Anglers Will Need Their ‘a-Game’ In Airport Marine Classic On Mystery Lake
Shades of the first few years of the granddaddy of all bass championships – the Bassmaster Classic. The year-end Classic for the Airport Marine Tournament Trail will be fished on a mystery lake Saturday.
They won’t load the anglers on an airplane and fly them off to waters unknown, announcing the mystery lake when they reached their destination like B.A.S.S. did in the early years of the Bassmaster Classic. But the Airport Marine anglers won’t know what lake they will be fishing – and neither will Airport Marine officials – until the name of the lake is pulled out of a hat at the mandatory angler’s meeting Thursday night at the boat dealership in Alabaster, Ala.
“We’ll put Coosa River lakes in a hat and draw one out,” said Clint Nail, tournament director. “It could be Guntersville, Martin, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell or Jordan. They are all great lakes.”
There could even be a ‘wild card’ lake in the mix, Nail said.
“We have the top 40 percent of our field qualified and these are probably some of the better fishermen in the South. The winner will need to bring their A-game.”
One thing is certain, he said. Current is a major factor in all the Coosa River lakes in the summer and early fall, so a lot will depend on how much water Alabama Power is moving on Saturday.
Top prize in the classic is $5,000 which is guaranteed for first place. And one lucky angler will also trailer home a new boat. Airport Marine will hold a drawing and present the boat at the weigh-in, Nail said. The winners of another $5,000 have already been determined, he said.
“Jon Canada and Bo Hunter ran away with the Angler of the Year race. They really dominated,” he said.
In fact, although Canada and Hunter finished 23rd in the first tournament of the year on Lay Lake in February, they roared back to win the second tournament on Lay Lake in March, then took second on Lake Logan Martin in May and wrapped up the championship by winning the final tournament on Lake Logan Martin in June.
The Airport Marine Trail averaged more than 70 boats a tournament this year, which almost doubled the participation from the year before, Nail said. And, he added, he is looking for another excellent year in 2016.
“We may change a lake or two or maybe the times when we fish a particular lake next year, but we are looking for things to be the same as they were this year – or maybe even better,” he said.
Airport Marine Tournament Trail Classic
Sat, Sep 19, 2015
Lake TBD
Clint Nail 205-482-1301
