ANGLER TIPS Jack Wollitz

Saturdays will never be the same, starting Jan. 1, and that's a good thing for anglers.
Just hours after the calendar flips, ESPN Outdoors will unveil the most ambitious programming ever aimed at America's bass anglers. Dubbed BASS Saturday, ESPN2's four-hour block of time every Saturday morning will be dedicated to broadcasting coverage of bass fishing news, professional tournaments and educational shows.
BASS Saturday's centerpiece is BassCenter, a weekly news show that is the first derivative of the SportsCenter name ever authorized by ESPN. It airs at 7 a.m. BassCenter's host is John Kernan, who formerly anchored "RPM 2Night." He will be joined by Byron Velvick, the professional bass angler who starred this fall in ABC's "The Bachelor."
At 7:30, "Loudmouth Bass" will be broadcast. Loosely patterned after "Pardon the Interruption," the show features a lively discussion between hosts Jay Kumar, founder of BassFan.com, and Mark Zona, a tournament angler from Michigan.
"Bassmaster University" airs at 9:30. Top bass professionals like Kevin VanDam, Davy Hite, George Cochran, Gerald Swindle and Greg Hackney will share insights about their sport. Rick Clunn, four time Bassmaster Classic champion, will anchor the segment and Jerry McKinnis will guide the curriculum.
Other programming to round out the Saturday morning time block will include "Jimmy Houston Outdoors" at 8 a.m., "The Fishing Hole with Jerry McKinnis" at 8:30 and "Schooled by Denny Brauer" at 9.
The Jan. 1 block will include a broadcast of the 2004 Bassmaster Classic.
ESPN also announced that starting in July, it will air a show entitled "Bass Tech," which will cover boat rigging, lure design and modification, how to improve outboard motor or electronics' performance and other pertinent topics.
All in all, ESPN2 will almost certainly become Saturday morning must-see-TV for all who love to catch bass.
jwwollitz@aol.com