Emphasis is placed on watercraft safety, good sportsmanship and conservation ethics.
The tour consisted of four qualifying tournaments and the Tournament of Champions. Professional anglers are paired with amateurs for each leg of the tour and great care is taken with the fish so that they can be successfully released after the weigh-in event. The four qualifying tournaments were held on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Gull Lake in Brainerd, Lake Minnetonka in the western Metro suburbs and Leech Lake in Walker. The top 40 professional and amateur anglers headed to Lake Vermilion in Tower for the Tournament of Champions, held Aug. 17 - 19. Professional angler Jerry Curtis of Minneapolis and his amateur partners reeled in the two-day limit of 16 bass with a total weight of 41.92 pounds.