Excellent Weather, Good Fishing Forecast For Morristown Marine Year-End Tournament
Fishing on Douglas Lake is expected to be really good this weekend for the final tournament of the 2012 Morristown Marine Team Trail.
“The weather is getting colder,” said tournament director Sam Phillips. “It’s supposed to get down into the 20s with the highs into the 50s this weekend. The water temperature is dropping so the crankbait bite should really turn on.”
Phillips said the final on Douglas Lake will cap a tremendous year for the trail, which saw 588 anglers sign up to fish, with boats awarded for first place in four tournaments and $10,000 paid to the winners of the other two tournaments
But he said he will announce plans at the year-end Team Trail Dinner Thursday night for an even more spectacular tournament trail in 2014, with one angler provided the opportunity to fish his way to the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
“We’ve got a lot of big things going on for next year, starting with a title sponsor for the trail,” he said. “Fairlane Ford and Quick Lane have partnered with Morristown Marine-Skeeter/Yamaha for 2014.”
Phillips said the 2014 trail will be held on five lakes across East Tennessee, with $10,000 guaranteed for first place in four of the tournaments.
“We are going to have a points system next year. We are also going to have a two-day Super tournament in September on Fort Loudon/Tellico lakes at Knoxville where we will give a $36,000 boat for first place,” he said. “We will have a two-day classic on Douglas Lake and we will give a $45,000 Skeeter with a Yamaha 200 SHO on it to first place.”
Also, he noted, in every tournament there will be contingency money for the highest finishing Skeeter boats – $3,000 for first, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third.
“We’ll have over $36,000 in contingency money available if you have the Skeeter/Yamaha package,” Phillips said.
“As for the Bassmasters, the way it works is with a points system. You will got an fish a BASS championship, then the three top teams will advance to the BASS Team Championship. They will split up and go in individual boats for that. The winner of that Classic will qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.”
At the year-end banquet Thursday night there will be a lot of food, a live band, plus a casting contest for a chance to win at $70,000 Skeeter FX with a Yamaha SHO, Phillips said.
Morristown Marine Team Trail
Oct 26-27, 2013
Douglas Lake
Swann’s Marina
CONTACT: Sam Phillips 423-587-5555
