$75,000 in cash/prizes at stake as Pulaski County, MO, set to host the 2018 River Bassin’ National Championship Presented by Jackson Kayak
Dec 5, 2017 – Kayak fishing in wild waters continues to grow in popularity, thanks to the abundance of eager bass, awe inspiring scenery, solitude, and the childlike anticipation anglers feel while exploring these waters. The River Bassin’ Tournament Trail not only allows fisherman of all skill levels a chance to fish these wild places, but do so competitively. The 2018 grand finale will be held in the beautiful Ozarks, at Ruby’s Landing in Waynesville, MO, on September 22nd, 2018, and is an open tournament for all to enter.
Despite nearly $75,000 in cash/prizes on the line, the tournament has a laid back festival feel to it.Spectators and anglers attending the event will experience great food, music, have a chance to demo kayaks, play yard games and win numerous random prizes; some may get the chance to spin the River Bassin’ Prize Wheel, where participants can win big or even lose a fishing lure of their own! There will be two Jackson Kayak door prize giveaways, with proceeds benefiting local non-profits. Anglers can choose to enter several divisions besides the mandatory Individual Division ($50) - Team (2 anglers) + $30 per person, a new Super Team division (5 anglers) + $20 per person, Youth $30, Top Lady Angler $50, College Kayak Anglers $30, and a new Fly Fishing division + $20.
Aside from the championship, anglers can get involved during the entire 2018 season by fishing in three tournament categories: 1) River Bassin’ Club Series tournaments (approx 30 events) that are held throughout the country by various kayak fishing clubs, 2) River Bassin’ Online Regionals (5), which are season-long events (Feb 1 – Sep 16) where anglers compete against those in their own regions, and 3) The final National Championship tournament in the Ozarks. Anglers vying for the coveted River Basser of the Year (RBOY) or River Bassin’ Team of the Year (RBTOY) titles, and prizes, will be earning points as they fish these tournaments throughout the year. Club Series events are worth 100 points to the winning angler/team, while the Online Regionals carry a 200 point total for a victory. An angler’s top Club Series score will be combined with their top Online Regional score heading into the championship, which is worth 300 points for the win. The angler and team with the highest combined point total after the championship will be the 2018 RBOY & RBTOY
Champions, and will take home over $15,000 and $8,000 in cash/prizes, respectively.
“I got into kayak fishing to be able to catch fish in less pressured wild places, such as rivers or creeks,that my boat couldn’t get to. Large reservoirs and lakes already have plenty of competitive series, so I wanted to give kayak anglers a chance to have fun competing in the locations where the kayak really excels!”
- Drew Gregory, River Bassin’ Founder & President
The Friday before tournament day, there will be a non-mandatory “meet n greet” and rules Q&A, led by tournament founder and host of the Hooked on Wild Waters TV show, Drew Gregory. This is the perfect chance for anglers to socialize, ask questions, get some last minute advice or just hang out and talk kayak fishing with Gregory and other pros in attendance.
Pulaski County was chosen due to its river-rich resources, the abundance of healthy bass populations living in these scenic waters, and being geographically centralized with easy interstate access. For these reasons, anglers will flock from all regions of the country to attend.
River Bassin’ is an eco-friendly catch, measure, photo, release tournament, in which anglers kayak in rivers within a specified radius targeting black bass; they then measure and photograph their fish via smart phone, release them, and upload the photo to the live leaderboard, where fans can follow along with their favorite anglers in real time. The top three bass (inches) will be the winner.
For more information or to register, visit www.riverbassintrail.com or call 706-540-4280.
Top sponsors include Under Armour, GoPro, Jackson Kayak, Orion Coolers, Z-MAN Lures, Bending Branches Paddles Smith Optics, 13 Fishing, YakAttack, Thule, Power-Pole, Kokatat, Raymarine, Tennessee Trailers, Boonedox, Plano, Buck Knives, Anchor Wizard, Lucid Fishing, Tackle Warehouse, Suspenz, Mountain Khakis, Ice Mule, Nocqua, Seal Line, Goal Zero, YakLights, Kanu-Lock, Line Cutterz, Hi-Seas, The Rod Glove, Cablz, Gamakatsu hooks, RAM Mounts, SPRO Lures, Gator Guards, official media sponsor Kayak Angler Magazine, local non-profit Ozarks Smallmouth Alliance, & retail sponsors Ozark Mountain Trading Company, the Alpine Shop & many more.