May 31, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Elite Series pro Josh Stracner of Vandiver, Ala., will not be fishing this week’s Folds of Honor Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River. B.A.S.S. officials have ruled him ineligible for the sixth stop of the 2023 Bassmaster Elite Series season because he is unable to secure the required Texas fishing license.
Bassmaster Elite Rule C6. IV, for Sportsmanship states: “In both official practice and competition, competitors are required to have all licenses and permits required on the tournament waters in which they fish.”
After contacting the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in an attempt to resolve the issue, Stracner notified B.A.S.S. officials in advance of the tournament.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.
