‘last Chance’ For Airport Marine Ez Open Trail Classic Set For Lay Lake Aug. 4
Airport Marine Tournament Trail Director Flynn Gerald said, only half-jokingly, that he was thinking about printing up fliers about the series final qualifying tournament on Lay Lake, Saturday, Aug. 4, that proclaim it as the “Last Chance” for area fishermen.
“It will be the last chance to qualify for the Airport Marine Classic,” Gerald said. “If they fish this tournament they are qualified for the Classic.”
The Lay Lake tournament is the seventh in the Airport Marine EZ Open Trail series that began back in February on Lake Jordan, with tournaments held on Lakes Mitchell, Logan Martin and Lay Lake. Anglers only have to fish one of the tournaments to qualify for the Classic which will be held Sept. 8 on a lake to be announced.
“Lay Lake is kind of tough right now. It’s hot as usual, but there will be fish caught. The quality of fishermen we have it will take 18 to 19 pounds to win next Saturday. It always does,” Gerald said. “At our last tournament (July 7, also on Lay Lake) it took almost 20 pounds to win and it took 17 pounds just to get a check.”
And, he added, it was hot weather then, too.
“Airport Marine has by far the best fishermen in this area and that is just a fact,” said Gerald. “There is always a bunch of fishermen who are going to catch fish, regardless of the situation.”
Gerald said most of the winning fish in the July tournament were caught shallow.
“But I think it will be a combination this time. Somebody will have one or two deep fish and two or three they caught shallow early.”
Besides guaranteeing $2,000 for first place with at least a 60-boat field, the Airport Marine Trail also has manufacturers’ bonuses for Triton, Ranger and Stratos, Gerald noted.
“If you are fishing out of a Triton and you win one of our tournaments you get a $7,000 bonus in cash and that his huge. And if you are fishing in our Classic in a Triton you will be fishing for $12,000. For a hundred-dollar entry fee nobody does that but Airport Marine.”
The top prize in the Classic Sept. 8 is $5,000, plus at the Classic meeting there will be four ticket draws for $500 each among the entered fishermen who get one ticket for every tournament they fish.
“We are just paying back to the fishermen,” Gerald said.
The Classic meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 3, at Airport Marine in Alabaster, Ala., with food and drink served.
At the Classic itself, he noted, everybody will be pre-paid and will start fishing at a certain time.
“The fishermen just love that. That is why it is called the EZ Trail. We make it as easy as we can for the fishermen.”
Airport Marine Tournament Trail
Sat, Aug 4, 2012
Lay Lake
Paradise Point Marina & RV Resort
Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666
