2023 Elite’s Schedule

BASS Elite Schedule

Okeechobee
Seminole
Murray
Santee Cooper
Lay
Sabine River
St. Clair
Champlain
St. Lawrence

I like it

It's a good one.

St Clair can be won power fishing depending on how the fish are set up.

I’d rather see T bend or Rayburn than the Sabine.

Impossible for them to go somewhere new. Throw the anglers a curve ball. Something nobody has history on/with. It will be a good year with some giant bags caught though.

same

Where's the TexasFest????

Fork got a year off! She needs it

They put together a good one. Will be good to see them on tbe Sabine again and kinda curious to see how Lay Lake turns out. Even Florida is changed up from past years.

I’m excited about Big O and Sabine.

SUX
Bass has never catered to Texas boys, if you live in Alabama oh it's great. 5 east coast 3 north, 1 Texas on the worst fishery we have. Some Texas guys bad mouth MLF/FLW but they cater to us, always find a way to come here every year. BASS about every 5-7 years on something the working man can fish. I get it the CLASSIC is the highest pinnacle. We have some of best fishing in the world if not the best. Bass going to orange is not showcasing it and doesn't care if anyone from here qualifies. So, for 20 years anglers here have been waiting on opens like this year's central open schedule. If they were to qualify look where they have to go.

Trying to set ole Scott Martin up for a win in his backyard!

Ehhh it never really changes much. They go where they get paid to go.

They come to Texas every single year. Rayburn, Sabine, Travis,Texoma, Fork, Conroe, Ray Roberts, T-Bend have all been fished by Elite series in the last 5-7 years.
These are the number of lakes they hit by year.
2015 they hit 1
2016 they hit 2
2017 they hit 3
2018 they hit 2
2019 they hit 1
2020 they hit 2
2021 they hit 2
2022 they hit 1

Go further back and you have Falcon twice, and Amistad.

When you consider they only have 8-10 Events annually, Texas gets it’s fair share of tournaments.

You should be glad they don't come to a lake near you. Why on earth would you want them to expose your lake to all the traveling meat hunters. Amistad is a prime example of what happens after they showcase a lake on a national level.

It ain’t about us, or the 3 Texas anglers in the 100 boat field. Most Texas lakes suck.

Sabine on June 1 thru 4 should be nice and cool…..lol. Tons of better places in Texas to fish.

The west coast guys would love to have a chat about not catering....

Sabine….???
That’s a shame

So many other good options

And west coast guys ….Fill Mead and we’ll talk

Florida guy here so not up to speed on it, but I really never understood why the keep going back to Sabine. Small fish, low weights, tough tempermental fishing. Maybe they like to feature the couple of guys who make that run to Houston...

That being said, it usually produces good champions - Christie, Hackney, Lane, Faircloth.

It's a tough place and the cream of the crop usually wins. Nobody will ever back into a win at the Sabine.

Been gone awhile now, I think the 2022 and 2021 Fork events were just regular Elite series events.

They go back because the City of Orange pays them to go there.

Gotta go where the money is... Not enough revenue at those lakes.

They go to Sabine cause of record turnout and chamber money. I think bass brought in over 2 million to the area last tournament there

They go to the Sabine for the same reason they go everywhere else, $$$$$$money$$$$$. The reality is that the better lakes in Texas don't need a tourism board that recruits bass tournaments. All the better lakes in Texas have more tournaments than they have places to host them. Rayburn, Toledo, Pines, etc, etc, etc, etc have their tournament facilities booked out to infinity, at least for spring, early summer, and fall tournaments. Why pay to bring Bassmaster here when you can get local trails to pay you? So in this system when BASS comes to Texas you get an Elite event on the Sabine River and a Bassmaster Open on the Red River. Only the [censored] hole fisheries are willing to pay and work these events. Make no mistake, it takes a good bit of cash and lots of manpower to host one of these events.

Yes and no... They were regular events, but still had a small venue set of concerts this year. They also still benefitted TPWD. I expect they'll come out with an addition and put it on Bois d'Arc if the lake fills up in time. I am sure TPWD would love to highlight their new lake like Louisiana did in the MLF series that hit there...

If the Texas Fest type tournament comes back, I suspect it will be on the MLF side of the professional bass fishing world. TPWD wants to promote the catch, weigh, and release format. Seems like a logical fit I guess.

For those saying its the same old, same old.....its been 6 years since they've been to Okeechobee, 8 years for Seminole, 12 years for Murray, and 13 years for Lay Lake.

I’d like to see Rayburn on the schedule with the grass back

Thanks Mark. I was thinking the same thing and was about to go look it up.

I can't take credit for it as I read it elsewhere.

I like the Sabine event because they have a chance to catch some real fish, not those puny green trout

+11111

All one needs to do is follow the money. The whole City of Orange and BASS love affair goes back about a decade now. There isn't much to look at down there, but there are a TON of bass fishing fans and a big pile of Chamber and Foundation money that keeps em coming back. I have always liked it because it is so vast. The long runs make it pretty interesting.

Not bad

The fans in Orange deserve a tournament. They are so awesome. The Elites absolutely deserve not to have to fish the Sabine in June. I know BASS got paid but I bet they wouldn't be going if the ones calling the shots had to fish.

Sabine is a test for their sanity

Big runs like Christie going way up the Sabine a few years ago and Mclelland and a few others running basically to South Houston always intrigue me. 2-3 hour runs to and from with only 2-3 hours to fish is always interesting.

No keep them away from both. Thank you

It is bass fishing just like anywhere you go. You always have to figure out where and how to catch the larger bass to place high. The Sabine area actually has a lot to look at if you like the outdoors, Most of my trips I have seen racoons, alligators, squirrels, otter, and deer. I'm still looking for Bigfoot in the swamp. The Orange area has a lot of industry and therefore there is a lot of money in the area. Hunting, fresh and saltwater fishing, and pleasure boating is very popular here and next door in Louisiana. The Elites will figure them out regardless of the time of year like they always do.