With the third Sunday Winter Trail tournament scheduled this Sunday, Dec., 9, Cherry and Shane Lineberger are leading the points in the Sunday Trail. Cherry and Lineberger won the Nov. 11 tournament and placed third in the Nov. 18 tournament .

After the second tournament this past Saturday, Cherry and Craig Chambers moved into the points lead in the Saturday Trail. Cherry and Chambers placed third in the Nov. 24 tournament and second in the Dec. 1 tournament to take over first place.

“We are running between 60 and 75 boats in the tournaments,” said Mike Chronister with Carolina Coach and Marine, who directs the tournaments. “We invite everybody to come fish with us. We are doing a 100 percent payback – plus. We’re probably the only tournament series that gives all the money back to the anglers and then some of ours. We guarantee at last $4,000 a tournament and first place pays $2,000 on both Saturdays and Sundays.”

The Winter Trail is actually a dual series, Chronister explained, with one series running on Saturdays and another on Sundays. The top 30 teams from each series will face off in a Fish Off.

“Anglers can weigh in three fish 14 inches and larger, but they can also weigh in two fish under 14 inches. The points start at 150 and go on down, determined by the place of finish. That makes you have to fish consistently to stay in the top 30,” Chronister said. “So, if you catch fish weigh them in. Even if you have two small fish they might be the ones that put you into the Fish Off.”

The third Sunday Trail tournament will be held this Sunday, followed by tournaments Dec. 16 and 30, and Jan. 6. The Saturday Trail opened Nov. 24, with the second tournament on Dec. 1, and the rest of the schedule includes Dec. 15, 22, and Jan. 5 and 12. The Fish Off will be held Saturday, Feb. 2, and Sunday, Feb. 3.

“The more boats we get the bigger the payout,” Chronister said, adding that if the field reaches the 150-boat cut-off the payout would be $9,000.

Chronister noted that the series is also sanctioned for the Triton Gold Program which means a Triton owner can win up to $7,000 extra. In addition, in any of the tournaments if the first place winner owns and fishes from a Triton Boat, new or use, purchased from Carolina Coach & Marine, he gets another $500 bonus. And if the fist place winner in any of the tournaments is fishing from any other brand of boat bought from Carolina Coach & Marine, he will get a $200 bonus.

Carolina Coach and Marine 2012/2013 Winter Trail

Sun, Dec 9, 2012

Lake Norman

Midway Marina

Call Mike Chronister 704-634-1157

www.carolinacoach.com