The Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series will enter its 11th season next year as the state’s premier weekend tournament trail for amateur bass anglers with an 11-event schedule offering more than $750,000 in awards. The season gets under way Feb. 10 on Lake Jordan and concludes Oct. 18-19 with the championship on Lay Lake.
Sanctioned by B.A.S.S. the Alabama Bass Team 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 all five tournaments in their respective division; no single entries will be allowed.
North Division
> February 17 -- Pickwick Lake
> March 16 -- Smith Lake
> April 27 -- Wheeler Lake
> May 18 -- Neely Henry Lake
> June 22 -- Lake Guntersville
South Division
> February 10 -- Lake Jordan
> March 9 -- Lake Martin
> April 13 -- Logan Martin Lake
> May 11 -- Alabama River (Cooter's Pond)
> June 15 -- Lake Eufaula
The no-entry fee championship event will include up to 175 boats comprised of the 10 regular-season winners, Top 75 teams in points from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective divisions, along with the Top 5 student teams, Top 5 college teams and the Top 5 couples teams collectively from both divisions that fished all five events in their respective division.
Each regular season tournament features a $15,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places, totaling $64,450.
The championship will feature a $100,250 payout with a first place prize of $50,000. There is also a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year.
In addition, the Alabama Bass Trail will pay the $500 entry fee for the 18 teams that qualify for the B.A.S.S. Team Championship.
Anglers who fished all five events in their respective divisions in 2023 will be given a priority entry period beginning Aug. 1, 2023, at 6 a.m. CST online at www.alabamabasstrail.org. Registration opens for new teams Aug. 15 at 6 a.m. CST. The entry fee is $1,600 per team, which includes registration for all five tournaments in the respective division. Each team may choose to pay a $600 nonrefundable deposit to hold the team’s spot. The balance of $1,000 is due on or before Jan. 2, 2024.
Alabama Bass Trail Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Bass Boats, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Advantage Trailer Rentals, Alabama Power Foundation, Alabama State Parks, Bajio Sunglasses, Big Bite Baits, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Busch Light, E3 Sport Apparel, Fish Neely Henry Lake, Jack’s, Lew’s Fishing, Mountain Dew, FishAlabama.org, Bill Penney Automotive, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Visit North Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., Power-Pole Total Boat Control, Strike King Lure Company, Yamaha, Yeti Coolers and Garmin.
WOTM – TV will continue the live-streaming and Angler’s Channel will film and produce the Alabama Bass Trail television series to air at a later date.
For more information, visit www.AlabamaBassTrail.org.
