They hope to raise the ante considerably Sunday, May 29, in the 39th Annual St. Jude Bass Classic on Sardis Lake near Sardis, Miss.

The Memphis Bass Club, title sponsor for the tournament which is always held the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, is the oldest bass club in the Mid-South, said tournament director Russell Thomas. Among its first members were a number of well-known older fishermen such as Bill Dance of Bassmaster and television fame.

“We’ve been around a long time,” said Thomas who has been personally involved in the annual St. Jude Bass Classic for the past 29 years.

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of the hospital’s founder, the late entertainer Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.

Entry fee for the team tournament is $275 and the field is limited to 300 boats.

“Last year we had 268 boats and we are expecting that many this year, although the price of gasoline and the down economy has hurt a lot of folks,” he said.

The first place team will win two 14-foot War Eagle Boats with two 9.9 Yamaha outboard motors and two trailers, $2,000 in cash and about another thousand dollars worth of fishing tackle, Thomas said. Second place will be worth $1,750 cash and the payback goes down to $125 through 22nd place and $100 for 23rd through 30th place. In addition, the winners also get a bag stuffed with tackle.

For years Ranger donated a boat for a drawing and when they discontinued that, the club paid $26,000 last year for a boat and trailer, but they will not offer that boat this year, Thomas said.

“We can give that $26,000 to St. Jude instead.”

But, there will be a drawing and the lucky winner will drive home in a new Nissan Frontier pickup truck provided by Nissan, he said.

“Whoever fishes, all their names go into a pot and we draw one name out for the grand prize. If you fish you have a shot at that truck.”

Thomas said Roger Stegall of Iuka, Miss., an accomplished tournament angler on the Operation Bass and B.A.S.S. circuits and a guide for 30 years, will emcee the tournament.

And he is hoping to have a special guest appear at the tournament.

“We are dedicating the tournament to Hayden Taylor, five years old of Virginia, who is a patient at St. Jude,” Thomas said. “He is supposed to be here for the tournament. He has to come back to St. Jude for a CAT Scan.

Hayden suffers from medulloblastoma, the most common malignant central nervous system tumor of childhood.

“He has undergone 31 rounds of radiation and he is not in remission, but he is doing pretty good,” Thomas said. “If he can come I plan to give him a Limited Edition St. Jude Fishing Rod and Reel.”

For an application to the St. Jude Classic, contact: Tournament Director Russell Thomas, (901) 634-4190 (cell) or email: [email protected]; Co-Director Tony Lannie, ( 901) 246-4413 (cell), or email: [email protected]; or Lake Director Bill Petrie, (901) 828-1967(cell), or email: [email protected].

 

39th Annual St. Jude Bass Classic

Sun, May 29, 2011

Sardis Lake

Engineer Point Public Use Area