A national championship kayak-bass-fishing tournament is coming to Pulaski County, with the finale of the River Bassin’ Tournament Trail scheduled to take place Sept. 22 at Ruby’s Landing in Waynesville.
Courtesy photo
Designed to allow anglers of all skill levels to competitively fish in a variety of wild places, the tournament is open to the public. Anglers can choose to enter several divisions besides the mandatory Individual Division, which has an entry fee of $50 per person. Anglers can also register as a two-person team for an additional $30 per person. A new Super Team division for teams of up to five competitors is available for $20 per person. Other divisions and additional fees include Youth ($30), Top Lady Angler ($50), College Kayak Anglers ($30), and a new Fly Fishing division ($20).
The tournament will offer more than $75,000 in cash and prizes.
According to organizers, Pulaski County was chosen due to its river-rich resources, the abundance of healthy bass populations living in its waters, and being geographically centralized with easy interstate access. Anglers are expected to flock to the area from all parts of the country to attend and compete.
“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,” said Drew Gregory, River Bassin founder and president. “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.”
On Sept. 21, there will be a non-mandatory “meet and greet” and rules question-and-answer session lead by Gregory, who is also the host of the “Hooked on Wild Waters” TV show. The session is designed as a 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.
For more information, or to register for the tournament, visit riverbassintrail.com or call 706.540.4280.
(Editor’s note: Information provided by the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau.)
