That pretty much describes the Potash Corp Fish Back Open Team Tournament on Clarks Hill Lake Saturday, which features a hefty payback down the line from $10,000 for first place along with a trifecta of causes to support – cancer, kids and conservation.

“We kill three birds with one stone,” said tournament coordinator Joey Bruyninckx of Potash Corp, the world’s largest fertilizer enterprise by capacity.

“We have two primary charities – the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance and the North Augusta Youth Fishing Team. The third piece of the puzzle is the environmental impact which we address by putting fish habitat in the lake.”

In the inaugural Potash Fish Back Tournament last year each boat was required to install an artificial fish habitat structure at either their first or second stop of the first day of the tournament. The teams put out more than 150 new artificial habitat units during the event.

The pre-fab structures made of vinyl siding cemented into a PVC container are designed to sink to the bottom and land upright to resemble a bush. Although the tournament has been streamlined into a one-day event this year, Bruyninckx said the idea was a good fit and it is being done again this year.

The primary mission of the GOCA is to increase awareness and educate Georgia’s women of all ages and their families, as well as the healthcare community, about the risks and symptoms leading to early detection.

Bruyninckx said reducing the event to one day and increasing the payout has increased the entry so far this year, and he hopes other tweaks to the tournament will result in even bigger turnouts in years to come.

“We had 122 boats at registration Tuesday evening and we’ve had two late registrations since then. Last year this time we had 105 boats registered,” he said.

“Last year we sold $1 raffle tickets and the proceeds from that along with the proceeds from food sales benefit the charities. Potash puts up a fixed amount of money, guarantees the prize money, and in addition we raise money through local sponsors,” Bruyninckx said. “But this year we are selling $1 and $5 raffle tickets and we have got some really good prizes to give away. More money for the charities is the ultimate goal.”

Bruyninckx said that while the first place prize was dropped from $12,000 to $10,000 this year, the payback is being spread farther down the line, with $5,000 going to second place, $2,500 to third place and $1,000 to Big Fish.

“Last year we gave $10,000 aggregate to the charities and this year we hope to do more, but I won’t be disappointed if we end up doing only $8,000 this year because at the end of the day we are making it a better tournament all the way around, not only for the anglers, but for the spectators and everybody involved.”

“As the tournament grows over the years, the amount going to the charities will continue to grow through expanded participation,” he added.

Entry fee for the tournament is $150 per boat, with a late registration fee of $25. To register or get more information contact Jon Hair at The Tackle Shop in Martinez, Ga., 706-432-8225, [email protected], or Chris Rodwell, 706-829-3926.

Fishing could be tough for the anglers in the last major local tournament on Clarks Hill before the fall, Bruyninckx said.

“The schooling has king of died off and I think the fish have gone back deep and are located on humps and shoals. I think you will see a lot of guys throwing a worm, a jig or a crankbait Saturday,” he said.

 

Potash Corp Fish Back Tournament

Sat, Jun 7, 2014

Clarks Hill Lake

Wildwood Park

Call Joey Bruyninckx at 706-469-1239