The Morristown Marine Skeeter-Yamaha Elite Series Team Trail kicks off Saturday on Cherokee Lake with high expectations for very good fishing, according to tournament director Sam Phillips.

“The fish are biting excellently and we expect it will take 17 to 20 pounds to win,” Phillips said. “The water is warming up and the fish are turning on. We are looking for a good tournament of anglers and a lot of fish to be weighed with a lot of limits brought to the scales.”

Phillips said the fish are in pre-spawn and anglers are catching them on crankbaits, jerkbaits, jigs and grubs.

He said he expects between 125 to 150 boats to enter the tournament, the first of six scheduled tournaments plus a year-end championship to be held on Cherokee and Douglas Lakes this year.

“This is our fourth year and we have grown this series very well,” he said “Skeeter came on board and really helped us.”
Anglers pay a $30 membership fee each to fish the trail and the entry fee for each of the regular season tournaments and the season-end classic is $100, with an optional big fish pot. The big fish pot will be paid back at the ramp, with half going to the top largemouth and half to the top smallmouth weighed in. If no smallmouth is weighed in, two prizes will be awarded to the top two largemouths.

“We are paying $3,000 to win, regardless of the number of boats entered. We also pay back one place for every six boats with a 100 percent cash payout at the ramp,” Phillips said, “plus additional gift certificates and prizes from local sponsors.”

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.

Manufacturer bonus programs for the trail include 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 your buy a boat or motor here, new or used, any brand, we will pay an additional $500 on top of what you win,” Phillips said.

Entries are accepted at Morristown Marine the week of the tournament and anglers who sign up by 6 p.m. on Friday get two draws for starting position and can keep the one they want. Entries will also be accepted at Hookers & Hunters Bait and Tackle from 1 to 6 p.m. On Fridays prior to the tournament After 6 p.m. teams get only one draw for starting position and entries will be accepted at the ramp the morning of the tournament.

The 2011 schedule includes: March 12, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; April 2, Cherokee Lake, Boat Launch Road; April 23, Douglas Lake, TVA Dam; 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 2011

Sat, Mar. 12, 2011

Cherokee Lake

Hamblin County Marina-Boat Launch Road

www.morristownmarine.com