Bass Champs kicked off the first of five events for their Central Region anglers January 28, 2012 on lake LBJ. Twenty one teams were awarded checks in this 105% payback event, but Lance Dillard and Lee Beuershausen were the big winners, taking home more than $25,000.

Eighteen teams featuring some of the top pros in the sport are competing in the PAA's season-opening event. The full field will compete all three days, with more than $100,000 in cash and prizes at stake, including a Nitro Z-8 with a Mercury 225 Optimax and T-H Marine Atlas jackplate, Nitro Z-7 with a Mercury Pro XS, and MinnKota Talon shallow water anchors for the big bass winners. Also at stake are points toward the PAA Angler of the Year title and qualification for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic world championship in September on Lake Conroe.

On Dec. 5, the NRA filed its opening appellate brief on behalf of several law-abiding young adults challenging the federal ban on dealer sales of handguns and handgun ammunition to persons between the ages of 18 and 20. The case is Jennings v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and will be heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. (A similar case challenging Texas' age limit of 21 for issuance of concealed handgun licenses remains pending in the trial court.)

Creating a better habitat for business, the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance® (ADWA) is proud to announce it is accepting nominations for its all-new Wildlife Industry, Leadership & Development (W.I.L.D.) Awards.

Registration for anglers wishing to compete in the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens will take place during the month of November.