CRAPPIE USA ON WHEELER LAKE
Coming up next weekend Crappie USA Inc., "America's Premier National Crappie Fishing Tournament Organization" will be holding a qualifying event on WheelerLake near Decatur, Alabama on March 28, 2009. Anglers will be fishing for a 7-fish limit of crappie, which could net them a check along with the opportunity to advance to the regional event and the Cabela's Crappie USA Classic, the most prestigious event in crappie fishing today.
A pre-tournament seminar will be held on Friday evening at the Holiday Inn, 1101 6th Avenue NE, Decatur, Alabama. Sign up will begin at 5:00pm with the meeting and a National Sponsor Field Test Product Drawing starting at 7:00pm local time. This seminar is open to the public. For those not fishing the event, we encourage you to come out to this meeting and meet the top crappie anglers in the region.
The tournament weigh-in will be held on Saturday at Ingalls Harbor, 802 Wilson Street, Decatur beginning at 3:00pm. This is the perfect opportunity for non-competitors to come and learn how the big ones are caught. Interviews of the top 5 teams will be conducted after the weigh in.
The Decatur CVB would like to welcome all Crappie USA anglers and their guest to the area and hope they take the opportunity to enjoy the many attractions in the area. For more information on the area call: 1-800-524-6181 or visit their website at: www.decaturcvb.org. Host lodging for the event will be the Comfort Inn, 2212 Danville RD SW, Decatur, Alabama. For reservations you can call: 1-888-568-1999. Rooms maybe limited so make your reservations early and mention Crappie USA.
You can enter our tournaments by filling out and sending in an entry form or by registering on our website at www.crappieusa.com before the deadline listed on the form. Teams may also enter at the pre-tournament seminar on Friday night. All late entries will be subject to a $20.00 late fee.
ACA membership is required to fish in our tournaments and a space is provided on our entry form for you to become a member. Teams may consist of one or two partners. If you made less than $2000.00 per team in Crappie USA tournaments last year, you may fish in either the Amateur division or the Semi Pro Division. If you made over $2000.00 per team last year, you may fish the Semi Pro Division Only. No product purchase necessary to fish either division. If you desire to join the point's race, your $100 team entry fee must be received prior to participation in an event for points to be tabulated. Points will be tabulated in the Semi Pro and Amateur Divisions.
Entry fees in all qualifying tournaments are $100.00 per team in the Amateur Division and $200.00 in the Semi-Pro Division. There is an optional $10.00 (Per Team) Big Fish Pot. All participants must be a member of the American Crappie Association to fish in these events. American Crappie Association membership is $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for spouse and youth memberships. Each membership will include a subscription to the official publication of Crappie USA, one of the top fishing publications in the nation.
Crappie USA "Crappie Kids Rodeo"
Held in conjunction with the tournament will be the Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo to be held Saturday morning at Ingalls Harbor on Wheeler Lake. Sign up for the Kids Rodeo will be at 8:00am with the rodeo from 9:00am till 11:00am. The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for children of the area to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing and win some prizes. The event is free to all children 12 and under with all participants eligible for a chance to win one of the six, Crappie USA $2,000.00 scholarships to be awarded at the Cabela's Crappie USA Classic.
Crappie USA and our anglers have contributed nearly $270,000.00 to the "Crappie Kids" Scholarships since 1997. We are very proud to be a part of the education process for the youngsters who participate in our tournaments as adult/youth teams and those who fish in the Crappie USA "Kids Fishing Rodeos".
National Sponsors of Crappie USA are: Cabela's, Rebel Yell, Ranger Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Tite-Lok Rod Holders and Acc., Cruiser RV, B 'n' M Poles, Minn Kota, Humminbird Electronics, Adventure Products EGO Nets, J.R. Mad's, Eagle Claw, Eagle Claw Bait and Scents, Charlie Brewer's Slider Co., Food Source Lures, Big Bite Baits, TTI-Blakemore Road Runner, Vicious Fishing Line, Flip Stick Co., Southern Pro Tackle, Anglers Unlimited, AWD Baits, ANPAC ("American National"), Porcupine Fish Attractors and Ron Gooding Insurance.
The following companies furnish product to help make these events possible: Kodiak Fish Attractants, Keep Alive, and Hydro Glow.