By Cody Levy
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – As another school year comes to an end, most students look forward to lounging around or looking for summertime jobs, but for a select group of college students, the end of a school year means preparation for the upcoming 2015 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela’s.
Anglers will once again be making the trip to Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama for the Championship event; however, this year anglers are in for much more than they’ve ever experienced before in the 10th Anniversary of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela’s. Anglers will see bigger payouts, $5,000 in free giveaways and prizes, seminars from professional anglers, and more.
Collegiate anglers from across the nation will enjoy a week full of fishing on one of the hottest lakes in the nation while also taking part in many different activities throughout the week in celebration of the longest standing college fishing event ever. With official practice starting Sunday, May 17th at sunrise, anglers will have plenty of study time on the lake to find schools of trophy bass.
Yamaha and Ranger Boats technicians will be available starting on Monday, May 18th, to help with any problems the anglers might experience throughout the week, while TowBoatUS will also be available throughout the Championship week in case anglers breakdown on or off the water. To register for your BoatUS membership for towing assistance and to be in contention for the BoatUS contingency, sign up here: BoatUS Membership.
Yamaha Angler Appreciation night will take place on Tuesday, May 19th at 4:00pm. Anglers will be greeted with a casting contest featuring $5,000 in prizes, and an all you can eat pizza buffet, which for college students is a whole lot of pizza! Anglers will also be able to take a ride in a new Ranger Boats powered by Yamaha Outboards with the opportunity to win prizes just for taking a test drive!
During the Yamaha Angler Appreciation night anglers will be able to cast for cash in a flippin’ contest set up around the McFarland Park venue where anglers can win over $5,000 in prizes! Anglers will be coached throughout the casting course by some of Yamaha’s top professional anglers while the pros will also be giving fishing seminars later in the evening on lake conditions and tips on Yamaha Outboard upkeep through Yamaha’s “Maintenance Matters” program.
On the following evening, after the final day of Championship practice, anglers will be attending the 10th Anniversary Championship registration banquet, where they will receive their boat takeoff numbers, be treated to dinner sponsored by BoatUS, and get their hands on some free gear from sponsors of the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. Cabela’s, BoatUS, Ranger Boats, Yamaha Marine, Garmin, RAM Trucks, Costa, Berkley, Sebile, Abu Garcia, Big Bite Baits, Power Pole, Yum, BOOYAH, Gill North America, Sqwincher, SPRO, Lucas Oil, Gemini, Mustang Survival, HydroWave, Sunline, Arctic Ice, Sure Life, Gemini Jerseys, Valley Fashions, Temple Fork Outfitters, and Florence/Lauderdale Tourism will be represented on site at the evening’s event taking place the Marriot Shoals in Florence.
Anglers will also be treated to special guest appearances by Forrest Wood and Hank Parker, courtesy of Ranger Boats as part of the 10th Anniversary celebration. In addition to being on hand, both are scheduled to speak during the banquet.
Following the registration banquet presented by BoatUS, the morning that the anglers have thought about nonstop will have arrived. During the morning of Day 1 of the 10thAnniversary of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela’s, anglers will receive breakfast, snacks for the day, and ice provided by Sqwincher right before takeoff, starting promptly at 6:30am. Anglers will then weigh in starting at 2:30pm and will be served dinner presented by Costa directly after the weigh in.
The anglers will then be back at McFarland Park in Florence, Alabama for takeoff of the final day of competition, once again starting at 6:30am sharp. Anglers will also receive breakfast, snacks to stay energized for the day, and ice once again provided by Sqwincher. Anglers will weigh in at 2:30pm with the awards ceremony to follow with dinner provided by Cabela’s.
While anglers will have the opportunity to win thousands of dollars solely in Contingency Money, this no entry fee event also features thirty thousand dollars in cash and prizes available, including a $50 travel stipend guaranteed to each team and added payouts down to thirty-first place.
Anglers must sign up for the 10th Anniversary of the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship event before the absolute cutoff date on May 11. Schools that have fished with the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series prior to the BoatUS Championship event will be allotted two boats, with the possibility of earning a third spot, based on their standing with the series. For more information on the 10th Anniversary BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela’s, click here: 10th Anniversary BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Presented by Cabela’s Details
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About the ACA
The Association of Collegiate Anglers, a division of Careco TV, is a sanctioning body developed to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing. The ACA provides support to dozens of school operated regional events nationwide and owns the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, the largest participatory collegiate tournament circuit in the country. With dedicated collegiate fishing programming on several television networks, four nationally televised collegiate bass fishing events, and thousands of members, the ACA is the leader in competitive collegiate bass fishing. For more information on the ACA, or the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series, visit www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com. For more information on Cabela’s visit Cabelas.com, for more information on CarecoTV, visit www.carecotv.com.
