Alabama Bass Trail announces 2020 schedule and payout

Decatur, Ala. (May 10, 2019) – The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) is pleased to unveil the 2020 tournament schedule which includes a new payout reaching over $580,000. Returning for the seventh season, the team-style tournament series is held on eleven different lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail beginning February 22, 2020, with the championship tournament to be held on October 23-24, 2020. Anglers in the no entry fee championship will be competing for over $100,000 in cash, including a $50,000 first place prize and top bragging rights for the year.

 

Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT Tournament Series contains two divisions, North and South, and each division is made up of five tournaments on five different lakes. The maximum number of boats for each tournament is 225. Teams must fish in all five tournaments in their respective division; no single entries will be allowed.

 

North Division:

February 22, 2020       Lake Guntersville / hosted by Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau

March 21, 2020           Smith Lake / hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County

April 18, 2020             Neely Henry Lake / hosted by City of Gadsden

May 16, 2020              Weiss Lake / hosted by City of Leesburg

June 13, 2020              Wheeler Lake / hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism

 

South Division:

February 29, 2020       Lake Jordan / hosted by the City of Wetumpka

March 28, 2020           Lay Lake / hosted by Shelby County Commission

April 25, 2020             Lake Eufaula / hosted by Eufaula-Barbour Chamber of Commerce

May 9, 2020                Logan Martin Lake / hosted by Pell City Chamber of Commerce

June 20, 2020              Alabama River/Cooter’s Pond / hosted by City of Prattville Parks and Recreation

 

Hosted by Alexander City Chamber of Commerce, the championship tournament will be held October 23-24, 2020, on Lake Martin at Wind Creek State park in Alexander City, Ala.

 

The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 185 boats. The 185 boats are comprised of the 10 divisional tournament winning teams, top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the top 15 student boats, top five college teams and the top five couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.

 

“Once again I think we have put together a schedule that shows why Alabama is the top destination for bass fishing in the southeast,” said ABT Program Director Kay Donaldson. “Our team is excited about having the championship on a southern division lake for the first time in a few years. Lake Martin is known to be a great fishery in the fall and the Alexander City Chamber always does an outstanding job hosting our events.”

 

Each regular season tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places totaling over $47,000. The winning team of the no-entry fee championship walks away with a $50,000 cash payout, and there is a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. According to Donaldson, over $580,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded when the ABT Tournament Series wraps up its season in 2020. “To increase the championship payout while not increasing entry fees for our anglers is exciting and pretty much unheard of nowadays in tournament circuits,” Donaldson added.

 

2020 Payout Schedule:                                                           2020 Championship Payout:

First place                                $10,000                                   First place                    $50,000          

Second place                           $ 5,000                                    Second place               $10,000          

Third place                              $ 4,000                                    Third place                  $  5,000

Fourth place                            $ 3,000                                    Fourth place                $  4,000

Fifth place                               $ 2,000                                    Fifth place                   $  3,000

Sixth place                              $ 1,500                                    Sixth place                  $  2,500                      

Seventh place                          $ 1,100                                    Seventh place              $  2,200

Eighth place                            $ 1,100                                    Eighth place                $  2,000

Ninth place                              $ 1,100                                    Ninth place                  $  1,800

Tenth place                              $ 1,100                                    Tenth place                  $  1,500

11th – 20th                              $    750 each                            11th-15th                       $  1,200 each  

21st – 40th                              $    500 each                            16th-25th                       $  1,100 each

                                                                                                Big Fish                       $500 daily

           

Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2019 will be given a priority entry period from August 1 to August 14, 2019, to register online at www.alabamabasstrail.org.  Registration will be open to the public August 15, 2019. The entry fee per tournament is $1,300 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in the respective division. Each team may choose to pay a $500 nonrefundable deposit to hold the team’s spot. The balance of $800 must be paid by January 17, 2020.

 

ABT Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats; Bill Penney Toyota; Alabama Tourism Department; America’s First Federal Credit Union; Academy Sports & Outdoors; Garmin; T-H Marine Supplies, Inc.; Alabama Power Company; Buffalo Rock, Inc.; Jack’s; Wedowee Marine; Lew’s Fishing; FishNeelyHenry.com; Power-Pole; Big Bite Baits; YETI and Hydrowave. Angler’s Channel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series for Fox Sports Southeast and Southern Stream Live will continue the live-streaming and video production services.

 

For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.