The Carolina Anglers Team Trail tournament on Lake Keowee Sunday marks a milestone in the successful history of the CATT fishing competition in the Carolinas. It is the first time CATT has ventured into the South Carolina Upstate for a tournament series.

“We are calling the trail the CATT S.C. Upstate, which consist of Lakes Keowee and Hartwell,” said Brett Collins, CATT owner/director. “This is the first CATT event on Lake Keowee. The guys up there have been asking for a CATT Trail, but finding a director was a problem.”

With that issue settled, Collins said he will now look at one of the Upstate lakes as a future CATT Classic venue.

“The CATT Classic pays back between $10.000 and $12,000 for first -place,” he noted.

“Membership is $30 per person. The entry fee for a qualifier is $80 and the entry fee for the final is $120, plus an optional side pot of $25. The Spring Final, which will be on Lake Hartwell, will pay a minimum of $3,000 for first place.”

The key word, Collins said, is “minimum.”

“Since CATT pays back 100 percent, first place usually increases.”

The CATT SC Upstate schedule includes Jan. 27, Lake Keowee, South Cove Landing, Feb. 23, Lake Hartwell, Portman Marina; March 23, Lake Hartwell, Portman Marina; April 20, Lake Keowee, Gap Hill Landing; and May 11, Final, Lake Hartwell, Portman Marina.

“To qualify for the 2013 CATT Classic a team only has to enter one CATT event,” Collins said. “This includes the the 2012 Summer and Fall CATT Trails plus all the 2013 CATT events up until the date of the start of the 2013 CATT Classic. Also the 2012 Yadkin and Old North Teams are included.”

Entry fee in the CATT Classic is $225, with an optional side pot of $50 which is paid back 70%-30% to the two top finishers in the side pot, he said.

“For 2013 we’ve added a SE NC CATT Trail, Spring and Fall, which consists of Lake Waccamaw and Lake Sutton in North Carolina, plus we added a CATT Trail on Lake Gaston in North Carolina,” Collins said. “Last year we started up on the Yadkin River Chain which for the most part consisted of High Rock and Badin and paid back over $27,000.”

Collins said he expects the 2013 Yadkin CATT will grow this coming year, based on the success of the trail in 2012

“The Old North CATT Trail started in 2011 and we averaged seven boats. Then in 2012 the average jumped to 40 boats. We think the participation will move up even more with the 2012 CATT Classic on Kerr Lake May 18-19.”

Carolina Anglers Team Trail

Sun, Jan 27, 2013

Lake Keowee

South Cove County Park

Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521

www.catttrail.com