The field of competitors for the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series, announced by B.A.S.S. today, promises to be the strongest ever. Among the 100 professional anglers are winners of more than 200 Bassmaster tournaments, 17 Bassmaster Classic championships and 21 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler-of-the-Year titles.

Tazz Ferrell of McKinney, Texas, caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 17 pounds, 8 ounces Oct. 1-2 to win $2,302 in the Co-angler Division. Ferrell caught his bass by fishing jetties with a wacky rigged Senko.

FLW Outdoors has announced the 2012 EverStart Series schedule. The EverStart Series will again consist of five divisions - Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western - with four qualifying events per division culminating in the no-entry-fee EverStart Series Championship Nov. 1-4 on the Ouachita River in Monroe, La.

Janet Parker has a clear shot at becoming the first woman to compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series.  From Little Elm, Texas, Parker said if she qualifies she won't hesitate to commit for the 2012 Elite Series season.

Today's publishings in the Federal Register will contain a finding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service stating the saltmarsh topminnow, a small grey-green Gulf Coast fish, is facing such severe threats that the Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct a status review to determine if the species warrants listing under the Endangered Species Act.

If a college angler is going to be in the Bassmaster Classic, he should pass a grueling test to earn that right. The Mercury College B.A.S.S. National Championship proved to be all that.

The two newest Bassmaster Classic rookies could hardly be more different from each other.  One, Andrew Upshaw, is 24 years old, just out of college and living in Hemphill, Texas, working an office job. The other, Kelly Pratt, is a 52-year-old veteran tournament angler and landscape professional from Williamsburg, Va.

Charles Bebber opened the 2011 Southeast Texas Division 10 season in a big way by winning the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, March 26 tournament on Lake Sam Rayburn.

A cooperative effort between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to standardize fishing regulations on waters shared by the two states is nearing fruition.

Keying on bedding bass, Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, led with 26 pounds, 9 ounces after the first day of the Power-Pole Citrus Slam on the St. Johns River.