“This is going to be a day of appreciation for the anglers who have always been there for years supporting all the fund-raising events at Clarks Hill,” said John Boy Long, who founded the Fish For Life Foundation in honor of his mother who died of cancer. “It’s just a payback for all they have done in the past.”

Anglers will pay no entry fee and the top five teams will share in the $2,500 guaranteed purse, with the winning team earning $1,000 for first place.

A mandatory pre-registration meeting for all entrants will be held at Academy Sports and Outdoors, 4210 Washington Road, in Evans on April 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. Drawing for boat positions will be held at 7. Entrants residing more than 75 miles away can obtain registration forms by calling (706) 830-6439, or (706) 833-8135.

The event will also raise money through donations and raffles for the Clarks Hill Fish For Life Foundation, which recently received 501c3 status as non profit organization, Long said. The foundation was established in 2010 to raise funds to help find a cure for cancer. The primary beneficiary of Fish for Life is the American Cancer Society and Columbia County, Ga.

Sponsors of the Anglers Appreciation Tournament include Aaron’s, E3Sports Apparel, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Power Pole, Milton Ruben Toyota, Weinberger Furniture, Ben Dreamin Outdoors, Columbia County, Lincolnton Marine, Cliatt Crossing, Giffin Plumbing, Pair of Jacks, Southern Anglers Challenge, AnglersChannel.com, Ray Diamond Glass Co., Walmart, Broadway Bait and Tackle and the Coca-Cola Co.

“We have applications out all the way up into South Carolina and North Carolina and I have got a lot of calls on the tournament,” Long said. “We could have a 200-boat field Saturday. And then, as soon as this tournament is over, we will begin a big drive for the annual Fish for Life Open Team Bass Tournament May 21.”

That is the tournament Long began two years ago to honor his mother Jean Thompson Gallagher who was battling cancer at the time. She found the strength to attend the weigh-in at the 2009 tournament, but died a short time later.

“We also hold it in honor of some local guys who are fishing right now with cancer. We had one angler who was given six months to live and he is cancer free now. Also, this year we are working with the Childrens Medical Network at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and part of the proceeds will go to them.”

Long said the Fish for Life Tournament in May will be set up basically the same as last year. There will be a $75 entry fee with first place guaranteed $5,000 and a $1,000 prize for big fish.

“It will be a family event with a kids fishing rodeo,” said Long. “Last year we had 98 kids fishing from the bank and we gave a $1,000 prize to the kid who caught the biggest fish. It was the biggest one-day event held out of Wildewood Park since it was established.

When not holding tournaments to fight cancer and other causes, Long competes in bass tournaments himself and he is the new Georgia State Bass Federation Champion. Long won the individual title in the Georgia Bass Federation Top Six challenge on Lake Hartwell April 4-5 and will lead the state team to the TBF Southern Division Tournament May 29-June 3 on Green River Lake at Cambellsville, Ky.

 

Fish For Life Open Team Tournament

Clarks Hill Lake

Wildewood Park

Sat, Apr. 23, 2011

www.chfishforlife.com

For more information, call John Boy Long at 706-833-8135