Despite Forecasted Weather Conditions, Angler’s Choice Marine Tournament Is A Go On Smith Mountain Lake
Despite a winter storm this week that brought icy conditions – the second year in a row that winter weather has affected the first tournament of the year for the Anglers Choice Marine Tournament Trail – Saturday’s tournament on Smith Mountain Lake will go on as scheduled.
Tournament director Chris Lucas said the launch Saturday will be delayed from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and the weigh-in will be held at 4 p.m.
Lucas and the folks at Parkway Marina made the determination Friday morning to go ahead with the tournament. Parkway employes have applied brine to the ramp and are prepared to put down rock salt to keep the lanes from being icy and dangerous, Lucas said.
“Last year we received 8 inches of snow the day before the tournament and still had a great day the next day at our tournament,” Lucas said, “With the forecast of 50 degrees and sunny on Saturday we hope this will be a great day to be on the lake.”
Although creeks, coves and other areas of the lake have surface ice, Lucas said he was more concerned with the problems anglers could face getting to the lake on icy roads than conditions on the lake.
“Use your best judgment as to whether or not you should come to Saturday’s tournament,” he said.
And, if anglers can’t make it to the tournament because of icy conditions, Lucas said he is working on getting an additional qualifier on the schedule this year like he did last year. The extra tournament would be a qualifying tournament for one or both of the Anglers Choice Classics, with no points awarded.
While the winter that won’t leave has affected the opening of the Anglers Choice season, like it did last year, Lucas said he expects to have another successful tournament year with a revised framework.
“We don’t have a Virginia and a Carolina Division anymore, just one trail. But we will have two Classics – a Ranger Classic and a Triton Classic. So anglers can qualify to win two boats.”
He also announced that teams will have to pay the $10 membership fee for the B.A.S.S. Toyota Tundra Team Championship in order to fish the Anglers Choice trail. Lucas said he hopes to qualify more teams for the Toyota Team Championship.
“That program came out last year and they invited Anglers Choice, along with other trails, to qualify teams for the championship. The top three teams in the championship then fish individually for a shot at going to the Bassmaster Classic,” Lucas said. “Last year our guy, Brandon Gray, won it and he fished on Lake Hartwell two weeks ago.
The Anglers Choice Tournament schedule includes: March 7, Smith Mountain Lake; March 21, High Rock Lake; April 18 and 19, Kerr Reservoir; May 2, Smith Mountain Lake; May 23, Lake Hickory; June 6 and 7, Kerr Reservoir; with the Ranger Classic Oct. 3-4 on Kerr Lake and the Triton Classic Oct. 17-18 on High Rock Lake.
Anglers Choice Marine Team Trail VA Division
Sat, Mar 7, 2015
Smith Mountain Lake
Parkway Marina
Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844
