“This is our second year and we are building the entry every tournament, getting more and more high school anglers to participate,” said tournament director Flynn Gerald, who added: “We are paying back more money than anybody in high school tournaments in our area.”

However, he noted, the money paid back in the Airport Marine tournaments is earmarked for scholarships which the anglers can use to help pay for school expenses or save for college.

With 60 or more teams qualified for the Super Classic Saturday, Gerald said he anticipates just about all of them will compete because the grand prize is a brand new fully-rigged Triton or Ranger boat. The winning captain will also win $5,000 if he is in a qualified boat or a $5,000 gift certificate towards the purchase of a new boat from Airport Marine if he is not in a qualified boat.

The youth teams will not fish for the new boat. Everyone who participates in the tournament will be entered in a drawing and the winner will trailer the new boat home.

Fishing on Lay Lake right now is pretty tough, Gerald said, but he expects some of the teams to do really well in the tournament.

“I’d say they will catch some early in the grass, but it gets really tough in the grass once the sun gets up so the tournament will be won out deep on crankbaits and jigs.”

Students in grades 6-12 were eligible to fish the tournament series and competing in one tournament qualified them to fish in the Super Classic. They are partnered with an adult captain who is not allowed to cast or even net a fish.

The prize package in each tournament include $3,500 guaranteed in scholarship money, with a one in six payback, including $1,000 for first place, $1,000 for the highest finisher with a permanent Airport Marine logo on their shirts, $1,000 to their school and $500 in cash to the winning captain if he is in a qualified boat or a $500 gift certificate toward a new boat fromn Airport Marine if he is not.

“We are also involved with B.A.S.S.,” Gerald said, “so for every 25 teams we can send a team to the Bassmaster High School Series national championship.”

The B.A.S.S. High School Nation is helping shape the future of the sport, one high school club at a time, according to a Bassmaster spokesman. As part of the B.A.S.S. High School Nation, young anglers can compete in the B.A.S.S. High School Nation Opens and in the B.A.S.S. High School Nation Championship. Teen anglers can also attend the High School Elite Experience, a free opportunity for anglers who live near certain Bassmaster Elite Series tour stops.

When B.A.S.S launched the Bassmaster High School Series in 2014, the series exceeded the number of anglers expected to participate within the first four months of the program’s inception. The sudden growth sparked a need to accommodate the demand for a youth fishing platform across the nation.
“The number of anglers who want to fish with us is really impressive,” said Hank Weldon, manager of the Bassmaster High School Series. “High School fishing has the potential to be the largest tournament series we have in terms of angler participation.”

“We are fully committed to growing our High School B.A.S.S. Nation,” said Jon Stewart, B.A.S.S. Nation director. “The decision to invest more resources behind the High School Series was a no-brainer. The demand is there, and we know that 2015 is going to be very exciting for the growth of our sport.”

 

Airport Marine High School Team Trail Super Classic

Sat, Jun 27, 2015

Lay Lake

Paradise Point Marina & RV Resort

Call Flynn Gerald, 205-283-6123

www.airportmarinetrails.com