The Alabama Bass Trail (ABT), a team-style tournament series held on 11 lakes around the state, gets underway on Lake Pickwick Feb. 17, with the season-ending championship tournament to be held on October 26-27. A new ABT Open Tournament makes its debut September 8 on Smith Lake, according to Program Director Kay Donaldson of Decatur.
Sanctioned by BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society), the ABT 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 in all five tournaments in their respective division, Donaldson said. Here's the 2018 schedule:
North Division:
February 17, 2018 Pickwick Lake hosted by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
March 10, 2018 Lake Guntersville hosted by Marshall County CVB
April 21, 2018 Wheeler Lake hosted by Decatur-Morgan County CVB
May 12, 2018 Weiss Lake hosted by Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce
June 9, 2018 Logan Martin Lake hosted by Pell City Chamber of Commerce
South Division:
February 24, 2018 Lay Lake hosted by Shelby County Commission
March 24, 2018 Lake Martin hosted by Alexander City Chamber of Commerce
April 7, 2018 Lake Eufaula hosted by Eufaula-Barbour Chamber of Commerce
May 5, 2018 Lake Jordan hosted by City of Wetumpka
June 23, 2018 AL River/Cooter's Pond hosted by City of Prattville Parks and Recreation
The season-ending championship is set for October 26-27 on Neely Henry Lake.
Each tournament features a $10,000 guaranteed first place prize and pays 40 places, totaling more than $47,000. The winning team of the championship walks away with a fully rigged bass boat valued at $45,000, and there's a $5,000 bonus cash prize for Angler of the Year and $2,500 for runner-up Angler of the Year. Weigh-ins where the anglers sometimes reveal their fishing tactics are open to the public.
New for 2018, the ABT Open Tournament is set for September 8, 2018, on Smith Lake. The one-day tournament allows teams to compete in a single tournament instead of the tournament series, which has a five-weekend commitment. It has a $15,000 guaranteed first place prize and a total cash payout of more than $70,000. The maximum number of amateur boats is 250 and the entry fee is $300 per team. In addition to the amateur teams for the first time, Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour Pro Anglers are invited to participate. The professional teams are competing for a $7,500 winner-take-all prize for highest finisher in the tournament. The maximum number of pro teams is 25 and the entry fee is $300. Registration for the ABT Open begins on January 22, 2018.
For more information, call Donaldson at 855.934.7425 or visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.
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Madison County Public Fishing Lake will reopen on February 1. The lake has been temporarily closed during the transition of operations to a new lake manager. The 105-acre lake is located about 15 miles northeast of Huntsville, near Maysville.
Rainbow trout will be stocked and trout fishing will be available when the lake reopens. Trout anglers must have a $5 daily trout permit in addition to a valid fishing license.
The lake offers public restrooms, a covered fishing pier and boat ramp. Bait, fishing tackle and snacks may be purchased at the concession. In addition to a valid fishing license, a $3 daily fishing permit is required for anglers 12 years old and up. Boats may be rented for $5 and privately-owned boats may be launched for $3. State public fishing lake licenses are available for purchase at the lake.
For more information about Madison County Public Fishing Lake, call the lake manager at 256-776-4905; the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Fisheries Section at 334-242-3471; or visitwww.outdooralabama.com/madison-county-pfl.