Smithville Marine Open House
Lands Bassin' Celebrities

"Bass Boss" Ray Scott
 Joins TRITON Boats Earl Bentz
 As special guests for
Kansas City dealer's big show...

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Known around the world as "Mr. B.A.S.S.", Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, will headline a cast of outdoor celebrities scheduled for the annual Smithville Marine's Open House and Boat Show, March 9 - 10, in the Kansas City area suburb.

Scott of Pintlala, Alabama changed bass fishing from a weekend pastime to a big-time professional fishing sport with his cast-for-cash tournaments. His Bassmaster Tournament Trail is credited with creating the bass boat industry, revolutionizing bass fishing tackle and techniques and turning weekend fishermen into full-time fishing professionals.

Scott, along with Earl Bentz, president of TRITON Boats, will be on hand during the March 9th open house hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Smithville Marine dealership, located at 208 North 169 Hwy in Smithville. Bentz's TRITON brand has claimed the boat buyer's seal of approval as the "No. 1 selling fiberglass boat" across the country.

The two bassin' icons will be signing autographs, talking bass fishing and discussing the fishing features on TRITON's lineup of fiberglass and the all new aluminum bass boats, according to Catfish and Joann Austin, hosts for the two-day event.

And, for bass fishing buffs and collectors, Scott will be autographing copies of his best-selling, "Bass Boss," the story of the modern-day sport of competitive bass fishing.

Scott's first All-American Invitational Bass Tournament in June 1967 at Beaver Lake, Arkansas launched the bass fishing revolution. From 106 tournament entries, Scott built the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) with over 650,000 worldwide members and created the Bassmaster Tournament Trail.

The spin-off of fishing heroes and big-time pros, their tips and tactics, and the fishing public's fascination with their bass fishing machines spawned today's high-tech bass rigs.

The newest innovations in bass boats, including the special-rigged 2002 Triton Classic, fished by the world's leading pros in the BASS Masters Classic in New Orleans and the Louisiana Delta, will be on display.

"This is everything the serious bass angler can find in a bass boat," says Ray Scott. "The ultimate bass boat, in my opinion."

TRITON Boats, based in Ashland City, Tennessee, has claimed the top selling brand in fiberglass bass boats in a brief span of just over four years. Bentz, a former world champion boat racer with Mercury Marine, has designed performance, fishability and wood-free 100 percent composite construction in his high-performance fishing machines.

Not content to stand pat, TRITON for the 2002 season has introduced a lineup of aluminum bass boats with all the standard features found on the high-end fiberglass tournament rigs. The Triton 186 Magnum hull is rated for 150 horsepower, boasts an 85-inch beam and 18-feet, 6-inches in length. All welded, .100-guage construction, wood-free with no materials that rot or leaks.

"The 186 Magnum is tournament-ready and performance proven for big waters, like Lake of The Ozarks," says Earl Bentz. He tells interested boaters, "You'll find a smooth, dry ride in rough water, without the slapping and pounding typical of many aluminum hulls."

For specifications and features on the full line of new TRITON's, contact: Earl Bentz, TRITON Boats, 15 Bluegrass Drive, Ashland City, TN 37015 or visit the company's website: www.tritonboats.com.

"Our Open House is a great opportunity for boat buyers and bass anglers to go one-on-one with two of the best known names in bass fishing," said Joann Austin. "There's no better chance to get first-hand answers to bass rig setups or how-to catch more bass."

For more information on the Smithville Marine Open House, contact: Joann Austin at (816) 532-4000. Sunday's open house hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ray Scott serves as national spokesman for TRITON Boats, Mercury Outboards, MotorGuide Trolling Motors and SOSPENDERS, the U.S. Coast Guard approved inflatable life vest manufactured by SOS, Inc., (formerly Sporting Lives) of Fruitland, Idaho. Scott stepped away from B.A.S.S., Inc. in 1998 to form Ray Scott Outdoors, Inc., a marketing and consulting firm for the fishing and marine companies.