“Last year we gave an awful lot of money to first place and that kind of eliminated a lot of people who came in down the line,” said tournament director Flynn Gerald. “This year we have guaranteed first place with 60 boats minimum at $2,000 and we are expecting more than that. We’ll pay second place $1,000, third place $900, all the way down to 10^th place.”

But the money does not end there. Qualifying boats will double their payback from 1^st through 4^th place. Qualifying boats are originally owned boats bought from Airport Marine, two years old or newer from the date of the tournament.

And there is more.

There is a $5,000 team bonus to be split three ways in each tournament between the top 10 boats by a random draw – $2,500 for first, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third. Qualifying boats will be paid in cash; non-qualifying boats will get certificates equal to the cash value towards the purchase of a new boat.

There is also a $10,000 solo bonus to be split four ways in each tournament between the top 10 boats by a random draw – $4,000 for first, $3,000 for second, $2,000 for third and $1,000 for fourth.

Then there are the $1,000 Adult/Child and $1,000 Couples bonuses, each to be split between the top three teams in each category each tournament, in any boat, $500 for first, $300 second and $200 third

There will also be a $10,000 purse for the Team of the Year – $5,000 for the top team and $5,000 to the team chosen in a random draw among the top 10 teams.

On top of all that there are the manufacturer’s bonus programs for Stratos, Ranger, Triton and Skeeter.

“There is a new Triton bonus of $7,000 for each tournament. Stratos will double your pay up to a certain amount and we have the Ranger Cup and Skeeter Bonus programs, too,” Gerald said.

The purse for the year-end Classic Oct. 15 on a lake to be announced will include $7,000 for first place, $4,000 for second, $3,000 for third and on down, Gerald said.

“Nobody pays back what we are paying back. Most tournaments pay back 60-70 percent and we are paying back about 125 percent.”

There is a one-time initiation fee of $20 per angler to enter the trail and the entry fee per tournament is $150, with an optional big fish competition at $10.

Teams can register by Tuesday of the week before each tournament to get an early flight number, but entries will be taken at the ramp the day of the tournament starting at 4 a.m., Gerald said. Teams must fish or pay for four of the tournaments to qualify for the Classic.

Gerald said there has been some confusion about the need to pre-pay for the Classic.

“Teams have to pre-pay and register before the lake for the classic is chosen, but not for every tournament on the schedule,” he said.

The schedule includes the opening tournament Saturday on Lake Martin out of Wind Creek; March 12 on Lake Guntersville out of Goose Pond; April 9 on Lake Logan Martin out of Lakeside; June 25, a SOLO tournament on Lay Lake out of Paradise Point; July 9, Lay Lake out of Paradise Point; Aug. 20, Lake Guntersville out of Goose Pond; and Sept. 10, a SOLO tournament on Lay Lake out of Paradise Point. The Classic on Oct. 15 will be held on one of the lakes in the regular season schedule.

Fishing on Lake Martin has been a little slow, Gerald said, because of the cold winter weather, but the water temperature should come up 2-3 degrees by Saturday with the weather warming.

“They have been catching a lot of fish, but not big fish,” he said. “The water could be up around 50 degrees when we get there and turn those fish on.”

Gerald said the fish have already begun moving shallow and can be caught in the shallow pockets protected from the north wind where the fish can warm up in the sun.

“They are catching them on shallow-running crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, swim baits, Chatterbaits, anything you can move fairly slow.”

 

Airport Marine Team Trail

Sat. Feb 19, 2011

Lake Martin

Wind Creek State Park

www.airportmarinetrails.com