Area bass fishermen with a desire to cast for cash this summer will have more than 60 open tournaments to test their skills against other anglers.
All the regular bass organizations will be back in action, and a new one has announced its tournament. Most events are weekend contests, but there are three that will offer late-afternoon, weekday competitions.
NORTHEASTERN TEAM BASS
This partners tournament trail will offer six events and an end-of-the-season championship. Entry fees will remain at $175, as will the $35 membership fee. However, the payout at each tournament will be increased. There will also be some other changes that will be announced at an open meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday at Andersen’s Boat Shop, Route 50, Burnt Hills.
The Northeast schedule is: June 27, Lake George, Mossy Point; July 11, Great Sacandaga Lake, Northampton; July 24-25, Oneida Lake, Oneida Shores (two separate point tournaments); Aug. 8, Lake Champlain, Port Henry; Aug. 29, Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga. The championship will be held Oct. 4-5. For further details, call Don Ruff, 399-5003 or 256-4869. www.andersenboat.com
NYS BASS FEDERATION
This is a draw tournament trail offering three point tournaments and one club championship event. To compete in the points tournaments, you must be a member of B.A.S.S. ($15), the National B.A.S.S. Federation ($30) and the state NYBCF ($20). Fees for the open events are $125 for boaters and $75 for non-boaters. There are separate payouts for boaters and for non-boaters.
The schedule is: June 20, Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga; July 18, St. Lawrence River, Clayton; Aug. 21-22, Club Team Championship, Owasco Lake, Auburn; and Sept. 12, Oneida Lake, Brewerton. For further details, call Jeff Edgarton, (315) 662-7925. www.nybassfed.com
AMERICAN FISHING TOUR
A division of the American Bass Anglers, the American Fishing Tour NY will host five point tournaments throughout New York state and a championship event at the end of the season. The membership fee is $25 annually, and tournament entry fees are $55. Entry in the end-of-season championship will be determined by the points accumulated through the five tournaments.
The AFT Series New York schedule is: June 19, Black Lake, town ramp; June 20, Chaumont Bay, town ramp; July 10, Sodus Bay, town ramp; July 11, Port Bay, South Shore ramp; July 24, Cayuga Lake, Deans Cove; and the championship is Aug. 14-15 at Oneida Lake, South Shore ramp. For further detail call (585) 303-3602 or (585) 703-6350. www.upstatenybassanglers.com
GREENBUSH BASS ASSOCIATION
Greenbush will offer eight open tournaments. Tournament fees will remain at $75 per event, which can be paid at the launch site the morning of the event. Because of the five-bass limit, these events can be fished individually or as a two-person team. There is no membership fee. Tournament hours are 6 a.m.-2 p.m. in June-August and 7 a.m.- 3 p.m. in September-October.
The Greenbush schedule is: June 19, Saratoga Lake, state launch; July 11, Great Sacandaga Lake, McMurrys; July 24, Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga; Aug. 1, Saratoga Lake, state launch; Aug. 7, Saratoga Lake, state launch; Aug. 21, Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga; Sept. 12, Great Sacandaga Lake, Broadalbin Launch; Oct. 10, Saratoga Lake, state launch.
MOHAWK MASTERS
This will be the 21st year for the Mohawk Masters Singleman tournaments, all held on the Mohawk River. The group will host five point tournaments leading up to a Singleman Elimination, a one-on-one draw tournament Sept. 25-26 and Oct. 2-3. You must win on the first day to move on to the second. There’s no membership fee, and the entry fee is $45, with a $5 lunker pool.
The Mohawk Masters schedule is: June 19, Alcathy Launch, Waterford; July 17, Kiwanis Launch, Route 5S and I-890; Aug. 14, Dufel’s Launch, Schoharie Crossing, Fort Hunter; Sept. 11, Dufel’s Launch; Oct. 9, Kiwanis Launch. The championship details haven’t been announced. For details, call Tim Longo, 441-9963.
SARATOGA TACKLE
New this year will be a series of Thursday late-afternoon bass tournaments sponsored by Saratoga Bait and Tackle. The first will be June 24, and they will continue every Thursday through September. All will be held on Saratoga Lake, with take-off and weigh-in at Lee’s Campground, next to the state launch site. Tournament hours will be 4-8 p.m. Entry fee is $60, $50 of which will be paid back at the launch. There will be a five-bass, all-alive, limit, so contestants can fish alone or with a partner. There will also be an optional $10 lunker fee. There is no membership fee and no championship. Take-off positions for each tournament will be determined by an out-of-the-hat draw for the first 30 entries. All others will be sequential. For further details, call 584-3952.
LAKE LONELY
The Lake Lonely Tuesday afternoon (5-8 p.m.), one-bass singleman tournaments will begin June 22 with a tournament entry fee of $10. Bill Parry, tournament director, said there may be some changes in qualifying for the end-of-season championship, which will be announced later. For further details, call 587-1721.
SOUTH SHORE MARINA
Information on this Wednesday late-afternoon weekly partners tournament trail was not available at press time. Call them at 584-9125.
BASS
Bass Weekender Series will host 10 one-day (Saturday) tournaments throughout New York. There are two divisions; NY West and NY East. These events are draw tournaments, with a boater and co-angler. The catch limits are: boater five, co-angler three. Boaters compete against boaters, co-anglers against co-anglers. The entry fee is boaters, $200; co-anglers, $100. For further details, go to www.bassmaster.com and click on weekender series.
The West division schedule is: June 19, Chautauqua Lake; July 17, Cayuga Lake; Aug. 7, Onondaga Lake; Aug. 28, Oneida Lake; Sept. 18, Chautauqua Lake.
The East division schedule is: June 12, Lake Champlain; June 26, St. Lawrence River; July 10, Lake George; Aug. 14, Lake Champlain; Sept. 11, St. Lawrence River.
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