Bassmaster has officially announced all 104 anglers who will be fishing the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series. This is a big jump from the previous season stacked with a competitive group of 94 Elite anglers. It is reported that the total purse for the 2023 Bassmaster Elite season will be worth $6.9 million. Although the upcoming fishing season is expanding, this does not include the four anglers who retired but does include all other B.A.S.S. Elite members from the previous year and 13 new qualifiers from the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens.
Why This is Important for Bassmaster Elite Series
Aside from expanding the lineup, Bassmaster has proven to television networks they are worthy of having their events broadcasted on a national level. FOX Sports broadcasted numerous B.A.S.S. Elite events during the 2022 fishing season and it appears it will happen again.
This exposure is excellent for the sport to display what it truly represents. The men who compete on the big stage aren’t just competitive but are devoted to their faith, humble, and provide incredible knowledge to the fishing community about fishing products, techniques, and the usage of electronics.
Reaching a large audience also increases the opportunity for our youth to become educated in bass fishing. Most of us bass fishermen started as a child because of an impactful inspiration from someone older.
How the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournaments Work
Once qualified, anglers will compete in a four-day event. These events typically run from Thursday-Sunday. Each competition day is eight hours from blastoff to the time they must return for weigh-in. Anglers who do not check-in or return on time, are automatically disqualified.
The entire fishing field competes for the first two days. This number drops to 50 anglers for the semifinal round on Saturday (day 3). The winner with the heaviest four-day total weight in bass is who takes home the blue trophy.
Learn more about the best soft-plastic fishing baits for 2023.
Anglers Who Will Compete in the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series
The 2023 Bassmaster Elites kick-off on February 16th on Lake Okeechobee in Florida and will include the following anglers:
Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C.
Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala.
Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C.
Drew Benton, Blakely, Ga.
Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark.
Scott Canterbury, Odenville, Ala.
Brandon Card, Salisbury, N.C.
Hank Cherry, Lincolnton, N.C.
Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla.
Joey Cifuentes III, Clinton, Ark.
Gary Clouse, Winchester, Tenn.
Rick Clunn, Ava, Mo.
Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C.
Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas
Drew Cook, Cairo, Ga.
John Cox, DeBary, Fla.
John Crews, Salem, Va.
Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala.
Will Davis Jr., Sylacauga, Ala.
Greg DiPalma, Millville, N.J.
Josh Douglas, Isle, Minn.
Bob Downey, Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Seth Feider, New Market, Minn.
Austin Felix, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Jacob Foutz, Charleston, Tenn.
Marc Frazier, Newnan, Ga.
Micah Frazier, Newnan, Ga.
David Fritts, Lexington, N.C.
Kyoya Fujita, Minamitsuru, Yamanashi, Japan
Cooper Gallant, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
David Gaston, Sylacauga, Ala.
Darold Gleason, Many, La.
Buddy Gross, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, Canada
Greg Hackney, Gonzales, La.
Bradley Hallman, Edmond, Okla.
Skylar Hamilton, Dandridge, Tenn.
Justin Hamner, Northport, Ala.
Ray Hanselman, Del Rio, Texas
Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y.
Matt Herren, Ashville, Ala.
Derek Hudnall, Zachary, La.
Cody Huff, Ava, Mo.
Mike Huff, Corbin, Ky.
Mike Iaconelli, Pittsgrove, N.J.
Taku Ito, Chiba, Japan
Carl Jocumsen, Toowoomba, Australia
Chris Johnston, Otonabee, Ontario, Canada
Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada
Jonathan Kelley, Old Forge, Pa.
Steve Kennedy, Auburn, Ala.
Kenta Kimura, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Koby Kreiger, Alva, Fla.
Caleb Kuphall, Mukwonago, Wis.
Logan Latuso, Gonzales, La.
Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C.
Brandon Lester, Fayetteville, Tenn.
Lee Livesay, Longview, Texas
Wes Logan, Springville, Ala.
Ed Loughran III, Richmond, Va.
Bill Lowen, Brookville, Ind.
Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla.
Masayuki Matsushita, Tokoname-Shi, Japan
Mark Menendez, Paducah, Ky.
Brock Mosley, Collinsville, Miss.
Paul Mueller, Naugatuck, Conn.
David Mullins, Mt. Carmel, Tenn.
Bryan New, Saluda, S.C.
Larry Nixon, Quitman, Ark.
Kyle Norsetter, Cottage Grove, Wis.
Brandon Palaniuk, Rathdrum, Idaho
Luke Palmer, Coalgate, Okla.
Chad Pipkens, DeWitt, Mich.
Clifford Pirch, Payson, Ariz.
Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala.
Jacob Powroznik, North Prince George, Va.
Cliff Prince, Palatka, Fla.
Jay Przekurat, Stevens Point, Wis.
KJ Queen, Catawba, N.C.
Alex Redwine, Blue Ash, Ohio
Tyler Rivet, Raceland, La.
Matt Robertson, Kuttawa, Ky.
Cole Sands, Calhoun, Tenn.
Pat Schlapper, Eleva, Wis.
Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md.
Bernie Schultz, Gainesville, Fla.
Hunter Shryock, Ooltewah, Tenn.
Bryant Smith, Roseville, Calif.
John Soukup, Sapulpa, Okla.
Josh Stracner, Vandiver, Ala.
Caleb Sumrall, New Iberia, La.
Gerald Swindle, Guntersville, Ala.
Frank Talley, Temple, Texas
Patrick Walters, Summerville, S.C.
Joseph Webster, Hamilton, Ala.
Kyle Welcher, Opelika, Ala.
Clark Wendlandt, Leander, Texas
Alex Wetherell, Middletown, Conn.
Brad Whatley, Bivins, Texas
Jake Whitaker, Hendersonville, N.C.
David Williams, Newton, N.C.
Jason Williamson, Aiken, S.C.
Matty Wong, Honolulu, Hawaii
Chris Zaldain, Fort Worth, Texas
The 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series will conclude on August 27th in Clayton, N.Y., on the St. Lawrence River.
