By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

The Bassmaster Elite Series, or B.A.S.S. for short, headquartered in Celebration, has been acquired from ESPN by three of its biggest advocates.

The “dots” are returning to the organization, which represents nearly a half million anglers worldwide, to reclaim its heritage as the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, said Jerry McKinnis, who with Don Logan, the former head of Time Warner, and Jim Copeland, CEO of Deloitte & Touche, acquired B.A.S.S. from ESPN on Nov. 1.

After ESPN bought the company in 2001, the periods were removed during a broad-based rebranding campaign of the organization Ray Scott founded in 1968.

“We want to get this back to being a friendlier organization, a we’re-here-to-do-whatever-we-need-to-do-to-make-you-happy organization,” McKinnis said. “To me, that’s what those dots mean. It means we’re back to where we used to be a long time ago … to where we make everybody feel like this is a very warm and fuzzy group of new owners who want to know about the members.”

With the change comes new offices, albeit just down the street on Celebration Boulevard. B.A.S.S. offices had been located in a property that also housed several operations of Disney, ESPN’s parent company.

The name change will be reflected in all B.A.S.S. products. Many Federation Nation clubs and state organizations, however, retained the periods in their official names and on patches.

“The ‘Federation Nation’ is a big part of what I’m talking about,” McKinnis said. “They kind of feel like they’ve been forsaken – and by that, I don’t mean to be disparaging about ESPN, because ESPN was wonderful, but they were awfully big folks to be getting down with the Federation Nation and making them feel important.”

And with nine Bassmaster Classic berths up for grabs through the 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open season, registration began Nov. 16 for B.A.S.S. Federation Nation members, Life Members and Insider members for three Southern Open tournaments, the first of which was on Kissimmee’s Lake Tohopekaliga Jan. 20-22.

Through priority registration, B.A.S.S. filled about one-third of the 200-angler field, according to Chris Bowes, senior tournament manager.

“There are still openings, but the field will fill fast,” Bowes said in a release Nov. 22 before the expected onslaught of registration requests.

B.A.S.S. also is accepting co-angler registrations this week, he said.

Southern Open anglers will compete March 24-26 on Lake Norman (Charlotte, N.C.), and June 2-4 on Douglas Lake (Jefferson County, Tenn.).

The pro-side winner of each of the three tournaments will win $55,000 in cash and prizes and will qualify for the 2012 Classic, as will the pro champs of the three Central Open events and winners of the three Northern Open tournaments.

“We’re anticipating full fields throughout the year,” Bowes said. “With a Classic berth going to each of the nine winners, we’re creating more opportunities for every angler throughout the season.”

The Opens registration number is 877-BASS USA. Go to www.bassmaster.com for more information about the entire circuit.

The Bassmaster Elite Series includes the Bassmaster Opens, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic, which took place Feb. 18-20 on the Louisiana Delta out of New Orleans.