The 25^th annual Jim Ledbetter Memorial “Casting Out Cancer” Bass Tournament on Lake Norman Saturday will mark well over three quarters of a million dollars raised for cancer research since the tournament first launched.

“Since 1986 the tournament has raised $747,000, at first for the American Cancer Society and for the last three or four years for the V Foundation,” said Matt Farris, owner of Foothills Marine which is in its third year of sponsorship for the benefit tournament. The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator who died in 1993 of cancer.

The tournament fielded 189 teams in 2010, a downturn due to the bad economy, but still raised $20,000 for the V Foundation. Farris expects well over 200 boats for Saturday’s event.

“We usually have over 200 boats with over 400 fishermen in the tournament and we are well ahead of registrations this year so we definitely expect at least 200 boats on Saturday,” he said.

Since Foothills Marine, a Skeeter-Yamaha dealership, took over the tournament three years ago the payback for the top 20 teams has increased significantly, Farris noted. First prize is a 2011 Skeeter ZX 190 Bass Boat with a VZ150 HPDI Yamaha outboard. Second place pays $2,000, third place $1,600 on down to 20^th place which pays $200, plus there is a payout for the top three big fish.

“We also have three specialty categories in a tournament within the tournament – the top adult-child team, top senior team and top husband-wife team each pays $500 in addition to whatever they win in the open tournament.”

While the payout to fishermen is more than 100 percent, Farris said, the payout to cancer research was enhanced when Foothills Marine became the primary sponsor because the dealer brought its own benefit tournament to the effort.

“For years we had also done a benefit tournament in the spring on Lake Hickory and we almost competed with the Jim Ledbetter tournament,” Farris said. “Both were charity tournaments with a good cause, so we moved out big tournament, which also draws 200 boats, to Lake Hickory in the fall. We get a lot of guys who had been fishing one or the other who are now fishing both tournaments.”

The move created a situation where there was one tournament raising $20,000 to $30,000 a year to having two tournaments raising a total of $40,000 to $50,000 a year, he noted. The Foothills Marine Angler Benefit Tournament also supports the V Foundation.

As added encouragement, Skeeter provides a special fully-rigged boat to be given away at the draw tournament, but anglers can qualify for the drawing at the Ledbetter tournament. They can qualify again at the fall tournament, he noted, given them two chances at the boat.

“If you fish the Ledbetter tournament you can come on Thursday and Friday and take a demo ride in a Skeeter to get your name entered in the random draw. If you fish the Foothills Tournament you get your name in the hat again, so you can take one demo ride and double your chances for the fully-rigged Skeeter.”

Farris said fishing reports from Lake Norman have been very good recently, despite the lingering cold temperatures.

“I don’t know what the water temperature is exactly – the lake varies because of the power plant discharge – but I imagine a lot of the water is still in the 50s,” he said. “But fishing has been pretty strong. In the last couple of weekend tournaments turnouts have been strong and they have weighed in pretty heavy bags. There have been quite a few fish caught the last two or three weeks.”

 

Jim Ledbetter Memorial Bass Tournament

Sat, Mar. 12, 2011

Lake Norman

Queens Landing

Call 828-439-9022