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Decatur, AL — The Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series will enter its tenth season next year as the state’s premier weekend tournament trail for amateur bass anglers with an 11-event schedule offering more than $590,000 in awards including $10K in prize money in celebration of the tournament’s tenth anniversary. The season gets underway February 11, 2023, on Lewis Smith Lake and concludes Oct. 20-21, 2023, with the championship on Weiss Lake.
“We are thrilled to celebrate ten years of tournament fishing in the great state of Alabama,” said Alabama Bass Trail Program Director Kay Donaldson. “It has been exciting to watch the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series grow since its inception in 2013. From our sponsors and supporters to the anglers and their families, there are no words to adequately express my appreciation. We set out ten years ago to create an opportunity for anglers to experience what makes Alabama so special when it comes to bass fishing, and year after year, the host cities step up to create a world class angler experience that exceeds everyone’s expectations. Not only have we won the support and trust from anglers who return year after year, local communities are realizing the economic impact from hosting a tournament of this caliber. Everyone, from our lodging partners to local attractions, restaurants, shops and gas stations, see an impact from the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series.”
Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and 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:
February 11, 2023 - Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper, Ala.
March 18, 2023 - Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala.
April 15, 2023 - Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Ala.
May 13, 2023 - Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala.
June 24, 2023 - Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala.
South Division:
February 25, 2023 - Lake Martin in Alexander City, Ala.
March 11, 2023 - Lay Lake in Columbiana, Ala.
April 29, 2023 - Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala.
May 20, 2023 - Logan Martin Lake in Lincoln, Ala.
June 10, 2023 - Alabama River (Cooter's Pond) in Prattville, Ala.
Hosted by the town of Leesburg, the championship tournament will be held October 20-21, 2023, on Weiss Lake.
The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 regular season winners, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student teams, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.
Each regular season tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling $47,400. In celebration of the tournament series’ tenth anniversary, the Alabama Bass Trail will pay two additional teams $500 at each of the 10 regular season tournaments. The two additional paychecks will be awarded to teams who finish in 75th place and 150th place at each regular season tournament in 2023.
The no-entry fee championship will feature a $100,000 payout with a first place prize of $50,000. There is also a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year.
2023 Payout Schedule
First place - $10,000
Second place - $5,000
Third place - $4,000
Fourth place - $3,000
Fifth place - $2,000
Sixth place - $1,500
Seventh place - $1,100
Eighth place - $1,100
Ninth place - $1,100
Tenth place - $1,100
11th – 20th - $750 each
21st – 40th - $500 each
75th and 150th - $500 each
2023 Championship Payout
First place - $50,000
Second place - $10,000
Third place - $5,000
Fourth place - $4,000
Fifth place - $3,000
Sixth place - $2,500
Seventh place - $2,200
Eighth place - $2,000
Ninth place - $1,800
Tenth place - $1,500
11th-15th - $1,200 each
16th-25th - $1,100 each
Big Fish - $500 daily
In addition to their entry fees paid, the Alabama Bass Trail will award $500 per team to the 18 teams who qualify for the B.A.S.S. Team Championship to be used for travel expenses. According to Donaldson, nearly $600,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2023. “We are excited to announce the additional prize money to commemorate our tenth year. The first nine years have been successful and we look forward to the next ten years in reaching more anglers and showcasing the outstanding fishing opportunities that exist throughout Alabama,” added Donaldson.
Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2022 will be given a priority entry period beginning August 1, 2022, at 6 a.m. CST online at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Registration opens for new teams August 15 at 6 a.m. CST. The entry fee remains at $1,300 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in the respective division. Each team may choose to pay a $500 nonrefundable deposit to hold the team’s spot. The balance of $800 is due on or before January 11, 2023.
Alabama Bass Trail Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Advantage Trailer Rentals, Alabama Power Foundation, Alabama State Parks, Berkley, Bajio Sunglasses, Big Bite Baits, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Buck N’ Bass, Busch Light, E3 Sport Apparel, Fish Neely Henry Lake, Jack’s, Lew’s Fishing, Mountain Dew, FishAlabama.org, Bill Penney Automotive, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Visit North Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., Power-Pole Total Boat Control, Strike King Lure Company, Yamaha, Yeti Coolers, Wedowee Marine and Garmin.
Angler’s Channel will continue the live-streaming and will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series for Bally Sports Southeast to air at a later date.
For more information, call Donaldson at 855-934-7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
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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.