Tulsa Bassmaster Classic planners are taking notes for 2013

BY KELLY BOSTIAN World Outdoors Writer
Saturday, February 25, 2012
2/25/12 at 7:01 AM

Watch a video and see photo slideshows from the Bassmaster Classic.

SHREVEPORT, La. - The wind was a little strong, the speaker volume a little weak, but a hush rolled through the crowd of 1,000 to 1,500 spectators like ripples on a pond as the singing of the national anthem reached the ears of those crowded on the banks of the Red River near Shreveport for Friday's launch of the 2012 Bassmaster Classic.

The song ended, the crowd cheered and began to mill around - and then the B-52 from nearby Barksdale Air Force Base passed over at 1,000 feet.

"Our singer was cold and got in a little bit of a hurry," said Stacy Brown, Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau president, as she later slipped into a heated reception tent set up for sponsors and VIPs.

Oh well, the flyover was still pretty cool.

"We'll get F-16s or something for Grand Lake. We'll figure that one out," Visit Tulsa and Tulsa Sports Commission Senior Vice President Ray Hoyt said later as he waited for a shuttle bus outside the Shreveport Hilton.

Timing a song, having the right sound system, controlling traffic, arranging shuttles, controlling crowds, keeping VIPs warm and happy when the wind gusts to 20 mph and the temperature drops into the 40s; the challenges of putting on an event like the Bassmaster Classic are many and Tulsans have Shreveport under a microscope this weekend to learn as much as they can before the Classic comes to Tulsa and Grand Lake in 2013.

Shreveport is a convenient microbe growing on the petri dish of community event planning, because in 2009 it was very much like Tulsa is now.

"When the Bassmaster Classic came here, it was the single largest event we had ever hosted," said Brandy Evans, vice present of communications for the local tourism bureau. They prepared for a large event and it was a good thing: The event set an attendance record of 137,000 that still stands. They hope to top their own record this year.

Tulsa already has a leg up, Evans said. Shreveport sent "a few" people to the Classic before hosting it.

"I understand Tulsa has 25 people here. That's amazing," she said.

Indeed, a group of 25 connected with Tulsa's Local Organizing Committee are in town and watching every aspect of the event with a critical eye. Each of them has a detailed critique and suggestion sheet to fill out and the group is meeting every morning to share thoughts and build up their Bassmaster to-do lists.

What's at stake is millions of dollars in economic impact and a step up into the big leagues of community event hosting.

"Long term, it boosted our community's pride and confidence in what we can accomplish," Evans said. "People say, 'Oh my yes, we hosted the Bassmaster Classic and they had record attendance."

The very economic impact of the 2009 Classic provided a lesson for the local planners.

"It was $26.4 million from the surveys that were done, but I'm always hesitant to quote that number because it's not statistically sound," Evans said.

In 2009, the bureau used volunteer college students to survey crowds and provide numbers and information for economists to process. They're using a professional private firm to do that work this year.

"There is an art to survey people correctly. You have to have the right personality and approach. You really need people who are trained for it," Evans said.

Better surveying may have given them a better idea what to expect this year. Last time, the event took place on Mardi Gras weekend. This year, it's the week after Louisiana's biggest weekend of the year. "All of the hotels are going to be full. We're going to have good attendance, we just don't have a lot to base our numbers on right now," Evans said.

The best thing Shreveport did was to involve a broad section of the community up front and secure the help of "hundreds" of organized volunteers, Brown said.

"One of our main comments from people was that they felt so welcome and that Shreveport really rolled out the red carpet for them," Brown said. "That was because of our volunteers, and because everywhere they went there was someone there to help direct them to find things."

Brown noted that volunteer help was important for local businesses and attractions, particularly restaurants. "Everybody asks, 'Where do we go to eat?' They'll find the national chains of course, but the local restaurants and community flavor is what they appreciate finding."

The greatest lesson of the experience for the community, not so much those who worked to plan it, was just how big an event the Bassmaster Classic can be, Evans said.

"You're told it's big and everyone is very excited about this big event coming; but people don't really understand until you experience it," she said. "I've talked to a lot of people who missed it last time who say, 'Yes, we're coming this time we just didn't realize what a big deal it was."

2012 Bassmaster Classic

Where: Shreveport-Bossier City, La.

When: Through Sunday

Launch: Red River South Marina

Weigh-In: CenturyLink Center

Expo: Hilton Shreveport Convention Center

2013 Bassmaster Classic

Where: Tulsa-Grand Lake, Okla.

When: Feb. 22-24, 2013

Launch: Grand Lake of The Cherokees

Weigh-in: BOK Center

Expo: Tulsa Convention Center

Bassmaster Classic 101

The event: 2012 Bassmaster Classic tournament, Friday-Sunday, Red River at Shreveport-Bossier City, La.

What's the big deal? : The Bassmaster tournament series is the granddaddy of all tournament series and recognized as home to the best anglers in the world. To win the Classic is to be crowned one of the best. The Bassmaster Classic comes to Tulsa in 2013. The fishing will be at Grand Lake, the weigh-ins will be at the BOK Center and the expo will be at the Convention Center.

What's the prize? : Top prize is $500,000. There's more - the recognition and potential sponsorship dollars that come with the title.

Who's in it? : This year, it's a field of 49 who have qualified by winning in a variety of tournament series or by amassing points awarded for performance in several tournaments in 2011. Potentially, 54 can qualify.

Who wins? : The angler who catches the heaviest batch of fish over three days wins. All 49 anglers fish the first two days. On Sunday the field is cut to the top 25.

How many fish do they catch? : Anglers can turn in up to five fish over 14 inches long each day. People expect this year's "bags" of fish will need to be 17 to 18 pounds each day to win.

When do they fish? : Anglers draw their launching order and leave the dock about a minute apart. They have equal amounts of time to fish. First launch is at 7 a.m. daily and the last boat makes it out by about 7:45 a.m. The first boat must return, or be penalized, by 3 p.m. (with the last boat coming in at about 3:45 p.m.)

What happens to the fish? : All the fish are kept in live wells and released back to the river. Anglers are penalized for any fish that die, and very few perish.

What is the weigh-in? : Anglers bring their NASCAR-style decorated trucks and boats to the CenturyLink Center, pull their fish out of the live wells on their boats and have them weighed on stage in front of thousands in a stadium-style crowd as they talk about their fishing strategy and techniques, trials and tribulations of the day. It's a lot more exciting than it sounds as the anglers show their fish, the crowd cheers and the results are tallied to see who is winning.

Coming Sunday

Tulsa officials are in Shreveport planning for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic coming to Grand Lake and Tulsa. Find out what they've learned in Louisiana and what they hope to accomplish in Tulsa next year.

Original Print Headline: Reeling in the big one

Kelly Bostian, 918-581-8357
kelly.bostian@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

Jeff Kriet fishes on the first day of competition at the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., on Friday. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Gerald Swindle fan Emma Martin of Alabama cheers at the Bassmaster Classic on Friday. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Jeff Kriet holds up a fish at the weigh-in of the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., on Friday. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Peggy Lane holds her grandson, 4-month-old Coleman Lane, as they cheer for Coleman's dad and Peggy's son, Chris Lane, during weigh-in on the first day of competition at the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, La., on Friday. The Lanes are from Lakeland, Fla. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World