Bassmaster won't return to Smith Mountain Lake next year

After two consecutive years at Smith Mountain Lake, the Bassmaster Elite Series will not return in 2011. Doug Grassian, an ESPN spokesman, said that's not a slight toward SML.

"Smith Mountain is a beauty," he said. "But we do look to expose our events to different audiences every year, so we move them around."

Bassmaster's Blue Ridge Brawl was held on the lake in 2007, 2009 and in April. Grassian said attendance at this year's tournament, which brought 93 professional anglers to the lake, was "fantastic." Nearly 7,000 people attended the final day's weigh-in at Parkway Marina in Huddleston.

Grassian also praised local organizers for making the event more than just a weigh-in by including special events and vendors. So while SML isn't on next year's tournament schedule, it may be in the future, he said.

During this year's tournament, 1,184 bass were caught totalling 3,141 pounds. Skeet Reese, with 78 pounds, 1 ounce, took home the $100,000 top prize.

The 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series includes stops in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina.