Alabama Bass Trail Announces 2017 Tournament Schedule and New Increased Payout

Registration opens August 1, 2016.

The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) is pleased to unveil the 2017 tournament schedule, which includes a new cash payout reaching over $566,000 plus a grand prize new boat giveaway. The team-style tournament series will be held on eleven of the lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail beginning February 18, 2017, with the championship tournament to be held on October 6-7, 2017.

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series contains two divisions: North and South. Each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division; no single entries will be allowed.

North Division:

• Wheeler Lake • February 25, 2017
  Host: Decatur-Morgan County CVB
• Pickwick Lake • March 11, 2017
  Host: Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
• Lewis Smith Lake • April 22, 2017
  Host: Chamber of Commerce of Walker County
• Neely Henry Lake • May 6, 2017
  Host: City of Gadsden
• Lake Guntersville • June 10, 2017
  Host: Marshall County CVB

South Division:

• Lake Jordan • February 18, 2017
  Host: City of Wetumpka
• Lake Eufaula • March 18, 2017
  Host: Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce
• Lake Martin • April 8, 2017
  Host: Alexander City Chamber of Commerce
• Alabama River/Cooter’s Pond • May 20, 2017
  Host: City of Prattville Parks and Recreation
• Lay Lake • June 3, 2017
  Host: Shelby County Commission

New for 2017, the Championship will include up to 180 boats. The 180 boats are comprised of the 10 divisional tournament winning teams, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 10 student boats, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division. Hosted by the City of Pell City and the Pell City Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament is set for October 6-7, 2017, on Logan Martin Lake.

Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2016 will be given a priority entry period from August 1 to August 14, 2016, to register online at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Registration will be open to the public on August 15, 2016. The entry fee per tournament is $1250 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in the respective division. Each team may choose to pay a $500 non-refundable deposit to hold the team’s spot. The balance of $750 must be paid by January 15, 2017.

Each tournament will feature a NEW increased payout with a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and will pay 40 places totaling over $47,000. The winning team of the championship will walk away with a fully rigged bass boat valued at $45,000, and there is a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. Over $566,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2017. “We are excited to announce a new payout for the second time in four seasons. We are blessed with great sponsors and a dedicated group of anglers and this new increased payout is a step in showing our current anglers and others that we want to be the best team tournament trail in the country,” said Kay Donaldson, ABT program director.

2017 Payout Schedule:

Current Alabama Bass Trail Tournament sponsors include Bill Penney Toyota; the Alabama Tourism Department; Phoenix Bass Boats, Inc.; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; Garmin Virb XE; Wind Creek Hospitality-Montgomery; Wind Creek Hospitality-Wetumpka; T & H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Tennessee Valley Authority; Boat U. S.; Allstate Insurance Company; Lews Fishing; Alabama Foundation Specialist; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; YETI; Hydrowave; Crossed Industries, Inc.; and Frogg Toggs, Inc. Pond MD will manage fish care and Southern Stream Live will be the live-streaming company.

For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

About Alabama Bass Trail

The Alabama Bass Trail is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. Its mission is to promote Alabama as a year-round fishing destination, to preserve natural resources for generations to come, and to educate high school and college-aged students to be good stewards of natural resources. The 13 bass fishing lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Weiss Lake, Lake Martin, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River, Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. For more information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.