Catt Adding Gold Qualifiers With More First Place Money For 2014
The highly successful Carolina Anglers Team Trail is returning in 2014 with a new schedule that includes one tournament in each trail that is sure to be a big hit with anglers because of the huge increase in prize money.
“We are going to introduce the CATT Gold Qualifiers,” said tournament director Brett Collins. “Select qualifiers of each trail will have a $120 entry fee which will increase the payout at the selected qualifier.”
For example, Collins said, in a regular qualifier with the normal $80 entry fee, first place pays $550 for a 25-boat field. But in a Gold Qualifier with 25 boats, first place will pay $1,100. For a 30-boat field first place will be $1,250 and for 40 boats the winners will take home $1,500.
“The selected qualifiers are marked with a Gold Star and in gold print on the 2014 CATT Spring schedule page. We’ve had a big positive response and look for an increase in participation,” Collins said.
This coming year CATT will not hold a two-day Classic, but will hold state championships instead.
“We will hold a CATT North Carolina Championship in June on Kerr Reservoir and a South Carolina Championship on a lake yet to be determined in S.C.,” he said. “Both will feature a First Place guarantee of $5,000 but that will increase as the number of teams entering moves up.”
CATT is expanding again in 2014, Collins said, in both states.
“We are adding Lake James in North Carolina where it’s common in the spring to win with a limit of smallmouth weighing over 20 pounds. That schedule is up on the website and we will be launching out of Big Bear,” he said.
“We are also adding a Spring Trail on Lake Norman. The Gaston TOM CATT is going to expand and include Lake Gaston, Kerr, Pembroke and the Chowan River. There’s a slight chance we may also run CATT on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.”
In South Carolina, Collins is adding CATT Trails on Clarks Hill and Lake Russell.
Collins said 2014 will build on the great success CATT enjoyed in 2013.
“We paid back over $40,000 on the Yadkin River Chain in only the second year. Wateree, Murray, Wylie, the Waccmaw River and Santee saw good crowds. The Old North Trail had over 100 teams join up, and this was the first year for CATT on Gaston and it did well,” he said.
“We expect to see a huge increase in participation in our North Carolina trails. New sponsors are coming on board so keep checking the CATT website.”
Details on CATT Trails and schedules are available at www.catttrail.com.
