The boats belong to anglers who have come to town to scout the Atchafalaya Basin for the Nov. 5-7 Bassmaster Central Open. With two Bassmaster Classic berths and seven Bassmaster Elite Series invitations at stake, Central Open pros are squeezing in as much on-the-water practice time as possible before the three-day Bassmaster Open season finale begins.

Along with the Classic and Elite slots, the event awards top prizes of $45,000 (based on a full field) on the pro side and a $32,000 boat rig in the co-angler division.

The Central Open season points standings will determine who earns the Classic invites and the Elite Series berths. The full standings heading into the event can be found below.

Central Open competitors will have their work cut out for them in the vast, shallow Atchafalaya Basin. The local host, Cajun Coast Visitor’s Bureau, describes the basin as "one of the last great wildernesses remaining in the continental United States." The name Atchafalaya is from a Native American word that means "long river."

Among the basin’s most famous attributes are its cypress-tupelo gum swamp habitat and its accommodation of outdoor sports, including bass fishing.

The Central Open anglers will be out to prove that big bass swim there. Among the pros will be Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas, the leader in the points race after a third-place finish in the season opener on Toledo Bend Reservoir, and a fifth in the Central Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

"I’m shooting for the Classic," said Castledine, a 30-year-old Texas native who said he makes his living by competing in 40 to 50 bass tournaments a year, mostly in Texas. "I want to fish the Elites, but I won’t make a decision before I qualify."

He said he has never competed at Atchafalaya. He plans to get in about 10 days of scouting before competition begins Monday, Nov. 5.

Castledine is only one point in front of James Niggemeyer, the Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Van, Texas, who won the Central trail’s season opener on Toledo Bend. Through the Elite circuit, Niggemeyer already qualified for the 2010 Classic and Elite Series.

That means it’s possible he could double-qualify for both through the Central Opens by staying at No. 2. If that happens, Niggemeyer would take his Classic and Elite qualifications through the Central Open. BASS would then award the entries to Elite pros by working down the Elite Series’ Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.

Niggemeyer and Castledine will be keeping an eye on fellow Texan Stephen Johnston of Hemphill. Johnston won the Sam Rayburn tournament in September, and he’s third in the standings and just 10 points behind the leader.

Owner of a guide service on Toledo Bend and Rayburn for the past 20 years but new this year to the Open trail, Johnston began scouting Atchafalaya on Oct. 23.

"It’s the first time I’ve been in this part of Louisiana," he said. "It’s mind-boggling, the mass of water and area you can go to. But I grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, fishing the bayous, and this is like that."

He said he’s considering the Elites, and aims to move up one spot in the standings to make the Classic. "That’s every fisherman’s dream, the Classic," he said.

A bit further back in points ? in sixth place, 67 ticks from first ? is Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La. Atchafalaya is his home water; in fact, he said, he has been fishing the basin since he was 5 years old.

So does he have a strong home lake advantage?

"I think I do, but just with getting around because the basin’s so big," he said. "I can run it from memory, without a map. But that’s the only advantage I’ll have."

Crochet said the bite likely will be a strong fall pattern. "If you can find the shad, that’s a big plus," he said. "It’s got to be a shallow bite, guaranteed, because there’s no deep water around."

Average basin depth is four to six feet right now, he said.

When he’s not fishing, Crochet is a law enforcement officer and part-time football coach at a local school. He has been competing in the Bassmaster Opens for three years and said he’s ready to definitely look into the Elite Series.

And the Classic?

"The Classic would be a dream come true, a lifetime dream," Crochet said. "It’s mathematically possible, but there are some good guys in front of me. They’d have to fall for me to catch them. All I can do is put five a day on the scale and let the numbers do what the numbers do."

As it has throughout the three-division Open season, Bassmaster.com will cover the final 2009 event with live, streaming video and real-time leaderboards each day beginning at 3:20 p.m. ET. Daily photo galleries, results and standings will also be available at the site.

The public is invited to the launches and weigh-ins at Belle River Boat Landing, 1797 Levee Hwy., Pierre Part, La. Boats will launch at 6:15 a.m. CT. All events are free and open to the public.

Sponsors of the 2009 Bassmaster Opens: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine.

The public is invited to the launches and weigh-ins at Belle River Boat Landing, 1797 Levee Highway, Pierre Part, La. Boats will launch at 6:15 a.m. CT. All events are free and open to the public.

Sponsors of the 2009 Bassmaster Opens: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine.

About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in the Bassmaster, BASSInsider, ESPNOutdoors and ESPN360 websites, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Women’s Tour, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.