Collegiate anglers throughout the country will be setting their sights on Kentucky Lake for the 2012 Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, Presented by Pepsi. Serving as host for the third consecutive year, The Henry County Alliance of Paris, Tennessee, and the Paris Landing Marina will be tournament headquarters. Fishing takes place June 23-24, with the registration, dinner, and activities to be held Friday, June 22, 2012.
This unique event features a true team format that allows teammates to share information and work together to amass the largest amount of weight possible over two days of competition. The winning team will be determined by the combined weight of each team’s top two boats each day.
“Our unique format in the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, presented by Pepsi has proven to be a popular concept in collegiate fishing,” said Danny Blandford, Program Director of the Association of Collegiate Anglers. “Between the team aspect of competition, and a first-class fishery like Kentucky Lake, we have a winning combination in Paris, and it’s great to keep growing the event with the Henry County Alliance. We are looking forward to a few new elements in 2012, which will just add to the overall event experience for our anglers and the community.”
To kick off the event, anglers will be participating in a “Spirit Parade” through town, featuring the trucks, boats, and of course, school spirit. The route will lead everyone to the Henry County Fairgrounds, where anglers will be treated to a fish fry and registration banquet. In addition to the competitors, the public is invited to come out and meet the students and attend free professional fishing seminars by some of the nation’s top touring bass professionals.
Tournament Director, Wade Middleton, commented, “The parade, the fish fry, and the seminars and social are the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Series and ACA’s version of a pep rally the night before the big game. The anglers have a blast in the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, Presented by Pepsi, and it’s certainly a big game for the teams. We film more fish catches in those few days, than we would normally film in a month. The south end of Kentucky Lake is simply amazing, especially that time of year.”
Tyler Moberly, of the Eastern Kentucky University team, summed it up best in 2011, “The lake was on fire, and it was by far the most fun my partner, Kyle Raymer and I have had on the water.” The EKU fishing team is currently two-time defending champions in the Open, with the goal of making it three in a row. The event is open to all collegiate fishing teams recognized by their university, and there is no entry fee to participate. The Open will also be the last qualifying tournament for the 2012 ACA School of the Year Program, meaning winners of this inaugural program will be crowned in Paris on Sunday, June 24 at the conclusion of the event. Those teams interested in learning more should visit the Collegiatebasschampionship website.
Daily weigh-ins will be held at Paris Landing Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24. Collegiate fishing fans, family members, and friends of competitors can follow the action by visiting the Collegiatebasschampionship website and Facebook.com/CollegiateBassChampionship. Televised coverage will be seen on Versus, now part of the NBC Sports Group, and available to over 75 million households.
