Presented by the North American Fishing Club
MAY 26, 2011—MINNETONKA, MN—The North American Bass Circuit is guaranteeing a full payout for its season opener on Wisconsin’s bass-rich Lake Winnebago Chain June 11.
Teams signed up for the Oshkosh event have incredibly good odds at winning the $10,000 first-place cash prize. Second place pays $2,250; third place $1,500; fourth place $1,250; and fifth place $1,000. The Circuit’s Big-Bass Pot, along with sponsor contingencies including Cabela’s Angler Cash, Stratos 2X ‘Double Your Winnings,’ Ranger Cup, Detwiler-MarineTech Products, Optima Batteries True Blue program and O2 Technologies U2 and Oxygenator bonuses, add nearly $15,000 to the payout.
“With 26 teams registered at press time, some of our anglers were concerned about whether a reduced payout would offset their fishing and travel costs,” explained NABC Executive Director Dan Johnson. “By guaranteeing the payout based on a full field of 50 boats, we’re helping our anglers plan for world-class bass tournament action, without worrying whether the field will fill.”
Entry fee for the single-day, team-format tournament is $400 per team. Registration closes at 4:30 p.m. the night of the rules meeting—scheduled for June 10 at the City Center Hotel in downtown Oshkosh. To further encourage anglers to enjoy high-stakes tournament bass fishing in this challenging economy, late fees are being waived for this event (with refunds issued to any teams that have already paid them).
Teams may register by mail, fax, or online. Note: Anglers registering for the Lake Winnebago event on or after June 8 must do so at the Rules Meeting. Full details and printable registration forms are available at northamericanbasscircuit.com. You may also call toll-free (877) 893-7947, or email events@namginc.com for more information.
The Circuit also announced two added incentives for teams to travel the NABC trail this summer. First, any team fishing all three of its 50-boat, one-day qualifying tournaments will receive an automatic invitation to the NABC World Bass Championship. Scheduled for Sept. 24-25 on Leech Lake, Minnesota, the event offers a $20,000 first-place cash paycheck to the winning team. The 2011 NABC schedule includes Lake Winnebago plus Bays de Noc, Michigan, July 30-31 (single-day event, includes built-in bad-weather day); and Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota on August 19.
Second, the Circuit has created an overall “NABC Team of the Year” points race (in addition to the existing earlybird NABC Premier team promotion). The overall Team of the Year will win fully paid entry fees for the 2012 season, including the World Bass Championship.
The NABC is open to all anglers. And its popular team format—which lets you choose your partner and cut your costs—has stood the test of time for 26 tournament seasons on our sister tournament trail, the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC).
Bass are winners in the equation as well. A $15-per-boat donation from each team’s entry fee—made via our Bass Conservation Fund through non-profit affiliate Wildlife Forever—will benefit Department of Natural Resources’ projects to protect local fisheries. Since 1984, the MWC’s Conservation Fund has donated more than $275,000 to fisheries-enhancement projects in states where our tournaments are held—and the Bass Conservation Fund is proudly following this historic tradition for fisheries conservation.
This is the NABC’s inaugural season. Title sponsors include Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats and the North American Fishing Club. Supporting sponsors include Mercury Marine, Rapala, Sufix, Trigger X, Detwiler-MarineTech Products, Gemini Sports Marketing, Wave Fishing, O2 Marine Technologies and Optima Batteries.
For More Information Contact:
Dan Johnson: 651-237-0159; djohnson@namginc.com
NABC at: 877-893-7947 or events@namginc.com
