The 2015 Bassmaster Open season kicks off with a fierce competition taking place on Lake Tohopekaliga, also known as Lake Toho, in Kissimmee, Florida. The tournament is the first of three Southern Division Opens held in 2015. The competition will conclude on Jan. 17 with the final weigh-in held at 4 p.m. Eastern time at the Orlando, Florida, Bass Pro Shops store located at 5156 International Dr. Orlando, Florida. The season also includes three tournaments in both the Central and Northern Divisions.
The tournament will begin on Jan. 15, 2015, at 7 a.m. Eastern time at the Big Toho Marina. The 
field is stacked with Bassmaster Classic Champions, Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Anglers of the Year Champions, and 2015 Bassmaster Elites Series contestants including Gerald Swindle, Shaw Grigsby, Greg Hackney, Woo Daves, and Roland Martin, among other competitors.
The anglers will face a new challenge this year including lakes up to three feet higher than in 2014 due to the vast increase of rain in Florida. More importantly, the vegetation in the area has been decimated by up to 70 percent as a result of chemical treatments.
Though the anglers will face new challenges, last year’s champion, Van Soles, expects the Southern Open winner will average 18 pounds a day, but won’t be surprised if some 30-pound bags are weighed in — providing the weather is stable.
“Anglers will have to monitor the wind and the weather and be cognizant of what the wind will do to those areas each day,” said Soles.
The tournament will launch each day at 7 a.m. Eastern time at Big Toho Marina. Weigh-ins will be held at 3 p.m. Eastern time at the marina the first two days, with the final Top 12 Pros’ and co-anglers’ weigh-in on day three, Jan. 17, held at the Bass Pro Shops in Orlando at 4 p.m. Eastern time.
For more information, please visit http://www.bassmaster.com or visit Orlando, Florida, Bass Pro Shops store at http://www.basspro.com/orlando.
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops®, which specializes in outdoor fun, operates 90 retail stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada that are visited by more than 120 million people every year. Bass Pro Shops stores, many of which feature restaurants, offer hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear while their catalogs and website serve shoppers throughout the world. The company’s Tracker Marine Group® (http://www.trackermarine.com), a leading brand of fishing boats for more than 36 years, manufactures and sells a variety of boats for fishing and cruising. Family fun is on tap at Bass Pro Shops resort Big Cedar Lodge® (http://www.bigcedar.com), voted number six by Travel + Leisure Magazine as World’s Best Hotels for Families. For more information, visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bassproshops.