The 21st annual Austin Peay State University Governors Bass Tournament will be held 6 a.m., Saturday at Kentucky Lake, with registration and boat launching from Paris Landing, Tenn., State Park.
Twelve thousand dollars in prize money will be awarded with a guaranteed first-place prize of $5,000. Second-place is guaranteed $1,500. Third and fourth-place will receive $1,000 and $600, respectively. The top 25 places will receive prizes.
Each individual entering the tournament has the opportunity to win $2,000 as a grand door prize, with other door prizes also to be awarded.
All contestants must be checked in between 4-5:30 a.m., Saturday, with a mandatory meeting on the water at 5:45 a.m. Pre-registration entry fee is $110 per boat (two people per boat), $125 after noon, Friday.
Fishing with artificial baits only is authorized with no motor trolling allowed. A five-fish limit per boat exists.
The Governors Club will serve sausage biscuits prior to the tournament and hamburgers and hot dogs at weigh-in.
Weigh in will begin at 2:30 p.m. and boats launching will take place in order of postmark of entry form. Only largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass measuring 15 inches (with mouth closed) will be weighed.
Last year, the team of Brian Cook and Calvin Cothron, of Springfield, captured the $5,000 first-place prize with a five-fish weigh-in of 24.71 pounds. The haul surpassed the team of Doug Storie and David Schmidt, of Tennessee Ridge, who brought in 21.85 pounds of bass and $1,500 in prize money. Michael Wooley and Jimmy Smith, from Collierville, was third with a catch of 21.47 pounds while taking home $1,000.
Sponsored by Legends Bank, Morgan Contractors Inc., The Leaf-Chronicle, Jenkins and Wynne Ford Lincoln Mercury Honda, Tailwater Marine and Tackle, WJZM 1400 AM, WKDZ 106.5 FM, WVRY 105.1 FM Solid Gospel, Walmart Supercenters (Clarksville), DBS and Associates Engineering, Inc. (David Smith), Academy Sports + Outdoors, The Tackle Box, The New Clarksville Marina at Liberty Park, Discover Clarksville, Clarksville Floor Covering, Gateway Tire and Service, Clarksville Online, Clarksville Sports Network along with the Governors Club, the tournament benefits Austin Peay athletics.
For the entry form and more information, stop by the APSU University Advancement office or call (931) 221-7352 or (931) 221-7127, between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. After business hours, call (931) 624-2909 or (931) 436-1044. In addition, all this information, including the entry form, is available at the APSU athletics web site: www.LetsGoPeay.com.
By: Brad Kirtley
