There is $100,000 in Prize Money to Be Caught on the Arkansas River

The Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza is set for June 28-30, 2013.

The tournament is a popular three-day tournament that spans about 300 miles of the Arkansas River, with pools and official check-in stations at Fort Smith, Dardanelle, Little Rock/North Little Rock, Pine Bluff and the Pendleton Bridge near Dumas. “The Big Bass Bonanza is open to all ages, and last year, it attracted amateur anglers from around the country. Still, the five top prizes went out to Arkansans,” said Montine McNulty, Executive Director, Arkansas Hospitality Association.

The Big Bass Bonanza is the state’s largest amateur fishing tournament with this year’s guaranteed cash prizes including: $50,000 for the largest fish overall; $10,000 for the largest fish overall in each of the remaining four pools; and place money for overall winner per pool, with $900 for second place, $700 for third and $400 for fourth.

In addition to the guaranteed hourly prizes, families are eligible for the Willow Leaf Award. The Willow Leaf Award is a $1000 cash prize given to the parent/child or grandparent/grandchild pair weighing the largest bass.

Hourly prize money for first, second and third place will be the top priority after the guaranteed prizes are awarded; however, the number of tournament registrants will determine hourly amounts paid.

The tournament runs from Friday, June 28 through Sunday June 30, with fishing starting each morning at 6:00 am. The first weigh-in is at 8:00 a.m., with subsequent weigh-ins at the top of each hour until 1 p.m. each day. Entry is $80 per person each day. The winners will be announced Sunday, June 30, at 4:00 p.m.

“This is one of the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s favorite times of year, and we wish everyone the best of luck, “ said Jill Thiel, Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza tournament director.

For more information and to register for the tournament, visit www.arkansasbigbass.com.

Dena Woerner

Dena Woerner is the president of Argia Media, LLC and a strategist for Traditions Media, LLC. She is the former Tourism Division Communications Director for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism where she was the editor of state tourism publications, blogs and web content. Dena is a published outdoor freelance writer and editor. She plans and organizes fishing industry writer's events and photo shoots. She has been published in the River Management Journal, Arkansas Wild, North American Fisherman, and in National Wildlife Federation publications, to name a few. She has appeared in Outdoor Life photo essays, Sporting Clays magazine, and has been a featured guest on episodes of Midwest Outdoors, Illinois Outdoors,Wisconsin Outdoors and local Arkansas television fishing segments. She is a former culinary and hospitality & tourism instructor. An avid cyclist, she competes in woman's crosscountry cycling events. Dena holds a B.A. in Marketing form the University of Arkansas, a M.A. in Professional Communication from Purdue University and is Certified in Tourism Crisis Communications from the University of Florida.