Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 20, 1995 TAG: 9502210035
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
When tournament participation increases - Red Man events have seen nearly a 15 percent growth since 1993 - so do the cash rewards, and so do the number of contests.
"It is growing like crazy down here," said Howie Davies, whose club, the Stone Mountain Bassmasters, is sponsoring a two-day fall bass tournament on Smith Mountain Lake in addition to the spring event it has held for the past four years.
Until this year, two-day tournaments had faded from the scene. The comeback will include an event sponsored by the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce/Partnership. The association is moving away from the tagged fish contest of recent years to a serious tournament, said Mary Scott, the group's executive director
"Our hope is to make it a big tournament down the road," she said.
The Roanoke Valley Bassmasters is adding a fall tournament to its schedule, said Danny Ireson, the club president.
All this means there's hardly a week from early March through October that an angler won't be able to find an open tournament. Here's where the tournament trail will take regional anglers this season:
AMERICAN BASS ASSOCIATION
The Virginia division of the American Bass Association has scheduled four tournaments, including one at Smith Mountain Lake in May. Unlike some tournament circuits, this one welcomes youngsters and attracts a number of father-son or father-daughter teams. There also is a division for husband-wife teams. Membership in the association is required of tournament participants.
The entry fee is $75 per team or $55 for an adult-youngster team. Contact Art King, 17110 South Swift Bluff Court, Colonial Heights 23834, (804) 520-8881.
March 19: Kerr Lake
April 2: Gaston Lake
May 7: Smith Mountain Lake
June 11: Chickahominy River
BASS ANGLERS SPORTSMAN SOCIETY
This is the big leagues of bass tournaments. B.A.S.S. is featuring 17 pro tournaments across the country, including one at Kerr Lake. These qualifying events lead to the Aug. 3-5 BASS Masters Classic in Greensboro, N.C. (High Rock Lake).
April 27-29: Kerr Lake
CAMPERS PARADISE TUESDAY NIGHT TOURNAMENTS
This long-running series will begin in early May and run through mid-September on Smith Mountain Lake out of Campers Paradise Marina. The entry fee is $30. The tournament director is Howie Davies, (703) 297-7511. The marina number is (703) 297-6109.
May 2 (first tournament): Smith Mountain Lake
CAVE SPRING OPTIMIST CLUB
This 27-year-old annual tournament will feature fishing for six species: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, muskie, catfish and walleye. The entry fee is $20, and must be paid before the tournament. Entry forms will be available at most tackle shops shortly, or write Optimist Club of Cave Spring, P.O. Box 1276, Salem 24153.
May 5-7: Smith Mountain Lake
PRO AM TEAMS
This Virginia-based circuit consists of six qualifying tournaments that have a $75 entry fee and a hefty 80 percent payback. If you fish two of the tournaments, you qualify for the Pro-Am Classic. The top 50 teams in the qualifying events get to fish the Pro-Am Top 50.
For additional information, call Jean Fulghum at (804) 796-4992.
March 19: Kerr Lake
April 23: Gaston Lake
May 20: Chickahominy-James rivers
June 17: Chickahominy-James rivers
Aug. 5: Chickahominy-James rivers
Sept. 17: Potomac River
RED MAN
For the fisherman who likes to get started early, Red Man opens its Piedmont Division on March 5 on Kerr Lake. The division will have six tournaments in Virginia, each with a $75 entry fee. The 30 top fishermen will advance to one of five regional championships, a path that can lead to the Red Man All-American, where the winner takes home $100,000. Red Man also is sponsoring six Pro/Am tournaments, including one at Kerr Lake.
For information, contact Operation Bass, Route 2, Box 74B, Gilbertsville, Ky. 42044, (502) 362-8110.
March 5: Kerr Lake
March 26: Gaston Lake
May 7: Potomac River
July 9: Kerr Lake
Aug. 27: James River
Sept. 17: Kerr Lake
Pro/Am
June 24-25: Kerr Lake
ROANOKE VALLEY BASSMASTERS
For more than 20 years, this bass club has been sponsoring a Spring Invitational Partners Tournament. More recently, it started a weekly Friday night tournament, and this year has scheduled a fall tournament. All events are held on Smith Mountain Lake. The spring and fall tournaments have a $60-per-team entry fee, the 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday events are $30 per team. Danny Ireson is the club president, 362-4096.
April 1: Smith Mountain Lake
May 5-Sept. 29 (weekly): Smith Mountain Lake
Oct. 21: Smith Mountain Lake
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/PARTNERSHIP
This organization is moving from its tagged-fish contest of recent years to a two-day bass tournament in May, which the sponsor hopes to build into a major annual event. The entry fee is $100 per team. For information, call (800) 676-8203.
May 20-21: Smith Mountain Lake.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA BOAT DEALERS' ASSOCIATION
You are invited to this annual tournament if you are a customer of one of the boat dealerships that belongs to this association. Most of the major ones do. The entry fee is $20 and the contest headquarters is Bay Roc Marina and Yacht Club on Smith Mountain Lake, 890-2194.
Oct. 14: Smith Mountain Lake
STONE MOUNTAIN BASSMASTERS
This club has scheduled its fifth annual spring tournament at Smith Mountain Lake. The entry fee is $60 per team. In addition, the club will sponsor a two-day tournament in September. The entry fee is $100. Tournament director is Howie Davies, (703) 297-7511. Both events are out of Waterwheel Marina.
April 2: Smith Mountain Lake
Sept. 23-24: Smith Mountain Lake
TARHEEL TEAM TOURNAMENTS
Don't let the name fool you; about half of the Piedmont and Mini Trail tournaments sponsored by this Wilson, N.C.-based organization are held on Virginia waters. The top 75 teams in the Piedmont Division qualify for the Tarheel Classic, where the grand prize is a fully rigged Ranger 361-V boat. The classic is set for Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at Kerr Lake. The Piedmont entry fee is $160 per team. The Mini Trail entry fee is $85. That division also has a classic, scheduled for Sept. 9 at a lake to be named.
Tournament fishermen must pay a $30 membership fee.
Additional information is available from Tarheel Team Tournaments, 2506-A Wooten Blvd., Wilson, N.C. 27893.
Piedmont Division:
March 5: Jordan Lake
March 25: Kerr Lake
April 30: Kerr Lake
May 13: Kerr Lake
June 10: Gaston Lake
July 1: High Rock Lake
Aug. 19: Gaston Lake
Mini Trail
Feb. 25: Harris Lake
March 12: Harris Lake
April 1: Lake Gaston
April 22: Kerr Lake
May 20: Kerr Lake
July 8: Kerr Lake
UNITED STATES FISHING ASSOCIATION
This Texas-based organization conducts more than 600 tournaments in 40 states. For Virginia anglers, the Mid-Atlantic Grand National circuit offers six events followed by a multistate championship on Kerr Lake. These are draw tournaments that have a $90 fee for boaters and a $70 fee for non-boaters. To register, call (800) 972-3369.
March 5: Chickahominy River
April 2: Gaston Lake
May 7: Kerr Lake
June 11: James River
July 16: Chickahominy River
Aug.12-13: Chickahominy River
VIRGINIA B.A.S.S. FEDERATION
Region 4 of the federation covers fishing from Smith Mountain Lake to the Tennessee line. Fishermen who score well in the region can qualify for state competition, including Mr. B.A.S.S. and two Six-Man Team championships. The competition can send one Virginian to the BASS Master Classic. Information on the federation is available from Region 4 director Mike Huffman in New Castle, (800) 231-0936.
Regional 4:
April 22: Cherokee Lake, Tenn.
May 13: Gaston Lake
June 3: Smith Mountain Lake
Sept. 30: Smith Mountain Lake
Mr. B.A.S.S.:
April 8-9: James River
Six-Man Teams:
May 6-7: (group 1) Kerr Lake
May 20-21: (group 2) Kerr Lake
by CNB