Bass tournament season has begun, and anglers can compete on a variety of circuits around Arkansas.
Many anglers belong to a home club that has its own circuit, like the Sherwood Bass Club and Anvil Jaw Bass Club. There also are bigger, unaffiliated circuits like the Arkansas Team Bass Trail and Mr. Bass of Arkansas.
Entering its third year, the Arkansas Team Bass Tournament Trail (ATBTT) will hold its first tournament of the year Feb. 20 at Lake Ouachita. Keith Green, director of the ATBTT, said the circuit has grown very popular in a short time because it is the only opportunity in Arkansas for anglers to fish for $10,000 per event without leaving the state.
The entry fee is $250 per tournament. That's also the most expensive in the state, but Green said his events averaged 143 boats last year, and that the record number of entries was 151.
"We're looking to break that," Green said. "We're getting a lot more interest from Northwest Arkansas folks, so we're hoping for a record field."
It's a balancing act, Green said. Every angler would love to win $10,000, but only the most dedicated are willing to pay $250 for the chance.
"Most of the small circuits have really good fishermen, but a lot of them won't pay that much," Green said. "We give guys a chance for fish for $10,000 who don't have an opportunity to do it."
If your team is in the top 100 in points after the final tournament, you qualify for a chance to win $30,000 in the championship.
The ATBTT has other incentives, too. Entry fees are only $150 for anglers age 18 and younger. That's to encourage youths to fish with their fathers, uncles or cousins, Green said.
Pros that fish the FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Elite Series are not eligible, Green said, even though local anglers are capable of beating them.
For contact information and tournament schedule, visit the ATBTT website at arkansasbassteamtrail.net
Mr. Bass of Arkansas
Once the most prominent bass fishing circuit in Arkansas, Mr. Bass of Arkansas was on its way back last year after Ronnie Everett reacquired the organization. Everett died last year, but Joel Newman and Thomas Wilkins are carrying it forward.
Mark McDonnell and Terence Wheeler won the pro and amateur divisions, respectively, at the first Mr. Bass of Arkansas tournament of the year Sunday at Lake Ouachita. Mark Davis of Mount Ida was among the field of 25 boaters, tuning up for another run at the Bassmaster Classic on March 2-6 in on Grand Lake o' the Cherokees.
The pro-am format is increasingly rare in tournament fishing, but Newman said it's still a winning formula for those willing to try it.
"A lot of the boaters are interested, but it seems harder to get them involved with fishing with nonboaters anymore," Newman said. "I fish on the pro side personally, and I don't mind it. I've been asking the guys what's it going to take?"
The attraction, Newman said, is that Mr. Bass of Arkansas is still a grassroots circuit that offers anglers a weekend of fishing without having to travel outside the state.
"I'd like to have us close to 100 boats," Newman said. "There's a lot of history in Mr. Bass. If I can run good fair tournaments, people can come back."
For information and tournament schedule, visit mrbassofarkansas.com.
Kayak tournaments
Kayak fishing is the fastest-growing segment of the fishing industry, and the Razoryak Tournament Trail is a competitive outlet for those that want to get back to the basics.
The RTT is divided into four regional trails in Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas, North-Central Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley/Fort Smith. They hold tournaments on nearly every major water in the state, as well as some minor waters. The River Valley Chapter/Fort Smith group, for example, will hold events this year at Lake Fort Smith and Charleston City Reservoir, as well as Lake Dardanelle.
The Kayak Bass Anglers of Central Arkansas will hold tournaments at Lake Atkins and the Little Maumelle River, as well as lakes Hamilton and Ouachita, plus a night tournament at DeGray Lake. Yes, you can buy special light kits to make your 'yak legal for nighttime navigation.
For tournament schedules and club contacts, visit razoryak.com.
Sports on 02/11/2016