2013 PAA Tournament Series Schedule is Here
OutdoorHub 12.20.12
“With so many changes in the tournament world for 2013, many anglers from across the country challenged the Board of Directors and me to put together a schedule that offered good fishing, fun places to be and a challenging route to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. I believe we have done that! I believe everyone will be excited to visit our two new venues, Douglas Lake and Ft. Loudon/Tellico Lakes, as well as beautiful Table Rock Lake.”
“Now the Board of Directors and I would like to challenge the anglers to support this schedule and the PAA by registering early and competing in all three events. With full fields our payout is the best in the industry. Every sponsor and every venue we speak with has a keen interest in how many anglers support our events. We need you, the anglers, to attract more sponsors, build bigger and better events and put more dollars in your pockets. As the only non-profit organization in the industry, we have the ability to do just that. Please support the PAA,” said PAA President Dave Mansue.
The 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series schedule will be as follows:
March 25 – 30, 2013 Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn.
May 20 – 25, 2013 Ft. Loudon/Tellico Lakes, Knoxville, Tenn.
September 2 – 7, 2013 Table Rock Lake, Branson, Mo.
(A fourth event is currently being planned for November 2013. Details of which we hope to release soon.)
Entry fees remain the same for 2013. Two (2) new venues added.
Three (3) outstanding fisheries will be the scene of some of the best competition the industry has to offer when the 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series visits Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn., Ft. Loudon/Tellico Lakes, Knoxville, Tenn. and Table Rock Lake, Branson, Mo.
New to the PAA, Douglas Lake, Dandridge, Tenn. will be the site of the first 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series event the week of March 25 – 30. Hosted by the Town of Dandridge and Jefferson County Tourism, competition days will be March 28 – 30. Also known as Douglas Reservoir, the lake was created by impounding the French Broad River in the early 1940s. With over 555 miles of shoreline, Douglas Lake offers a variety of structure and is quickly becoming known as a big bass impoundment within the angling world. A May 2012 B.A.S.S. Elite event saw Jeremy Starks of West Virginia win with a whopping 81.2 lbs. over the four (4) day event.
“We are very excited to start our 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series season off on Douglas Lake”, said PAA President Dave Mansue. “Jefferson County is a beautiful venue. The fishing has become outstanding in recent years and we look forward to some incredible weights being brought to the scales by our anglers.”
Adele Sensing, Director of Tourism, Jefferson County offered, “The Town of Dandridge is excited to be hosting the best pro tournament anglers on Douglas Lake. We have a community that is excited the PAA is coming to town and will be showing the anglers true Southern hospitality. We enjoy all the exposure that comes along with a large scale national event like this. This lets the rest of the world know we have great fishing on Douglas Lake.”
Pro division entry fees for the 2013 Tournament Series events will remain at $1,500. Deposits will remain at $500 per tournament and are due upon registration.
Co-Angler division entry fees will remain at $250 per tournament and deposits will remain at $50. Co-Anglers will fish the first two days of each event. A Champion will be crowned after the day two weigh-in based upon total weight of a three fish per day limit.
Pros advancing to the final day will fish with a non-fishing Observer.
A second venue new to the PAA will host event #2 of the 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series May 20 – 25, 2013, with competition days being May 23 – 25. Visit Knoxville and Loudon County Visitors Bureau have joined forces to host the event on Ft. Loudon/Tellico Lakes, Knoxville, Tenn. Formed by the damming of the Tennessee River in the late 1970s, Ft. Loudon/Tellico Lakes, also known as the “Lakeways to the Smokies,” offer over 30,000 acres of prime bass habitat. Known for big Largemouth and big Smallmouth bass alike, this event should offer some of the best post spawn fishing of the season.
Kim Bumpas, CDME, CMP, President of Visit Knoxville said, “Visit Knoxville is eager to welcome the Professional Anglers Association to East Tennessee for the 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series. Anglers from across the United States will travel to compete in this tournament, and we want to show competitors why our region is the perfect destination for fishing opportunities. Knoxville offers a lot of things to do while visiting the area. Live music, arts, sporting events, entertainment, shopping, and authentic dining options, mixed with incredible scenic beauty and southern hospitality makes Knoxville a great place to explore during the tournament. Visit Knoxville partnered with Loudon County Visitors Bureau to host this event, and we look forward to showcasing the abundance of fishing options along Fort Loudon Lake.”
The 2013 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series finally will see a return to beautiful Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo. Sept. 2 – 7, 2013. Hosted by Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce/CVB, competition days will be Sept. 5 – 7. Famed and scenic Table Rock Lake, one of the most well known lakes in the nation, should provide a challenging test to those pros hoping to qualify for a trip to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic! Located in the Ozark Mountains, offering some of the most beautiful surroundings anywhere, Table Rock Lake has over 750 miles of shore line.
The 15 PAA qualifiers to the coveted Toyota Texas Bass Classic (TTBC) will be decided at our third and final Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series event for 2013. The one true world Championship event pitting the top 15 anglers from the Angler of the Year races in the B.A.S.S. Elite Series, FLW Tour and the PAA Tournament Series in head to head competition. The 2011 TTBC ended in a sudden death fish off between Keith Combs of Texas and Mike Iaconelli of New Jersey, Combs being crowned the winner. The 2012 TTBC saw Brian Thrift of North Carolina have a monster final day bringing in over 25 lbs. of bass to earn the title and take home over $150,000 in cash and prizes.
“Known for its excellent Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass, Table Rock Lake is the perfect venue to decide the final 15 to join the B.A.S.S. and FLW Pros at the TTBC and to crown a new PAA Angler of the Year.” said PAA President Dave Mansue.
Registration Information
Registration for pros entering all three (3) events will begin Monday, January 14, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. CST.
Open registration (entering one or more events) for pros will begin Monday, January 21, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. CST.
Anglers must join as or possess an active $400 Tour level membership or be a Legends level member of PAA to fish as a pro.
Registration for Co-Anglers entering all three (3) events will begin Monday, January 28, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. CST.
Open registration (entering less than three (3) events) for Co-Anglers will begin Monday, February 4, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. CST.
Anglers must join as or possess a minimum of a $50 General level membership to PAA to fish as a Co-Angler. Students, age 22 or under, may fish as a Co-Angler with a $25 Affinity level membership if proof of age is supplied.
Registration can take place online at www.FishPAA.com or by contacting the PAA Office at (270) 527-2030.
