Fishing Reported Very Good On Lay Lake, Site Of 2011 Airport Marine Classic Saturday
Marty (pictured here) and Kim Giddens took home $5,000 for winning Team of the Year!
The draw for a lake to hold the Airport Marine Trails Classic on could not have been better, said tournament director Flynn Gerald.
“We put all the lakes in a hat Monday night and drew Lay Lake out. Lay Lake is one of the few lakes (fished on the trail) that is still giving up good stringers of fish. Guntersville is off, Logan Martin is off. So we expect good fishing Saturday.”
One of the highlights of the meeting Monday night was presenting a $5,000 check to Marty Giddens and his wife Kim for Team of the Year, Gerald said.
“I don’t know of any other tournament trail that does that. Then we drew among the too 10 for another $5,000, so we gave away $10,000 Monday night.”
The Giddens Team won the first tournament of the year and then added a 3rd, 10th, 15th and 18th places to hold on to the top spot in the standings. Wes Essary and Larry Walters, who finished second in the points, won the other $5,000 in the draw among the top 10 teams.
“We are very fortunate to pay back what we pay back,” Gerald said. “We pay back more money to the fishermen than any other tournament series in the state. We also pay back for the top couples, $1,000 for the top couple, $500 for the second ranked couple, $300 for third and $200 for fourth. We also pay the same money back to the adult-child teams.”
Gerald said they try to put on the best tournament possible and pay back more money than they take in, which they have done the past several years.
“The first four places in this tournament, if you are in a qualified boat we double it, just for fishing out of one of our boats. Qualifying boats are Ranger, Triton and Stratos that an angler bought fem Airport Marine, two years old or less.”
Gerald said there are more than 30 boats qualified for the Classic. He also announced that Airport Marine’s EZ Fall Buddy Trail began Oct. 1 on Lay Lake and he expects a large participation in it through the Classic in early January.
“We will have over 100 boats qualified for that and first place will be worth $5,000. It’s our second most popular trail – the mid-week trail is the most popular.”
Entry fee in the Fall Buddy Trail is $100 per tournament with a one-time $50 initiation fee per angler, which will be paid back in full at the Classic. There is also an optional $10 big fish fee. Anglers must fish at least one tournament to qualify for the Classic. Gerald urged anglers to pre-register no later than the Tuesday of the week of a tournament to get an early flight number.
The remaining schedule for the Buddy Trail includes: Oct 29. Lake Logan Martin. Lakeside; Nov 12. Lake Mitchel, Higgins Ferry; Nov 26. Lake Jordan, Bonner’s; Dec 10, Lay Lake, Beeswax; January 7, the Classic at one of the lakes on the schedule. There will be a Classic meeting with food and drinks Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 6 p.m. at Airport Marine.
Airport Marine Trails Classic
Sat. Oct. 15, 2011
Lay Lake
Beeswax Landing
Call Flynn Gerald at 205-678-9666
