The last Saturday in February has always been the opening date for the Carolina Anglers Team Tournament’s Spring Trail on Lake Wateree and historically the fishing has been excellent, said CATT tournament owner Brett Collins.

Collins said he expects the same kind of outcome for the 2013 opener on Wateree Saturday.

“Last year the winning weight was almost 24 pounds and the big fish was just shy of 8 pounds,” Collins said.

“Look for some multiple bags over 20 pounds Saturday and plenty of 4- and 5-pounders to go around. Several of the guys in the TOM CATT on Wateree last Saturday reported catching 15 to 20 bass.”

In fact, Collins noted, Stevey Walker and Craig Mathews took 1st place in the TOM CATT at Lake Wateree with 5 bass that weighed 18 pounds, 3 ounces, and won $520. Butch Williams, who finished 7^th with 8.04 pounds, had the big fish at 6.09 pounds.

“It does not take much to push the fish up shallow at Wateree,” Collins said, “and the water level has been just right this month for the bass to start pulling up on the points. Bass are being caught on a variety of baits right now, but the best bet is to stick with a jig and a shallow crankbait.”

Collins said the Wateree opener has been averaging about 50 boats and he expects about the same number for Saturday’s tournament.

“In 2012 CATT paid back over $50,000 on Lake Wateree for the third years in a row and we hope to break that mark this year,” he said.

The Wateree Spring Trail includes five qualifiers: Feb. 23, March 2, March 9, March 16 and March 23, with the final April 6, all out of Clearwater Cove. The 2013 CATT Classic will be held May 18-19 on Kerr Lake.

The CATT Trail, Old North CATT Trail and Yadkin CATT pay back 100 percent of entry fees.

A team only has to enter one original CATT qualifier on a lake to be eligible to enter the final on that lake.

CATT Membership is $30 per person and the entry fee for a CATT qualifier is $80 per team by mail, $90 per team if paid at the ramp. The CATT Final entry fee is $120 per team, $130 if paid at the ramp.

The optional CATT BONUS (side pot) is $25, with $20 of that going into the total paid back to the highest finishing team in the side pot with $5 going to pay for plaques for Final winners.

Teams from the original CATT 2012 Summer, 2012 Fall, and 2013 Spring Trails will be eligible to enter the 2013 CATT Classic. The Classic entry fee is $225 per team, $250 if paid at the pre- Classic meeting or at the ramp. The optional BONUS (side pot) fee of $50 will go into the total to be paid back to the top two teams in the side pot in a 70-30 split.

The CATT Classic is a 100 percent payback event. CATT Classic entry fees, BONUS dollars and the CATT Classic fund will make up the CATT Classic purse.

Carolina Anglers Team Trail

Sat, Feb 23, 2013

Lake Wateree

Clearwater Cove Marina

Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521

www.catttrail.com/index.html