Austin Peay State University Governors Bass TournamentC
With a near-perfect weather forecast in hand, the 22nd annual Austin Peay State University Governors Bass Tournament will cast off Saturday from Paris Landing, Tennessee State Park, on Kentucky Lake.
With temperatures slated for the mid-70s with little chance of rain, Saturday, more than $12,000 dollars in prize money will be awarded. Previously, the Top 25 places earned cash prizes but now only the Top 10 places will gain monetary awards, meaning greater cash payouts, respectively, for those positions. A guaranteed first-place prize of $5,000 will be awarded—that has not changed. Second-place, however, is now $2,000, with third ($1,500)- and fourth ($1,000)- and fifth ($750)-place prizes also being elevated. Sixth-through-10th place each will receive $400. In addition, $2,000 will be awarded in door prizes.
The tourney, which benefits APSU Athletics, will begin 6 a.m., Saturday, although all contestants must be checked in between 4-5:30 a.m., 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.
Last year, more than 200 teams braved rainy, cool conditions. The team of Jeffery Archie and Zach Parker, of Paris, captured the $5,000 first-place prize with a five-fish weigh-in of 26.06. The haul surpassed the team of Steven Hudson (Erin) and Micah Smith (Tennessee Ridge), who brought in 22.64 pounds of bass. Bill Lyons (Vanleer) and Dennis Black (Dickson), was third with a catch of 22.01 pounds. Peyton Gibbs (Dickson) walked away with the grand door prize of $2,000.
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.
The Governors Club will serve sausage biscuits prior to the tournament and hamburgers and hot dogs at weigh-in.
The tourney is 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 Clarksville Marina at Liberty Park, Discover Clarksville, Reed Baldwin and Baldwin Builders, Clarksville Floor Covering, Gateway Tire and Service, Clarksville Online, Clarksville Sports Network along with the Governors Club.
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) 279-0905 or (931) 624-2909. You also can email [email protected] for tourney information. In addition, all this information, including the entry form, is available at the APSU athletics web site: www.LetsGoPeay.com/bass
By: Brad Kirtley
