Bass Trails Announces 2019 Schedule

The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) recently unveiled the 2019 tournament schedule with a cash payout reaching over $500,000 plus a grand prize of a new Phoenix Bass Boat. Returning for the sixth season, the team-style tournament series is held on eleven of the lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail beginning February 16, 2019.
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.
Hosted by the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament is set for October 25-26, 2019, on Lake Guntersville.
“One of the most effective measurements of our success is how much of an economic impact a tourism event makes in the community. The Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce has hosted an Alabama Bass Trail tournament in the past and once the final numbers were in, an economic impact study was conducted. The study clearly indicated the positive impact the tournament made on the city of Scottsboro and Jackson County from the tax revenue generated during the anglers’ visit,” said J.P. Parsons, vice president of destination marketing for Jackson County Tourism.
The championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 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 15 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.
“We are excited to announce the 2019 schedule, especially that the championship is heading to Lake Guntersville where it all started for the Alabama Bass Trail in February of 2014. Once our tournament travels to an area, we are honored when city officials reach out to us and ask when the Tournament Series will be back. That’s a true testament to the impact the Alabama Bass Trail has on a community,” said ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson.
Each tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. In conjunction with the Alabama Bicentennial celebration in 2019, an additional $200 bonus prize will be awarded at each tournament to the team that finishes in the 200th place. The winning team of the championship walks away with a fully rigged bass boat valued at $45,000; there is a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $568,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2019.
For more information, call Donaldson at 855-934-7425 or visit alabamabasstrail.org.