ESPN/Bassmaster Elite Splashes into Guntersville this week with high expectations of the lake producing lunker size bass.

The BASS Elite returns the Lake Guntersville area and will serve as an economic income generator by bringing anglers from across the country to Guntersville and Marshall County.

 The event will consist of 100 anglers and 100 observers--known as marshals--fishing out of Lake Guntersville State Park, beginning on Thursday, May 6. The full field of anglers will continue to fish on Friday, May 7 but will be narrowed down to the top 50 on Saturday, May 8 and finally the top 12 on Sunday, May 9.

Anglers will launch at Lake Guntersville State Park each morning at 6 a.m. and weigh-ins will begin at 3 p.m. each afternoon. 

 The economic impact of this event will be significant and is expected to generate revenue for the City of Guntersville and Marshall County. Members of the community are encouraged to attend weigh-ins at Lake Guntersville State Park, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, May 6 through Sunday, May 9.

The Southern Challenge Rib-Cook-off and expo event will take place at Lake Guntersville State Park Saturday, May 8 from noon to 6 p.m.

Guntersville has been the site of 20 top-level BASS events, including the 1976 Bassmaster Classic, won by Elite Series pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. The Elites competed at the fishery in 2009, when the top four overall weights for the four-day tournament crashed the scales at more than 100 pounds. Elite anglers caught nearly 1,300 fish and more than 5,300 pounds over the course of four days.

Guntersville is Alabama's largest lake, covering some 69,000 acres. Having hosted nearly 20 previous professional-level BASS events, Guntersville is also one of the most popular tournament destinations in the country.

BASS' first visit to Guntersville was for the 1976 Bassmaster Classic. That's when Rick Clunn won the first of his four titles. Michael Iaconelli and Kevin VanDam won the last two Elite Series events here. In a 2004 Tour event, it took just under 100 pounds to win. That tournament was in February — before the spawn. By May, many of the bass will be done spawning, but there should be a real mix of spawning and post spawn bass brought to the scales.

Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Southern Challenge awards valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. With 885 points after four events, Reese leads the AOY standings after winning the April 15-18 Blue Ridge Brawl on Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake. Trailing him is Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., in second with 798 points, and Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., in third with 730 points.

The public is invited to attend the daily launches at 6 a.m. CT at Lake Guntersville State Park, 1155 Lodge Dr., Guntersville, Ala., 35976. After Day 2's competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 50 anglers for Day 3. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day 4. Also free and open to the public, the daily weigh-ins is set for 3:30 p.m. CT at Lake Guntersville State Park.

Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau is the local sponsor of the Southern Challenge

The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, in which the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined. With the completion of the Southern Challenge, the 2010 regular season will have just three events remaining.