June 25, 2010
Contact: Montine McNulty
Executive Director, Arkansas Hospitality Association
(501) 376-2323
or
Kara Lee Ford
(501) 920-6287

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Andrew Smith Stands Atop Opening-Day Leader Board
Catch of 5.81 Pounds Near North Little Rock Could Lead to $50,000

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 25, 2010) — Anglers seeking the $50,000 guaranteed grand prize in the 11th annual Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza began searching up and down the Arkansas River for the five-figure fish at 6 a.m. Friday, and Andrew Smith of Alexander hopes he caught it near North Little Rock.  Smith hauled in a 5.81 bass during the 9 a.m. hour to take the overall lead in the three-day tournament.

Leaders in the other four pools are:

• Gary Wayne Smith of White Hall (5.58) – Dumas pool
• Russell Pryor of Greenwood (5.36) – Fort Smith pool
• Anthony McKee of Russellville (5.19) – Dardanelle pool
• William Jasper of Millington, Tenn. (5.14) – Pine Bluff pool

Each of these leaders has the potential to win a guaranteed $10,000 for catching the largest fish in each of these pools during the tournament.  Additional guaranteed prize money is awarded for the top-three catches each hour in each pool, and the Willow Leaf Award of $1,000 will be presented to the parent/child or grandparent/grandchild pair weighing the biggest fish.

Academy Sports and Outdoors will be giving the following prizes in addition to any other tournament prizes:

• A $300 gift card to any exact three-pound fish on the third payout hour, 9:01 to10 a.m.
• A $400 gift card to any exact four-pound fish on the fourth payout hour, 10:01 to 11 a.m.
• A $500 gift card to any exact five-pound fish on the fifth payout hour, 11:01 a.m. to noon.

The chance to win these bonuses will be awarded each day and for each of the five fishing pools.
Russell Chevrolet is sponsoring a new prize worth $50,000 this year.  KSSN and KMJX in cooperation with Arkansas Game & Fish biologists tagged and released 20 largemouth bass into the Arkansas River between Ormond Lock and Dam and Terry Lock and Dam.  Each of the 20 tagged bass is a minimum length of 16 inches.

One of these bass will be worth $50,000, if it is caught, and if it is among the first five tagged bass caught and presented during the Big Bass Bonanza Tournament.  The other tagged 19 bass will have sponsor prizes attached to them.  Any tagged bass caught during the tournament must be presented at the official weigh-in site for Pool 3 in North Little Rock.

The tournament spans more than 300 miles of eligible fishing waters on the river inside the state’s borders.  The event is divided into five pools, and tournament action will resume at 6 a.m. Saturday morning with the final weigh-in being held Sunday at 1 p.m.   Fishermen can still register at any weigh-in location Saturday and Sunday.  The grand prize and other cash awards will be presented during Sunday’s award ceremony, which will begin at 4 p.m. near the North Little Rock/Alltel Arena boat ramp.

The five weigh-in sites are:  Pool 1 – Clear Creek Park, Fort Smith; Pool 2 – Dardanelle State Park/Russellville side; Pool 3 – North Little Rock/Alltel Ramp; Pool 4 – Regional Park/ Pine Bluff; and Pool 5 – Pendleton Bridge/east of Dumas.

For more information on the tournament and complete results, visit www.arkansasbigbass.com.

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