Photos by Mark Jeffreys & Matt Pangrac - PAA photos provided by Chris Dutton

Bobby Lane - Bassmaster Elite Series pro
The BASS ZONE: What was the driving factor behind your decision to fish the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series this year? 

Bobby Lane: “The reason that I fished the PAA Series is because the Elite Series regular season ended in June and as a professional fisherman, I fish for a living. I don’t make a ton of money outside of fishing, so I have to make my money through fishing. 

“When the PAA announced the schedule, although it conflicted with some holidays, it was a decision that I made to give it a shot. I finished second in the tournament but even if I had finished 100th, I wouldn’t have been complaining about it. 

"It was something that we, as professional anglers, have to do because if we’re not participating in it, the PAA won’t survive. I wanted to show them that I was there to fish and support the PAA. Even though we are approaching what many people call the ‘off season’, we are trying to make something good out of all the down time." 

The BASS ZONE: Having competed on both the FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Elite Series, how would you rate the competition level of the PAA Series tournament on Cherokee?

Bobby Lane: “To have so many Elite Series, FLW Tour and PAA members fishing this tournament shows you that there are a lot of anglers out there who are concerned about the future of professional bass fishing. 

“To see all the boats show up including some of the top names in the sport at an event that’s a $2,500 entry fee, it proves that we want to compete. It was great to see some of the top names out here. I fished against anglers who have won the Bassmaster Classic, FLW Cup, and Angler Of the Year titles on both sides. It was pretty cool. 

The BASS ZONE: What are your thoughts on the 2010 PAA Series schedule? 

Bobby Lane: "I’m 50/50 on what to think about the schedule. To be honest, I was skeptical about the schedule and I know that a lot of people that I talked with prior to the Cherokee Lake event were not thrilled with the schedule and the lakes that were chosen. It’s a tough time right now, but to be honest, the tournament was a good tournament overall." 

The BASS ZONE: Was there anything that surprised you about the event?

Bobby Lane: “To see the fans and the people that gathered at Bass Pro Shops the final day as I was standing on the stage, was incredible. There wasn’t a spot left in the parking spot. When I saw that support, it all started to make sense to me. I haven’t seen a crowd that big since the Bassmaster Classic. 

“For anglers to stand on stage and promote their best baits and promote their sponsors and for people to turn around and walk 100 yards into Bass Pro Shops, I see no reason why this couldn’t be a success.” 

John Crews – PAA Vice President, Bassmaster Elite Series pro
The BASS ZONE: As the Vice President of the PAA, what are your initial thoughts on the first PAA Series event of the year?

John Crews: “The event went great. This is only the second year of these events, so in all reality, it was our 4th event as an organization to hold by ourselves. I was really proud of how our staff handled the whole event and how prepared everyone was. 

“It was a compliment to professional anglers as a whole. The town of Morristown was great. There were a lot of fans that approached the anglers at restaurants and boat ramps. On that Saturday, everything went really well and there was a great crowd for the entire weigh-in even though the temperature was in the 90s.” 

The BASS ZONE: How would you judge the quality of the field that competed on Cherokee Lake? 

John Crews: “We wanted to have as many anglers as possible. With the timing, there were a number of anglers who were not able to make the event but I thought that we had a great field size. If you look from top to bottom, there were Angler Of the Year winners, Bassmaster Classic champions, and FLW Cup champions. It was a really unique field and it definitely showed the best of the best with Biffle winning.

“There were five of the top 12 Elite Series Postseason anglers fishing in the event. I have a lot of respect for those guys, especially Biffle, because he’s been in the game for over 25 years and he’s still hungry to fish.” 

The BASS ZONE: What do you think of the remaining schedule? 

John Crews: “Personally for my career, it’s really important to have some top level events to fish throughout the fall so that there’s not a rust factor that accumulates during that six months without a pro level event. 

“You can fish small events but it’s not the same because you’re not fishing against the top level guys in the sport. You have to be on the top of your game to beat these guys and keep your game at the top level. I like how the schedule is set up for one tournament a month through the end of October.” 

Chad Morgenthaler – PAA President, FLW Tour pro 
The BASS ZONE: As the President of the PAA, what are your initial thoughts on the first PAA Series event of the year? 

Chad Morgenthaler: “There were just a few glitches in the whole process and most of it was dealing with new equipment and new personnel that hasn’t been through the rigors with us yet. Even with that, there wasn’t anything major for the most part.

The BASS ZONE: Were you pleased with the participation and the strength of the field?

Chad Morgenthaler: “We just assembled one of the strongest fields that has ever fished together and I’m ecstatic about the participation and the show of support for the PAA. There were anglers who had already made the Bassmaster Postseason and the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. They were there for one reason and that was to support the PAA. I’m honored to be the president of an organization that operates like that. 

“The problem with the PAA right now is that we can’t get big enough fast enough to accommodate what the guys are asking for right now. We have to be careful with what we do because we want to do it professionally, we want to do it right, and we want to make sure that the fans and the anglers get out of it what they need and expect.” 

The BASS ZONE: Did the tournament meet your expectations and goals? 

Chad Morgenthaler: “It was about dead on with what I was expecting. I was excited about the numbers and the participation. The biggest thing to drive home for the sponsors and the anglers is that we reached the right demographic. We hit the nail right on the head. 

“The angler growth is critical but it’s already at a point where it’s good. The final spot on the money received twice their entry fee back and that’s as good as anything that’s out there. I’m excited for the rest of the events.” 

Alan Clemons – Communications Director for the PAA
The BASS ZONE: As the Communications Director for the PAA, what are your initial thoughts on the first PAA Series event of the year? 

Alan Clemons: “Overall, there were things that we did well and there were some things that we need to do better next time. I think that is to be expected with any event of this caliber regardless whether it’s baseball, golf, or bass fishing. The first tournament out of the shoot, there is going to be some things to smooth out. 

“I think that it ran pretty smoothly. Now we have a tournament under our belts are looking forward to Lake Norman next month.”

The BASS ZONE: How was the community involvement and support of the tournament? 

Alan Clemons: “On Thursday, I was sitting with the PAA Program Director, Danny Blandford and I looked over at him and said, ‘Look at all these people.’ I’m not good at guessing numbers, but I know that that crowd on Friday doubled from Thursday. 

“On Saturday at the weigh-in at Bass Pro Shops, the crowd was great. There were well over 1,000 people. The fans were very vocal and receptive and seemed to enjoy it."

The BASS ZONE: Having been in the industry for a long time, how would you judge the level of competition last week on Cherokee Lake? 

Alan Clemons: “It really stood out to me. The Elite Series and FLW Tour seasons just ended and we also have the BASS Postseason and the FLW Cup coming up. A lot of these guys took time out to come up to a lake that a lot of them had never seen before in the middle of July to fish and compete and support the PAA. 

“It was really cool. It was a nice, strong, competitive field and I expect it to continue to get better.” 

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY FEATURING TOMMY BIFFLE'S VICTORY AT CHEROKEE.