The 2010 Arkansas Big Bass Tournament Copyright © 2010 Arkansas Tournament Fishing .com and its licensors. All rights reserved CLICK HERE! CLICK HERE! CLICK HERE! Maps, Live Weather, Marinas, Lodging, Charters, Information, Fishing Guides Fishing Moon Phases & Best Bite Dates CALENDARS CLICK HERE! Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza tournament officials are excited regarding the New Payout Format for the 2010 Tournament. Distribution of Prize Money: Overall Winner — $50,000 to the largest overall fish GUARANTEED. Pool Money — $10,000 to the largest overall fish in each of the remaining four pools GUARANTEED. Place Money per Pool — $900 to 2nd place, $700 to 3rd place and $400 to 4th place to the overall winner in each of the five pools GUARANTEED. The guaranteed cash prizes are still $100,000, just distributed differently to spread out the top prizes. In addition to the guaranteed prizes, there will be hourly money. (Based on projected entries of 2,200 to 2,500 fishermen) Hourly Money — $100,000 total.  $1,000 per hour will be awarded in each pool (First place $500, Second Place $300, and Third Place $200).  Hourly money will be the top priority to pay after guaranteed prizes. Also, hourly winners who purchase and are wearing an official tournament T-shirt and cap will receive a $100 bonus. Prize money for pool winners will increase or decrease $10,000 for every 100 fishermen. Willow Leaf Award – $1,000 cash to the parent/child or grandparent/grandchild pair weighing the largest bass.  You are eligible if the child or grandchild is under 22 years of age. Additional Prizes: Academy Sports and Outdoors will be giving the following prizes in addition to any other tournament prizes. A $300.00 Gift Card to any exact 3lb. fish on the 3rd  payout hour, 9:01-10 am A $400.00 Gift Card to any exact 4lb. fish on the 4th payout hour, 10:01 -11am A $500.00 Gift Card to any exact 5lb. fish on the 5th payout hour, 11:01-12 (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 will tag and release 20 largemouth bass into the Arkansas River between Ormond Lock & Dam and Terry Lock and Dam.  The 20 tagged bass will be 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 (5) tagged bass caught and presented during the Big Bass Bonanza Tournament hours (6am to 1pm) June 25- June 27.  The other tagged 19 bass will have sponsor prizes attached to them. Any tagged bass caught must be presented at the official weigh-in site for Pool 3 in North Little Rock. Summary: Brought to you by the Arkansas Hospitality Association, the contest spans 300 miles of eligible fishing from Fort Smith to Dumas — the entire length of the Arkansas River within the state’s borders. As in previous years, the river will be divided into five fishing pools, and each pool will have one official weigh-in site. The five weigh-in sites are: Clear Creek Park, Fort Smith; Dardanelle State Park, Russellville side; Verizon Ramp, North Little Rock; Regional Park, Pine Bluff; and Pendleton Bridge, east of Dumas. The tournament begins at 6 a.m. sharp on all three days, with the first hourly weigh-in at 8 a.m. and subsequent weigh- ins at the top of each hour until the final 1 p.m. weigh-in. (More information on tournament rules and format is available on the Web site at www.arkansasbigbass.com). Anglers can choose to fish one, two, or all three days of the tournament. Fishermen can choose to fish any of the five pools and can fish different pools during the three-day event. However, all fish must be weighed in the pool in which they were caught. Eligible fish species include largemouth, smallmouth, and Kentucky spotted bass (black bass). Registration is held at the weigh-in sites each day of the tournament and payment will be cash only. Checks and credit cards will not be accepted.  For more information about the tournament, contact the Arkansas Hospitality Association at 1- 800-472-5022 or via e-mail at aha@arhospitality.org. # # # The Arkansas Hospitality Association, a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization, is the official voice of the restaurant, lodging, travel and tourism industries in the state, representing the Arkansas Restaurant Association, the Arkansas Lodging Association and the Arkansas Travel Council. Visit us online at www.arhospitality.org! VIDEO POSTED BELOW! Arkansas Tournament Fishing “ATF” covered the 2010 Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza from LAND, AIR, & WATER! Nicholas Warden of Beebe, AR has won the Big Bass Bonanza $50,000 grand prize with a 6.62-Pound catch near Dumas!  Saturday’s Leader Holds On To Win $50,000 In the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (June 27, 2010) — Although Nicholas Warden of Beebe had fished in the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza the past two years, he had not planned to compete again this year.  However, his step dad talked him into going to Dumas to fish with him, and now Warden is sure glad he did. His 6.62-pound bass that he reeled in on Saturday morning held up as the overall leader in the three-day tournament, and Warden, 30, is taking home $50,000 for his efforts.  Warden beat out 1,754 other anglers to win the grand prize. Warden said he really had had nothing but bad luck with the tournament the past two years.  “Last year I fished in North Little Rock, and my truck was broken into while I was fishing and some of gear was stolen,” Warden said.  “The year before, I fished at Dardanelle, and someone drove over my boat trailer.  But I finally had some good luck this year.  I think I’m ahead now!” He said he hooked the winning bass about 7:30 a.m. Saturday below Pendleton Bridge where the canal goes into Moores Bayou.  “I had fished that area before (although not in the tournament) and thought I might get lucky and catch a three- or four-pounder to get in the hourly prize money,” he said.   “On my first cast, the bass hit my peanut butter and jelly jig.  As soon as he came out of the water, I knew it was a very good fish.  Then when I got him in the boat, he came off the hook, and I had to lay on him to keep him from jumping out of the boat.” First-place winners in each of the other pools are: •  Russell Pryor of Greenwood (5.36) – Fort Smith pool •  William Menz of Ward (6.23) – Dardanelle pool •  Andrew Smith of Alexander (5.81) – North Little Rock pool •  Brent Ward of Pine Bluff (5.83) – Pine Bluff pool The top catch in each of these four pools was worth $10,000 in prize money. Victor Scrivner and his son, Britt, of Pine Bluff took home $1,000 cash and the Willow Leaf Award, which goes to the parent/child or grandparent/grandchild pair weighing the biggest fish.  Scrivner’s bass tipped the scales at 4.39 pounds. During Sunday’s competition, Calvin Ashcraft of DeWitt weighed a three-pound bass at the third weigh-in hour in Dumas to win a $300 gift card from Academy Sports and Outdoors.  Randy Staggs of Atkins won a $400 gift card for catching a four-pound fish at the fourth weigh-in hour in Dardanelle. For more information on the tournament and complete results, visit arkansasbigbass.com Fishing Moon Phases & Best Bite Dates CALENDARS “I caught my fish on a Jewel Eakins football jig! This jig has caught more big fish for me than any other bait in my boat.”