FT. WORTH, Texas -- Twenty-five of the world's best professional bass fishermen will begin competing a week from today in the three-day inaugural Cabela's Top Gun Championship. The field is set, and while it includes 25 of the Top 28 anglers in the world, according to the State Farm World Rankings, it will not include recent Bassmaster Classic winner Kevin VanDam (ranked fourth in the world) and runner-up Aaron Martens (ranked 11th).
Both anglers expressed regret at not being able to fish, but cited the fact that Top Gun was announced relatively late (April of this year) and that they had made family vacation plans that couldn't be changed. "I'm all about $100,000 paydays," said VanDam, "but I just can't do it."
When asked how BassFan felt about these two anglers not being able to attend, BassFan chief operating officer Scot Laney said, "It happens. We understand our announcement of the event was late. We couldn't help that the circumstances were largely beyond our control.
"We are disappointed, because it's the event that seems closest to what the anglers always say they want (small field, no sponsor restrictions, an appearance fee). But we understand they have obligations to their families. We certainly respect them for the choice they made."
Other questions:
> Is Top Gun still going to be a championship without VanDam and Martens there?
Laney: "Sure it is. No one angler in this sport is so overpowering, so dominating, that they can show up on every given day and win. Those are two good anglers, but we have 25 other anglers that, at any given time, can beat anyone else."
> Is the Top Gun field compromised?
Laney: "No, it's not compromised, even without Kevin and Aaron. Look at it this way. The average World Ranking of this year's FLW Championship (field) was about 60. The average of the Classic (field) was about 35. The average rank of the Top Gun field is about 14. Purely statistically speaking, our event's the strongest."
Greg Hackney, the No. 1-ranked angler in the world, said he's "really looking forward to" Top Gun. "I'm pretty excited about that lake (Eagle Mountain Lake).
"The main thing is that the best of both tournament trails get together and fish. Some guys who don't fish BASS will be at Top Gun and some guys will be there who don't fish FLW. One group may underestimate the other group. I wish this would've happened sooner because I think it's a really big deal."
Marty Stone, No. 2 in the world, said, "We'll have a great group of guys there, and anytime you go to Texas the fan participation is phenomenal as well.
"I think it will be a fun event. There's nothing on the line. It's for bragging rights only. But the minute we put our boats in the water, there's no more joking. This is a very proud group and we take our fishing seriously."
He added, "There are many neat things about Top Gun, but one thing that stands out is that I can actually fish out of my own boat. That boat is an extension of me. I hope sometime in the near future we'll be able to do that, even in the Classic. Then I can be just like other professional athletes. Like in NASCAR: When (the drivers) show up to a showcase event, they're able to showcase their equipment at that event."
Top Gun will be held Aug. 12-14 at Eagle Mountain Lake in Ft. Worth, and weigh-ins will be held nightly at the new Cabela's retail store in Ft. Worth (12901 Cabela Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76177, Phone: 817-337-2400). All 25 anglers will receive a four-figure appearance fee for fishing the event, all competitors will use their own equipment all 3 days (not true in other championships), and the winner will take home an additional $100,000.
Created by BassFan, the Top Gun Championship is title-sponsored by Cabela's (www.cabelas.com), and is presented by Skeeter Boats (www.skeeterboats.com), the Outdoor Life Network (www.olntv.com) and BassFan (www.bassfan.com). Associate sponsors include State Farm Insurance (www.statefarm.com), Mann's HardNose Baits (www.mannsbait.com) and Lowrance electronics (www.lowrance.com).
See Top 25 List on the next page >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
