WHAT IS THE
ALABAMA B.A.S.S. NATION, INC.?

BASS ANGLERS SPORTSMAN SOCIETY

It all started in 1967 when Ray Scott started the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. During the past 30 plus years, B.A.S.S. has grown to be the major bass angler sport organization in the world. One in every 150 U. S. households includes a B.A.S.S. member. One in every 400 Americans is a B.A.S.S. member and bass anglers are found in every state – even Alaska; the only state that has no black bass. B.A.S.S. has over 600,000 members and more than 4 million BASSMASTER magazine readers. B.A.S.S. Times, B.A.S.S., Inc’s monthly newspaper has a circulation of more than 75,000 with readership of more than 245,000.

B.A.S.S. NATION

The B.A.S.S. Nation is an outgrowth of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. For more than 30 years, the B.A.S.S. Nation has been more than a name. It has become a world community united by a sense of camaraderie and a spirit of belonging to something unique that carries from generation to generation. As the landscape of this great sport has changed, over the years, members have decided to join the B.A.S.S. Nation for many reasons other than exciting tournament fishing. The vision of true pioneers in our history – Ray Scott and Don Butler and many others – established conservation and a focus on building youth programs in addition to fishing competition as areas critical to the viability of the sport and our lifestyle. B.A.S.S. Nation Members, as well as B.A.S.S. employees and sponsors, have given tirelessly to the sport and the vision of these pioneers.

ALABAMA B.A.S.S. NATION, INC.

Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation, Inc. (ABN) is one of the largest of the fifty-seven state and international B.A.S.S. Nation affiliates made up of grassroots anglers that are active in Youth angler development, conservation, water access issues and bass tournaments. Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation, at any one time, consists of fifteen hundred members in forty to fifty BASS Angler Sportsman’s Society affiliated clubs. Each of the State Nations consist of Adult clubs, High School and College clubs, all sharing a passion for bass fishing. State Nation members participate in regional tournaments to qualify for the ABN State Championship. Anglers can then move on to fish regional and national tournaments giving them a chance to qualify to fish in the most prestigious bass tournament of them all, THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC!

THE ECONOMICS OF BASS TOURNAMENTS.

Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation Tournaments draw fishermen from all over Alabama. Not only do these anglers fish in scheduled tournaments, they spend days on the water prior to the event “pre-fishing” and then come in prior to the tournament date for additional “practice days”. They bring their family with them to enjoy local attractions, go shopping, and attend the tournament weigh-ins. Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation Tournaments are a catalyst for the expenditure of funds in the local economy such as lodging, meals, fuel, shopping items, tackle sales, and much more. These expenditures provide a “multiplier effect” which results in thousands of dollars to the city or area where such tournaments are staged and increases tax bases substantially. See the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation Economic Impact Statement and Fact Sheet.

YOUTH PROGRAMS.

The Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation understands the important role that youth plays in the continued growth and preservation of bass fishing – and also the important role we, as anglers, can provide in enhancing youngsters appreciation of the great outdoors and what our state has to offer in the way of fishing recreational activities. We take seriously the duty and responsibility we have in helping to build leadership capabilities in our youth and the integrity that will serve them well in later life.

The Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation has a Youth Director that is dedicated to providing the youth of our state with the opportunity to become involved, at an early age, in fishing enjoyment through our Chapter Clubs.

COMMUNITY SERVICE.

Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation Chapter Clubs perform hundreds of hours of community service and raise thousands of dollars for charitable causes in their communities such as breast cancer research, crippled children, diabetes, and many other charities.

A PARTNER IN CONSERVATION…

The Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation has a nationally recognized Conservation Director who sits on many boards and advisory committees – both state and federal – for input, recommendations, and to keep our membership on the cutting edge of conservation issues. He guides, directs, and assists our Chapter Clubs in various projects such as water quality, availability, and is an active voice in state initiatives relative to water sharing with Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. The B.A.S.S. Nation lobbies for safe boating laws which have lowered boating fatalities and we partner with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to promote conservation and enhancement of our state’s fishing resources. We promote fishing initiatives throughout the communities of our state through Chapter Clubs, conduct habitat and lake enhancement projects, and lake/river clean-up campaigns.

Conservation initiatives remain an important aspect of the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation and through our affiliation with the National B.A.S.S. Nation and the Federation Nation Stewardship Program linked to the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and “More Fish” Initiative – each of our state Federations have access to a $1,000 B.A.S.S. endowment for fish habitat work as well as providing discounts for sponsor habitat structures. There is also the B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation College Scholarship Program which includes: One (1) four-year scholarship of $2,000 each year to the Nation Division for undergraduate fisheries/biology studies – a total of 6 scholarships annually; and one (1) two-year scholarship of $5,000 per year awarded nationally for graduate fisheries/biology studies.

THE ROAD TO THE CLASSIC STARTS HERE
NATION TOURNAMENT FISHING.

Our motto has always been “The Road to the Classic Starts Here!” The Bassmaster Classic is a no-entry fee tournament where the winner not only wins First Place prize money, but also several million dollars in endorsements. The last place in the Classic pays $10,000.

Anglers qualifying through the ABN tournament trail compete in four tournaments throughout the state and qualify for a two-day State Championship. The ABN tournaments determines who makes the twenty-man State Team. The State Team, comprised of ten boaters and ten non-boaters, competes in the Southern Divisional. The top boater and top non-boater move on to qualify for the B.A.S.S. Nation National Championship. The top three anglers win cash, a boat, free entry into the B.A.S.S. Open Tournaments, and qualify for the Bassmaster Classic. The winner of the Nation National Championship also receives an invitation to fish in the Elite Tournament Series, with half their entry fees paid.

Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation has been fortunate enough to qualify eight anglers to compete in the Bassmaster Classic out of thousands of anglers that belong to the State and International Nation affiliates.

This is what the motto “The Road to the Classic Starts Here” is all about, but most of our anglers’ fish for the love of the outdoors, the sport of competitive angling, and the comradery of being around other bass fishermen.

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