Entry 332-1
James Niggemeyer - Doubling Down on the 2010 Bassmaster Classic
Editor’s Note: Most fishermen dream of qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic – the World Series of bass fishing. But one of Strike King’s national pros, James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, has qualified twice this year for the 2010 Bassmaster Classic to be held on Lay Lake near Birmingham, Alabama. This week, Niggemeyer will tell us how he’s qualified twice for the Classic, and how he’s gone from a bass-fishing guide and fishing-tackle retailer to a national bass-fishing pro.
Part 1: How Niggemeyer Qualified Twice for the 2010 Classic
Question: James, what tournament did you win this year?
Niggemeyer: I won the Bassmaster Central Open 1 tournament held March 5-7, 2009, at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Louisiana.
Question: What’s the Bassmaster Central Open Division?
Niggemeyer: It’s a division of the BASS tournament circuit that allows average fishermen to compete in Bassmaster-sanctioned tournaments with the chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic. There are several ways to reach the Bassmaster Classic. You can qualify through the Bassmaster Elite Series, or you can win a BASS division championship or place second in division championship. 
There are three tournaments in the Central Open division – Central 1, Central 2 and Central 3. About 200 contestants competed in the Central 1 tournament, about 150 in the Central 2 event and about 110 in the Central 3 event.
Question: What prize did you win for the Bassmaster Central Open 1 tournament?
Niggemeyer: I won the opportunity to compete in the 2010 Bassmaster Classic and about $50,000.
Question: You also qualified on the Elite Series by finishing 26th in the points standing. How many anglers does the Elite Series send to the Classic?
Niggemeyer: The top 36 competitors.
Question: Since you’ve qualified in the Central Open and the Elite Series, what happens now?
Niggemeyer: They’ll take me off the top 36 on the Elite Series, which will open-up one more slot for the person who’s finished 37th on the Elite Series to compete in the Classic.
Question: How much money did you win for fishing the Central Open division tournaments?
Niggemeyer: I won about $50,000 for the first event, about $6,400 for the second, and about $3,300 for the last event for a total of almost $60,000.
Question: How much did you win on the Elite Series?
Niggemeyer: About another $60,000. So, I’ll finish the year with approximately $120,000 by fishing both circuits. This is one of the best tournament years I’ve had.
