Bass Fishing - UltimateBass.com

CELEBRATION, Fla. - There will be plenty on the line when Louisiana’s bass-rich Red River becomes the site of the second of three Bassmaster Central Open tournaments June 14-16 out of Shreveport-Bossier City.

At stake is a $56,000 top prize, which includes a Triton/Mercury boat package, valuable points toward the 2008 Bassmaster Classic and qualification for the 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series. And with only a September visit to Texas’ Lake Amistad remaining, this tournament promises to be pivotal for those anglers with higher goals.

One of those is Homer Humphreys, a former Classic qualifier, winner of a past BASS tournament on these waters and a longtime guide in the river.

"The way it’s looking, the fishing’s going to be pretty tough," the Minden, La., pro said. "The river is going to have a lot of boat pressure on it and these fish tend to shut down with boat pressure.

"Also, the fish are in transition. They’ve just finished spawning. Usually, this time of year I won’t be on the river guiding for bass because they’re not in the holes yet. They’re still in transition mode. You catch them here today and they’re gone in the morning. They’re just moving a lot in this high water."

Humphreys noted that the river experienced a 4-foot rise in recent days.

When asked to predict the winning weight, Humphreys said. "I personally think 12 pounds a day would be great. Somebody is going to catch 15 pounds one day, but they won’t do it consistent."

That’s a far cry from some previous winning weights on the river, including Davy Hite’s winning weight of 41 pounds, 8 ounces at a Bassmaster Tour event and Brent Chapman’s catch of 50-13 at an Open tournament in 2000.

But it would be similar to Sean Hoernke’s winning weight of 36-2 the last time BASS visited the river with an Open-level circuit in November 2005.

This time, Humphreys looks for topwater plugs to be especially effective during the June tournament.

"The hydrilla off the river really looks good and it’s the only way to get away from the muddy water," he said. "That’s where the last three or four tournaments have been won with this high water.

"Where I won this tournament at, all that’s muddy. So I won’t go back there."

The full field will compete in the first two rounds. On the final day (Saturday), the field will be reduced to the top 30 pros and co-anglers. The winner of the co-angler division will win a Triton/Mercury package valued at $32,000, plus $2,000 in cash.

Daily launches and weigh-ins will be held at the Stoner Avenue Boat Ramp. The launches will begin at 6 a.m. ET. and weigh-ins will begin at 2 p.m. ET.

Sponsors of the Bassmaster Southern and Central Opens include Toyota, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit http://www.bassmaster.com. Visit http://www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation 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 sanctions and 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 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

Bassmaster Central Open Points Standings