(Photo Credit: Shane Durrance)

Gainesville, GA (April 2, 2024) – Forty-seven top level anglers convened on Lake Lanier for the newly formed Touring Anglers Association (TAA) inaugural tournament.  After nothing more than a four hour “ride around” practice period, Chris Johnston, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro, came out on top with an impressive 5 fish limit weighing 24.75 lbs.  Johnston wasn’t ready to give up all the details, but his impressive bag came shallow with key fish bites flipping some “light stuff” and throwing a swimbait.  Right on Johnston’s heels is Major League Fishing Pro, Jared Lintner, with an equally impressive 24.73 lbs.  Lintner found success early, stopping on the biggest bass he seen in practice and adding it to his limit right out of the gate.  His 7.41 lbs. kicker anchored his bag and was good for the Daily Big Bass and positioned him right near the top of the leaderboard.

Sight fishing dominated Day 1, but storms are forecasted for the area Tuesday night, and Wednesday’s forecast isn’t exactly ideal for those who are “looking” for big fish.  The Top 8 anglers all cracked the 20-pound mark, and the Top 12, after Day 2, will move on to the Final Round on Thursday.  The Top 12 is currently rounded out by Allen Armour, who weighed a 5 bass limit for 19.00.  With several fish in the 5-to-7-pound range weighed on Day 1, anglers have an opportunity to make up a lot of ground with a good Day 2.  Full results of Day 1 can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/leaderboard/

Anglers are expected to take off each morning at 7 am EST and they are due to check in at 3 pm EST, with the weigh-in and live stream to follow. Those who make the final day will have an observer, which can include an eliminated competitor, in the boat with them throughout Thursday’s final day.

Although there will be no live coverage from the water, Bass365, has collaborated with key industry media partners to make sure fans can see the weigh-ins of this historic event.

Bass365 has called on AnglersChannel.com, AdvancedAngler.com, as well as the Fish North Georgia Facebook Group to assist in broadcasting the live stream of the daily weigh-ins to over 180,000 possible viewers.  Each Facebook page will be hosting the stream on all three days of competition.  Collectively across all social platforms, this group has the ability to reach over a quarter of a million fans of fishing for this inaugural event.

Fans can tune in by following any, or all, of the platforms below on Facebook.

Bass365: https://www.facebook.com/basseast1

AnglersChannel.com: https://www.facebook.com/anglerschannel

AdvancedAngler.com: https://www.facebook.com/AdvancedAngler

Fish North Georgia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fishnorthgeorgia

About TAA:

TAA is focused on a limited technology, high-stakes event, with low overhead and 100% payback, similar to the local “derbies” many fans of fishing are longing for.  The entry fee is $5,000 and the competition is stout, with many Bassmaster and Major League Fishing touring pros, as well as local aces, going head-to-head for a six-figure payday.  More details can be found at: https://touringanglersassociation.com/