Charlie Rasch and Gary Pilkenton will have a big bullseye on their backs in the fourth Morristown Marine Team Trail tournament of the year on Cherokee Lake Saturday, said tournament director Sam Phillips.

Having won two of the three tournaments held so far in the Morristown Marine series, Rasch and Pilkenton are sitting on top of the standings, 50 points ahead of the second place team of Steve and Jim Miracle.

“They are winning and they are hot right now,” Phillips said. “But there are some teams chasing them and we will see how that plays out.”

Rasch and Pilkenton began their winning ways in the first tournament of the year March 12 on Cherokee Lake while the Miracles finished 36^th. Then Rasch and Pilkenton finished eighth April 2 on Cherokee Lake, while the Miracles were second. On April 23 Rasch and Pilkenton got back in the winners circle on Douglas Lake and the Miracles dropped to 21^st place for the tournament.

“We’ve got 163 teams fishing the trail and we are averaging 139 teams per tournament,” Phillips said. “We’ve got a lot of good incentives for the trail, including Skeeter Real Money, Stratos Double Your Winnings, Triton Gold, Phoenix First Flight Program and the Morristown Marine Boat Bucks plan. In the Morristown Marine Boat Bucks program, if you buy a boat or motor here, new or used, any brand, we will pay an additional $500 on top of what you win.”

Phillips noted that first place gets $3,000 and the payback covers one place for every six boats. New for this year, he noted, is the addition of Abu Garcia as a big fish sponsor. Abu Garcia will give several rods to the big fish winners at each tournament.

“And, at the Classic in November, we will give a 2011 Skeeter ZX200 with a new 200 Yamaha SHO 4-stroke engine to the winners,” he added.

Entries are being accepted at Morristown Marine until 12 noon Friday, he said. Entries will then be taken at Hookers & Hunters Bait and Tackle from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.

“If you pre-signup by 6 p.m. you receive two draws for starting position free at no extra charge and you get to keep the draw of your choice,” he said. Entries will also be accepted at the ramp the morning of the tournament.

The fish are in all three phases of the spawn – pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn, so fishermen will have multiple choices of fishing tactics, said Phillips who predicted it will take 18 pounds or more to win Saturday..

“We’ve got some of the highest water levels in recent years and it is up in the bushes so the flipping bite will be on, along with spinnerbaits, any type of plastic and an early morning topwater bite. We’ve got some people fishing the tournament who are very strong when the water gets up in the bushes, so we are looking for a shootout Saturday.”

The 2011 schedule includes: May 14, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; Sept. 24, Douglas Lake, TVA Dam; Oct. 22, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; and Nov. 12. Morristown Marine Classic, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road.

 

Morristown Marine Team Trail

Cherokee Lake

Hamblin County Marina-Boat Launch Road

Sat, May 14, 2011

Call Sam Phillips 423-587-5555

www.morristownmarine.com