“It does not look like the rising gas prices are affecting us,” said Chris Lucas, tournament director for the Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail which opens its 2011 season Saturday on Smith Mountain Lake. “I talked to a a guy on the lake today and he said there was a fisherman around every corner on the lake getting ready for the tournament.”

In fact the fishermen are so eager to get going that entries are running far ahead of previous tournaments.

“The previous record for pre-registrations for a tournament was 80,” said Lucas Thursday morning. “We are at 115 this morning and expecting five or six more today. That means we are already over 120 pre-registered and that is not counting the guys who wait until the last minute to be in a late flight so they can get the afternoon bite.”

Lucas said on the tournament website that he will start registration the morning of the tournament at 5 a.m. And continue until 6:45 a.m. when he will get the tournament started.

“If you are not registered by then I will blast the late arrivals off after everybody else, so come on time,” he said.

The entry fee per tournament is $100, with an optional $20 Big Fish pot. Payback will be to one in every five boats registered, with $2,000 guaranteed for first place with at least 70 boats entered.

Anglers must fish four of the six scheduled tournametns to qualify for the championship. First place in the classic will win a new Ranger Z118 bass boat with a Mercury Opti Max motor and trailer.

Always a very popular tournament, this year Lucas said more new sponsors have come on board and there is plenty of bonus money to be paid out. The series is Triton Gold registered which means this year that a winner in the right Triton package can take home an extra $7,000. Anglers can also win with the Ranger Cup program and the Stratos 2X program.

And, while the bass in some lakes across the South are still languishing in a winter pattern following the long, cold winter, the bass in Smith Mountain Lake are biting, Lucas said.

“The guys I’ve been talking with who are catching fish say it’s taking 20 to 25 pounds for five fish to win. A lot of people are saying it will take 20 pounds for five fish to get a check, so I think you are going to see a couple of big bags weighed in this week.”

While water temperatures are still in the 40s, a warm rain earlier this week has moved things along, Lucas said.

“There are some fish being taken in 2 to 3 feet of water on a crankbait. There are jerkbait fish in 10 to 12 feet of water and guys are still spooning heavy bags in 25 to 30 feet of water off the ends of points. I’ve even heard of a spinnerbait bite on some wind-blown points, too.,” Lucas said.

“With that many boats and that many teams, there will be some who will catch fish on a jig or a Shakey Head, but I think the tournament will be won on a jerkbait and a spoon.”
The main thing, he said, is that anglers will probably be able to catch fish just about however they want to fish.

 

Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail

Lake: Smith Mountain Lake

Landing: Parkway Marina

Date: Sat, Mar. 5, 2011

Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844

www.anglerschoicemarine.com/TournamentTrail