Texas' Lewisville Lake to Host Women's Bassmaster Tour Preview Oct. 20-22

Texas' Lewisville Lake to Host Women's Bassmaster Tour Preview Oct.
20-22

CELEBRATION, Fla. - History will be made the morning of Oct. 20th
when America's best women anglers cast into the waters of Texas'
Lewisville Lake, launching the preview event of the new Women's
Bassmaster Tour.

For the first time, the women pros and non-boaters will enjoy a
big-league tournament venue backed by the most respected tournament
organization in the country, BASS, and its major media parent, ESPN.

"I'm so excited I can barely think," said Texan Robin Baab. "I know all
of the ladies feel the same way I do."

Both the boater and non-boater fields of the three-day tournament will
be cut to the top six after Day 2. Boaters are vying for a $15,000
first-place prize while the first-place non-boater will receive $7,500.

Lewisville Lake is 29,592 acres and has 233 miles of shoreline. With an
average depth of 25 feet, the Corps of Engineers reservoir is one of the
most popular recreation spots in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according
to locals. It is adjacent to Interstate 35 and 15 minutes north of
downtown Dallas.

Anglers say Lewisville Lake is better known as a gathering place for
recreational boating, but it's also a fishery with plenty of places
largemouth typically live, including stumps, boat docks and rocky
shorelines. However, anglers will not find much aquatic vegetation.

Though the Women's Bassmaster Tour is new to Lewisville Lake, BASS is
not. In June, while fishing a Bassmaster Elite 50, Bassmaster Classic
champion Kevin VanDam set a lake record with an 11-pound, 13-ounce
largemouth. Since then, VanDam's record has been topped twice by local
anglers. The record now belongs to Charles Pratt of Lewisville, who
caught a 12-pound, 11-ounce bass on July 31, according to the Dallas
Morning News.

Still, chances are most of the women will be unfamiliar with the waters.
"I've never fished Lewisville before, so I'll spend a few days scouting
it out, hunting fish," said boater Mary DiVincenti, 45, of Clinton, La.
"I'm hoping to crack the top six to make it to the third day. I believe
we're going to have a strong fall pattern there, so that'll help."

Even before women have the chance to fish the preview event, many say
they are ready to register for the full, five-event series next year. "I
really do think it's going to snowball," said Arkansas boater Lucy Mize,
who is fishing the preview with her daughter, Melinda Mize. "The women
anglers are watching this closely and they'll all be out next spring."

The preview event was originally scheduled for Sam Rayburn Reservoir but
was moved because of damage caused by Hurricane Rita in September.
Still, tournament director Bruce Mathis said the women remained excited
about the preview.

"We couldn't be happier with the response we have received thus far," he
said. "I am not just talking about the sheer number of participants, but
the enthusiastic feedback we have received is really encouraging."

Daily launch and weigh-ins will be at Sneaky Pete's Restaurant and
Banquet Facility, #2 Eagle Point Marina, Lewisville, Texas, 75075.

The preview also will be great practice for the Tour, as the women who
sign up to fish the full schedule will visit again May 18-20, 2006. The
complete 2006 Women's Bassmaster Tour schedule is:

March 16-18 Toledo Bend Reservoir Huxley, Texas
April 20-22 Neeley Henry Lake Gadsden, Ala.
May 18-20 Lewisville Lake Dallas, Texas
July 27-29 Lake Norman Huntersville, N.C.
Aug. 24-26 Lake Dardanelle Russellville, Ark.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than
20,000 events through the BASS Federation annually.
Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard
for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it
has for nearly 40 years.

BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and
culminates with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth
programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia
platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and
support to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered
in Celebration, Fla.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at 407-566-2208.

Media Contact:
BASS Communications
407-566-2208