Press release form the River Bassin' Tournament Trail:
April 18, 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’ series not only allows anglers of all skill levels a chance to fish in these wild places, but do so competitively.
In 2017, anglers will have the option to fish in four tournament categories – River Bassin’ Qualifiers (30), River Bassin’ Regionals (6), River Bassin’ Online Events (7), and the National Open & Championship tournament, which closes out the season in Kingston, TN on September 23rd. Anglers vying for the coveted River Basser of the Year (RBOY) or River Bassin’ Team of the Year (RBTOY) will be earning points along the way. Qualifier events are worth 100 points to the winning angler/team, while regionals carry a 200-point total for a victory. An angler’s top Qualifier score will be combined with their top two Regional scores heading into the championship, which is worth 300 points for the win. The angler and team with the highest combined point total for these 4 events will be our 2017 RBOY & RBTOY Champions, and will take home over $10,000 and $5,000 in cash/prizes, respectively.
At each Regional tournament leading up to the championship, the catch-photo-release, eco-friendly trail will offer nearly $15,000 in guaranteed cash/prizes to competing anglers, which will be given out in the following divisions – Individual, Team, Youth, Top Lady Angler, College Kayak Anglers, and numerous random prizes that anyone, at any skill level, can win!
“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 series will boast a festival feel on tournament day, as the River Bassin’ RV makes its way across the country. Spectators and anglers attending the events will be treated to great food, music, have a chance to demo kayaks, play yard games and win prizes by spinning the River Bassin’ Prize Wheel, where participants can win big or even lose a fishing lure of their own, if they hit the wrong space! The trail will once again have a Jackson Kayak door prize giveaway, where proceeds raised will benefit a local non-profit. New in 2017 for the River Bassin’ Store at each event (and online) will be a wide variety of River Bassin’ gear and apparel that anglers can purchase to show their support and passion for the lifestyle. Over 15 styles of hats and several varieties of board shorts will headline the new gear.
The Friday before tournament day, there will still be a non-mandatory rules meeting and social time with tournament founder and host of the Hooked on Wild Waters digital TV show, Drew Gregory. This will take place at the host location listed on each tournament page, and 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.
The Regional Series events are as follows: April 29th, Rock Hill, SC - May 13th, Shell Knob, MO – June 3rd, Bristol, IN - June 17th, Parkersburg, WV – August 19th, San Marcos, TX – August 26th, Wrightsville, PA, and ending at the Open & Championship on September 23rd in Kingston, TN. At these events thousands of river bass will be photographed via smart phones, released, and uploaded to the live leaderboard where fans can follow along with their favorite anglers in real time to see how they’re faring against the competition.
For more information or to register, visit riverbassintrail.com or call 724-989-1630.