MOTORGUIDE RENEWS 26-YEAR BASS SPONSORSHIP

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - BASS, the worldwide authority on bass fishing, today announced that MotorGuide, its longest-running current sponsor, has renewed its premier sponsorship with the world's largest fishing organization.

"I am very happy to announce that MotorGuide will be with us well into the future," said BASS Vice President and General Manager Dean Kessel.  "We continue to partner with brands who share our collective vision and passion for BASS and the sport of bass fishing."

As part of the agreement, MotorGuide will continue as the exclusive, official trolling motor sponsor of the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch Beer, CITGO Bassmaster Classic presented by Busch Beer and the BASS Federation.

"As the longest running sponsor of BASS, MotorGuide is honored and excited to renew our longtime commitment to the sport of bass tournament fishing and the BASS/ESPN initiative to grow the sport," said Mike Phillips, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for MotorGuide.  Phillips noted that MotorGuide has been a BASS sponsor since 1978.

MotorGuide's heritage of building the most durable trolling motors ever built has also been renewed with the recent introduction of MotorGuide's new digital Tour Series motors.  Digital represents a dramatic shift in trolling motor design and greatly enhances durability and performance.  Many top names in tournament bass fishing use MotorGuide trolling motors every day to make a living.  Pro anglers Gerald Swindle and Jay Yelas each won the CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year title using MotorGuide's new digital Tour Series motors in the last two years. 

"We are committed to tournament bass fishing, the BASS Federation and their conservation efforts and appreciate the long-term partnership we have had with BASS to grow the sport," Phillips added. 

MotorGuide is now located in Tulsa, Okla., and has manufactured trolling motors since 1961 the year G.H. Harris invented the first bow mount trolling motor.  MotorGuide motors are built for durability and performance and hold up to the tough demands of tournament and recreational anglers around the world.  At this summer's CITGO Bassmaster Classic featured on ESPN2, MotorGuide will showcase their Tour Series TR109P Trolling motors with built-in transducers designed to optimize sonar performance.

BASS is the world's largest fishing organization, sanctioning more than 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its Federation.  In April, BASS introduced
the all-new Bassmaster Elite 50 Series, a four-event, no-entry-fee circuit featuring a $1.6 million prize purse for the world's best anglers. The CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch Beer is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass-fishing tournament circuit and continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship as it has since 1968. 

Sponsors of the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail presented by Busch Beer include CITGO Petroleum Corp., Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Skeeter Boats, Mercury Marine, Yamaha Outboards, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops, and BankOne.

Associate Sponsors include G3 Boats.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (334) 551-2375 or visit www.bassmaster.com.