In this blog post you'll find all the details on the competing teams, the format and rules, and the tournament location – enjoy!
And here's the official trailer for Season 3:
The Competitors
12 teams, 2 groups, one target species: the hard-fighting largemouth bass. Here's a quick introduction to all the teams.
Group A
B1 Bootscenter
Frank Schaper: Despite his relatively short tournament career, the owner of the Brandenburg boat manufacturer already has some impressive results under his belt – including a place in the final at YPC BOAT 2022 and, most memorably, the stunning largemouth bass triumph at Bolsena last year, where he and Niklas beat bass fishing superstar Mike Iaconelli in the final!
PB: 2.6 kg
Niklas Steinbach: The Swabian-born Niklas is not just a serious tackle enthusiast – he also knows exactly how to use it. Whatever Frank brings in terms of boat know-how, Niklas more than matches with his bass expertise.
PB: 2.45 kg
10Ten Feet Under
Ken Iyobe: Back home in Japan, Ken is a genuine sporting star. He has competed in the US Bassmaster Series for over a decade and has stood on the podium twice at the Bass Central Open. His personal best speaks for itself – and says everything about where this team could go in the tournament.
PB: 4.54 kg
Christian Biereth: At both YPC BASS 2022 and 2023, the angler from Hockenheim claimed bronze for different teams. With Ken now alongside him, the organiser of the Lure Masters may well have his strongest partner yet.
PB: 2.8 kg
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Catch with Care
Evert Oostdam: Anyone who knows Evert from YPC BANK and BOAT will be well aware of his abilities – and his competitive drive. He may not fish for largemouth bass every day, but the former soldier and long-time organiser of the Predator Tour can call on around 50 years of experience and major tournament wins, including victory at the European Fishing League.
PB: 1.88 kg
Lex Peters: Lex was right there alongside his long-time friend Evert when they won the European Fishing League. He's not only a highly skilled and vastly experienced angler – he also speaks fluent Spanish, which may well have helped him draw out a useful tip or two from the local guides during preparation.
PB: 2.1 kg
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Fish & Ship
Sylvain Legendre: A two-time YPC Bank competitor, Sylvain has been crowned French predator champion on multiple occasions and is widely regarded as one of the finest anglers in France. The Fish & Ship owner also has a house and a boat in Extremadura – so it's fair to say he knows the tournament waters rather well.
PB: 2.8 kg
Melanie Meissel: Melanie handles media communications at Fish & Ship and is the first female competitor at YPC BASS. Technically gifted, the French angler loves targeting largemouth bass, is completely at home on boats, and has some tournament experience to draw on.
PB: 2.3 kg
Rapala
Vincent Lopez: Vincent hails from the southern French coast – Montpellier, to be precise. The civil engineer with Spanish roots is still under 30, yet has already landed fish that most anglers will never see in a lifetime. Add a potential home advantage into the mix, and the other teams would do well to take note.
PB: 2.81 kg
Manuel Martín Fernández: Manuel is from Cáceres – right in the heart of Extremadura – and knows the big reservoirs there better than almost anyone else in the field. After 22 years of competition, he has a string of major results to his name, most notably winning the Open de Lucio Fanatic Pesca against around 300 competitors.
PB: 2.74 kg
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FishUs Lures
Cesar Valladares: The Catalan is one of the creative minds behind FishUs – but his talents go well beyond graphic design. He knows how to fish a lure in the real world too. Despite having no tournament experience, his personal best proves he's more than capable of handling seriously big fish.
PB: 2.88 kg
Jonathan Villen Valero: Like his teammate Cesar, Jonathan is from Barcelona. He has already won the Catalan largemouth bass boat championship and claimed the individual prize for the biggest fish at the bank equivalent. If he can translate his bass experience into results on the day, the rest of the field had better be ready.
PB: 3.1 kg
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Group B
Illex
Marc Ptacovsky: The Hessian is widely regarded as one of the finest predator anglers in Europe and is almost certainly the German angler who clocks the most largemouth bass fishing days per year. As a freshly crowned bass world championship runner-up, Marc also arrives with the second-highest personal best in the entire field – just behind Ken Iyobe.
PB: 4.1 kg
Mattia Di Santo: Mattia is back at Marc's side for the third edition of the tournament. After an unlucky exit last year, the pair are looking to recapture the form that won them the title at Lago di Bolsena in 2022. Even though the venue this time isn't the water where the Italian works as a guide, his deep knowledge will help him track down the hot spots in Spain just as reliably.
PB: 2.2 kg
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Headbanger Lures
Frédéric Jullian: Fréd is not only a passionate largemouth bass angler – he also brings some of the most extensive tournament experience in the field. Last year at Bolsena he went out in the group stage, and there's no question the cult figure from southern France will be determined to go much further this time.
PB: 3.1 kg
Julian 'Julo' Tronc: Some of you may remember 'Julo's' appearance at YPC BANK in 2020 – beyond that, his tournament record is a blank page. But as B1 and Frank 'the Tank' showed us last year, a fresh pair of eyes can sometimes be exactly what it takes.
PB: 2.6 kg
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Hearty Rise (Europe)
Christopher Weiß: Christopher is taking part for the third time and, by his own admission, truly discovered his love for bass fishing at Lago di Bolsena. The angler from Windorf makes use of virtually every spare moment to chase predators at home and abroad, and last year he found a genuine fishing partner in Yohann.
PB: 2.69 kg
Yohann Fournier: Every bit as fishing-mad as his teammate, the French angler even works as a professional largemouth bass guide. Last year Yohann and Christopher were something of the crowd's favourites – this year they'll be hoping for something more tangible at the end of it.
PB: 2.5 kg
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LURE DROP
Daniel Andriani: Daniel's largemouth bass tournament history stretches back to his country of birth, Zimbabwe, and his competitive appearances in Europe have all produced results. Silver and bronze at YPC BASS, a runner-up finish at the world championships with the German national team – Daniel's recent record is one to take seriously.
PB: 3.52 kg
Paul Lunaud: Until recently Paul worked as a guide in Extremadura, and it was during a guiding trip in May that he met reigning champion Frank Schaper. From that moment on he was determined to secure his spot at YPC Bass – and when the call came, he didn't hesitate. Paul has fished major tournaments all over the world: as far back as 2012 he reached the final of the Fishing League World in China, and in recent years he has been particularly successful in Europe, finishing in the top 10 at the prestigious Soner Cup on the Embalse de Orellana just before this tournament.
PB: 3.6 kg
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Tritoncell
Luis Mendez: Luis originally planned to film a video series on zander, pike and largemouth bass for his YouTube channel with Toni – but when a team pulled out at short notice, he stepped in without hesitation. His bass experience is minimal, but thanks to his Spanish and Mexican roots he can communicate with the locals in Extremadura without any trouble at all.
PB: 2.13 kg
Javier 'Siro' Gordillo: The mechanic at regional boat centre Centro Nautico is a native of Extremadura, has been fishing largemouth bass competitions successfully for over 10 years, and knows the tournament waters inside out. If his spots produce as expected, he and his protégé Luis could prove to be a very tough nut to crack for the rest of the field.
PB: 3.41 kg
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Zeck
Markus Eule: The Palatinate wels catfish specialist has built up a formidable set of skills targeting smaller freshwater predators too, and this year he lines up alongside an exceptionally strong partner – after fishing with Johannes Dietel last year.
PB: 2.33 kg
Frank Bußmeyer: Together with his long-time teammate Enrico Di Ventura, Frank has won gold at WPC and Luremasters and silver at the Predatortour. When it comes to tournament success targeting pike, perch and zander, there is barely anyone in the entire field who can match the angler from Münster – the question is whether the 53-year-old is equally at home fishing for largemouth bass.
PB: 2.1 kg
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Format & Rules
Format
In the group stage, 12 teams fish in two groups of six across two full days of eight fishing hours each, on two different venues: day one takes place on the Embalse de Orellana and day two on the Embalse de Garcia Sola. The three teams with the most points in each group qualify directly for the final, which is fished over a single day of eight hours. Teams are free to choose which of the two venues they fish in the final.
Points System
In the group stage, teams need 10 scoring fish for a full card, with a minimum weight of 500 g per scoring fish. However, at least 3 fish must be caught at each venue, and at least 3 of the 10 scoring fish must be taken on surface lures.
In the final, only five fish count towards the score, and at least one of them must be caught on a topwater lure.
Further Rules
Fish must be landed carefully, either by hand or with a landing net. Lifting a fish clear of the water by any other means results in a 10-minute penalty, deducted from the fishing time at the end of that day.
Only lures are permitted. Each team may take one 'Power Hour' per day, during which they are allowed to use live sonar for exactly one hour.
Fishing time begins with the communal boat start.
Location: Extremadura
Extremadura is one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities, situated in the south-west of the country and bordering Portugal. Larger than Switzerland, Belgium or the Netherlands, it covers 8.2% of Spain's landmass – yet is home to just over one million people, with a population density of 25 people per square kilometre, one of the lowest in the entire EU. What it does have is the world-famous Iberian pig, and also a surprisingly large number of anglers – because the reservoir-studded Sierra holds an exceptionally good stock of carp and predators. The tournament takes us to the south-east of Extremadura, specifically to the small town of Orellana la Vieja, which sits right on the bank of the reservoir of the same name. The other tournament venue, the Embalse de Garcia Sola, is reached via a connecting road and lies around 30 kilometres to the north-east.
Commentary
This year the tournament will be commentated in German for the first time, by Charles Rettinghaus!
Sponsors
The following main sponsors supported YPC BASS 2024:
B1 Bootscenter – Boat manufacturer from Werder an der Havel (Brandenburg)
Hearty Rise – High-end rods for predator anglers
LMAB – Innovative tackle, designed in Berlin
Additional supporting sponsors:
Yo-Zuri – Premium lures from Japan
Anglerschmiede – The fast route to your fishing licence
LURE DROP – A monthly predator fishing subscription with a guaranteed surprise
Thank you!
Broadcast Schedule:
Episode 1: Sunday, 4 February 2024 | 18:00
Episode 2: Sunday, 11 February 2024 | 18:00
Episode 3: Sunday, 18 February 2024 | 18:00
Episode 4: Sunday, 25 February 2024 | 18:00
Episode 5: Thursday, 29 February 2024 | 20:00
Episode 6: Sunday, 3 March 2024 | 18:00
Episode 7: Thursday, 7 March 2024 | 20:00
Episode 8: Sunday, 10 March 2024 | 18:00
Episode 9: Sunday, 17 March 2024 | 18:00
Episode 10: Sunday, 24 March 2024 | 18:00
The entire YPC production team wishes you a fantastic Season 3!
