Toyota Trucks All-Star Week Media Day Plans Announced

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Eight of the top anglers in the world will be at Union Station in Montgomery, Ala., July 28, from noon to 2 p.m. CT, and available for one-on-one interviews. This exclusive media event comes the day before the Evan Williams Bourbon All-Star Championship is slated to begin on the Alabama River.

Media Day will feature an interview table for each competitor as well as a catered, free lunch provided by a local restaurant.

Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau also will be on hand to provide information on how to make your Montgomery experience one of a kind.

“Montgomery is honored to host another B.A.S.S. tournament this year,” said Dawn Hathcock, vice president of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitor Bureau. “Events of this magnitude not only help stimulate the local economy, but they also are great for our community. We will be sure to offer each of the anglers and their families the best in Southern hospitality during their visit to the capital city.”

Toyota Trucks All-Star Week is like a fusion of NCAA March Madness and Major League Baseball’s All Star Game. Actual competition begins July 23-24 in the Ramada All-Star Semi-Final at Lake Jordan, Wetumpka, Ala. The bottom 4 anglers will be eliminated. Eight advancing finalists will be seeded in a bracket-style head-to-head tournament. The Evan Williams Bourbon All-Star Championship is July 29-31 on the Alabama River out of Montgomery, Ala. Winner takes all: $100,000.

“Toyota Trucks All-Star Week is going to be an exciting week in competitive bass fishing,” said Jerry McKinnis, an owner of B.A.S.S. “We’re happy to unite media with these remarkable anglers and provide them the opportunity to get one-on-one interviews in Montgomery.”

Evan Williams Bourbon All-Star Championship in Montgomery, July 29-31, features the following activities throughout the weekend:

* Mercury Power of Champions Demo Tour, Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. CT
* Mercury Film Festival, Friday-Sunday
* Basscasters Daily Casting Competitions, Friday-Sunday ($50 gift card to each day’s best caster)
* Toyota Trucks Kids Casting Contest and Toyota angler silkscreen T-shirt giveaway, Friday-Sunday
* Evan Williams Bourbon Sampling, Friday-Sunday
* Evan Williams Bourbon & Big Green Egg Grilling with the Greats Cook-off, Saturday, 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. CT
* Super Retriever Series’ Eukanuba Super Dock dog jumping contest, Friday-Sunday
* Tackle the Storm donation spot for fishing gear, Friday-Sunday
* WSFA Biscuit Syrup Sopping Contestto Benefit the American Red Cross, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT
* Hope For The Warriors fishing event, Saturday
* Country music performance by Darryl Worley, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. CT
* Bassmaster Legends fishing competition featuring Jerry McKinnis and Bill Dance, among others, Sunday
* Bassmaster College Classic, Auburn vs. Alabama, Sunday
* Country music performance by Easton Corbin, Sunday, 6:30 p.m. CT

All events are free and open to the public. Fans can keep up with the competition on www.bassmaster.com.

Toyota Trucks All-Star Week Roster
Eight advancing finalists of the 12 anglers below will be present at Media Day.

1. Kevin VanDam       Kalamazoo, Mich.
2. Edwin Evers           Talala, Okla.
3. Gerald Swindle       Warrior, Ala.
4. Ott DeFoe              Knoxville, Tenn.
5. Steve Kennedy       Auburn, Ala.
6. Terry Scroggins      San Mateo, Fla.
7. Casey Ashley         Donalds, S.C.
8. Davy Hite               Ninety Six, S.C.
9. Michael Iaconelli     Pittsgrove, N.J.
10. Aaron Martens      Leeds, Ala.
11. Jeff Kriet              Ardmore, Okla.
12. Skeet Reese         Auburn, Calif.

2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2011 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Luck “E” Strike, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ramada

About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications — Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.