“I think the recent floods in the Millers Ferry area are going to subside just in time for the ABT anglers to arrive at mid-week,” said Kay Donaldson, tournament director for the Alabama Bass Trail.

A river level graph on the website, Riverdepth.com, shows the gauge height at Millers Ferry Lock and Dame near Camden rose about 8 feet during the heavy downpours last week. A National Weather Service graph shows the river levels were coming down quickly and will be back to normal by Wednesday.

“I am excited about this tournament for a lot of reasons,” Donaldson said. “First, I think Millers Ferry is an excellent spotted bass body of water and the weights should be phenomenal.”

She also noted that the people of Monroeville and Camden worked hard to bring the Alabama Bass Trail tournament to their area, adding that it is a real pleasure to hold the tournament in in the smaller communities, plus the fact that it can help economically.

“Wilcox County where Camden and Millers Ferry is located has a 37 percent unemployment rate so our tournament will bring a much needed economic boost to this community,” Donaldson said.

Earlier this year, Donaldson said research indicates each tournament could pump an estimated $500,000 into the local economy of the host city. “Anglers typically pre-fish, or scout a location, three or four days prior to a tournament, and during this time, they patronize restaurants, gas stations, and tackle shops. During a tournament, approximately $300 is spent each day on accommodations, gasoline, food and other supplies,” she said.

Registration for the tournament at Millers Ferry ends Wednesday at midnight or 200 boats.

Each tournament has a guaranteed first prize of $10,000, plus $23,000 to the top 20 places and $500 to big fish. There are also numerous bonus packages available to winning and placing anglers.

The Top 50 teams for both the Northern and Southern Divisions will advance to the 2014 ABT Team Championship Oct. 10-11 at Smith Lake in Jasper. Plus, the top 25 student boats overall will be in the final event. To be eligible for the championship, teams must enter all five qualifying events in their respective division.

The grand prize for the no-entry fee championship is a fully-rigged Phoenix 619 Pro Bass Boat with a 150-horsepower Mercury Outboard, valued at $40,000. Adding to that excitement level is an opportunity to advance to the Bassmasters Team Championship and possibly earn a berth in the Bassmaster Classic.

Donaldson also announced the 2015 ABT tournament schedule. The 10-lake, team-style tournament series will be held on ten of the lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail beginning next February 14, with the championship to be held on the 11th lake October 9-10, 2015.

“The Alabama Bass Trail tournament format has been wildly successful, pulling anglers from six states and creating an economic impact of over $1 million in the areas around the Trail’s lakes,” said ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson. “I am so proud of what our state has accomplished while promoting the sport of bass fishing. We have showcased these lakes to the world and provided a needed boost to the local economies.”

The most notable rules changes for 2015 include :

• All teams must register for all 5 events in a division.
• The field is increased to 225, up from 200 boats from 2014.
• All tournaments will observe a two-day off limits period on  Monday and Tuesday prior to the tournament.
• The 10 regular season winners advance to the championship.

The full schedule and details are available on the ABT website; http://www.alabamabasstrail.org/tournament-series/next-season/

 

Alabama Bass Trail – South Division

Sat, May 10, 2014

Alabama River

Roland Cooper State Park

Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425

www.alabamabasstrail.org