NEWS

Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series Adds $100,000 to the 2015 Payout

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

Kay Donaldson, Program Director PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 855.9FISHAL EMAIL: kay@alabamabasstrail.org

Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series to Award More Than $500K in 2015

Decatur, Ala. (July 14, 2014) – Over $500,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2015. The Alabama Bass Trail recently announced the 2015 tournament schedule, and today is pleased to announce an increase in payouts for all ten divisional tournaments. In 2014, the top 20 anglers in each of the divisional tournaments took home a cash prize. According to Kay Donaldson, program director for the Alabama Bass Trail, 40 places will be paid out for each of the 10 tournaments in 2015, an increase of $100,000 in cash prizes. “The Alabama Bass Trail is proud to continue to reward our anglers for choosing to fish the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series. We are committed to providing a quality event for amateur anglers from across the southeast. By increasing the payout and increasing the number of teams that we take to the championship, we feel the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series is a great choice for anglers,” said Donaldson. After all ten tournaments have wrapped up, approximately $510,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to anglers in 2015. 2015 Payout Schedule:

First place $10,000

Second place $ 5,000

Third place $ 4,000

Fourth place $ 3,000

Fifth place $ 2,000

Sixth place $ 1,000

Seventh place $ 900

Eighth place $ 800

Ninth place $ 700

Tenth place $ 600

11th – 40th $ 500 each

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series gets underway February 14, 2015 and each tournament will have a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and will pay 40 places. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225, an increase from the 200-boat limit in the 2014 tournament series.

North Division:

Lake Guntersville February 28, 2015

Neely Henry Lake March 28, 2015

Lewis Smith Lake April 11, 2015

Logan Martin Lake May 9, 2015

Pickwick Lake June 6, 2015

South Division:

Lake Jordan February 14, 2015

Lake Eufaula March 14, 2015

Alabama River April 25, 2015

Mobile-Tensaw Delta May 30, 2015

Lay Lake June 20, 2015

The number of entries for the championship tournament increases from 125 boats to 145 boats. The 145 boats are comprised of the 10 divisional tournament winning teams, top 55 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 25 student boats collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division. Hosted by the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the championship tournament is set for October 9-10, 2015 on Wheeler Lake. The championship is a no entry tournament and the first place prize is a fully-rigged 2016 Phoenix 619 Pro with a Mercury 150, trolling motor and electronics valued at approximately $40,000 with an additional $40,000 in cash and prizes. The official bass boat of the Alabama Bass Trail, Phoenix Bass boats will also offer the tier one First Flight incentive plan to tournament winners in a qualifying Phoenix boat. Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2014 will be given a priority entry period from August 1 to August 14, 2014, to register online at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Registration will be open to the public on August 15, 2014. Entry fee per tournament is $1250 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in respective division. Alabama Bass Trail Tournament sponsors include Bill Penney Toyota, the Alabama Tourism Department, Phoenix Bass Boats, Inc., McDonalds of Alabama, and Pradco-FISHING representing BOOYAH and YUM, Dobyns Rods, Randy Jones Agency – Nationwide, T & H Marine Supplies, Inc., Alabama Power Company, Buffalo Rock, Inc., Jet-Pep, Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, Rigid Industries, Inc., and Frogg Toggs, Inc., Go Pro and Gander Mountain. Fishlife will be the official tournament directors 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 11 bass fishing lakes consist of Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River (Millers Ferry), Lake Eufaula, and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. For more information, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.