all the news and action from the tournament. Fantasy games will include a Fantasy Fishing Challenge on Bassmaster.com, with daily picks available during the tournament.
Members of BASS Insider receive exclusive live coverage of daily press conferences, and they will have exclusive access to behind-the-scenes BASSCam videos during the Classic weigh-ins.
The live, daily weigh-ins will be housed on ESPN360.com. The Classic will again be streamed on ESPN360.com, ESPN's 24/7 broadband sports network, with live coverage of the weigh-ins from the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center available exclusively each day from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. ET.
And, as it has for previous Classic competitions, ESPN2 will pull out all the stops for the 40th Classic. ESPN2 programming begins Saturday, Feb. 20, with coverage at 10 a.m. ET of Day 1 competition. Then the focus turns to Day 2 with same-day, prime-time coverage at 10 p.m. ET.
On Sunday, Feb. 21, at 6 a.m. ET - shortly after Classic competitors launch onto Lay Lake for the final day of competition - fans can tune in to ESPN2 and stay there until 10 a.m. for all the Classic news. Sunday at 10 p.m., a two-hour show will feature the final weigh-in and reveal the new Classic champ. The full television schedule for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Classic can be found below.
ESPN Classic will air five consecutive hours of previous Classics from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 21.
For those attending the event in Birmingham, the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at the BJCC will be loaded with fun family activities and the newest fishing, boating and hunting products. The Expo is free and open to the public. Last year's Expo at the Classic in Shreveport-Bossier City, La., broke attendance records two days running, and this year's version of the show promises to be just as popular. Show hours are set for noon-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. S
Bassmaster Classic Television Coverage Saturday 2/20: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET ESPN2 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM ET ESPN2 Sunday 2/21: 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM ET ESPN2 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM ET ESPN2 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM ET ESPN2 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM ET ESPN 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM ET ESPN2 ESPN Classic Mini-Marathon- Sunday, February 21 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET 2003 Bassmaster Classic 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM ET 2004 Bassmaster Classic 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET 2005 Bassmaster Classic 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET 2008 Bassmaster Classic 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM ET 2009 Bassmaster Classic