The spotlight is about to swing toward Lake Eufaula, where some of the best women bass anglers in the country will battle for one of the sport’s biggest titles.

The WBFA Tour has selected Lake Eufaula as the site of its fifth Classic World Championship, with Lake Point Resort serving as headquarters for lodging and all official functions during the weeklong event. The championship is scheduled for November 10 through 16, with the field of 34 top women bass anglers in the nation arriving in Eufaula, Alabama, on November 9 to begin a full week of activities and competition.

Hosting duties for the 2002 Classic World Championship will be shared by the State of Alabama and the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce.

Lake Eufaula is a fitting stage for the event, not only because of its reputation as a bass fishery, but also because it is home to one of the WBFA Tour’s national sponsors, Humminbird Electronics. Other national sponsors supporting the tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats by Earl Bentz, FlowMaster Exhaust Systems, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, DEKA Marine Master Batteries, Minn Kota, Kick’N Bass Scents, and Eidolon Bait Company.

But this week is about more than just trophies and title chases.

Classic Week will open on Sunday, November 10, with a CAST for Kids event. CAST, short for Catch A Special Thrill, pairs each of the 34 touring pros with a disadvantaged child from the Eufaula area for a morning on the water. The pro and child teams are scheduled to take off from the Lake Point Resort boat launch at approximately 9 a.m.

At the conclusion of the event, the children will receive a new rod-and-reel outfit and tackle provided through the national CAST for Kids organization. Each child will also receive a plaque featuring a photo of themselves with their pro partner, a keepsake from what promises to be a special day. Hot dogs and all the fixings will be served to the children and their families at noon following the event.

After that, the tone shifts from community outreach to serious competition.

The pros will spend Monday and Tuesday in practice, dialing in patterns and preparing for the three-day championship tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday. Competition hours will be from safe light until 3 p.m., with weigh-ins beginning promptly at 3 p.m. each day.

Defending champion Judy Wong of Sugar Land, Texas, will return to try to hold off a field packed with many of the top women anglers in the nation. With a world title on the line, nobody in this field will be easing into the week.

Wednesday will feature a different kind of contest, as the pros pair up with VIPs from around Alabama for a short bass tournament. Each pro and VIP will fish as a team, and the winning VIP will earn a cash donation, made in her name, to her favorite Alabama charity. Those teams are scheduled to take off from the Lake Point Resort launch at approximately 7 a.m., with weigh-in starting promptly at noon. Food will be provided afterward for the pros, VIPs, and media representatives.

Then it is down to business.

The three-day Classic World Championship begins Thursday at safe light, and the public is invited to attend the daily weigh-ins, where plenty of excitement is expected and free tackle will be tossed to the crowd. The tournament will wrap up with a Saturday night banquet honoring both the new World Champion and the 2002 Angler of the Year.

For one week in November, Lake Eufaula will be more than just another Southern bass lake. It will be center stage for a championship chase, a celebration of competitive fishing, and a reminder that some of the best sticks in the game are about to settle it on the water.