Drew Gregory’s River Bassin Tournament Trail Grand Finale to be Hosted by Roanoke, Virginia Sept. 10
OutdoorHub 08.30.11
August 30, 2011 – Professional Kayak Angler Pioneer Drew Gregory concludes his 2011 River Bassin Tournament Trail series, presented by Jackson Kayak, with the grand finale in Roanoke, Va. The tournament will be hosted by the Roanoke Region of Virginia on Saturday, September 10, and will feature some of the top kayak anglers from across the country.
“When looking for a potential grand finale location we wanted a region that boasted some of the most beautiful rivers and scenery in the country, as well as numerous other activities available for the whole family,” Gregory said. “The search ended quickly at Roanoke, Va., because it truly is a destination that anglers, their friends and family will enjoy exploring.”
“I am really excited because the finale will feature the typical exciting ‘results show,’ where the River Basser and Team River Basser of the Year will also be announced along with the winner of the lake and river division,” Gregory continued. “However, we’ll also have live music by local favorite, the Blue Moonshine band, great local food, a film festival and numerous kayak fishing pros will be in attendance to share the latest in the world of kayak fishing. With all this going on, to go along with what the Roanoke region already offers, it is hard to imagine this won’t be one of the most exciting events in the kayak fishing world this year!”
This year’s trail has expanded from five to 12 stops across the United States, from Texas to Wisconsin, down to Georgia and stops in between, making it the largest paddle-powered fishing tournament trail in the world. The tournament helps to increase positive awareness of the eco-friendly sport of kayak fishing.
The eco-friendly trail is driven by a unique, conservation-minded, paddle-power only, catch-measure-photo-release format that promotes sustainability within the environment. Anglers will fish in surrounding rivers and take a photo of their catch on a standard measuring board given to all anglers. Upon taking the photo, they release the fish back into the water for future generations to enjoy. Anglers then return to the host location to fill out their scorecard, turn in their camera’s memory card, and discover their placements at the “results show” that evening.
The “results show” is displayed in a slide show format where Gregory MC’s and recognizes the top anglers in all categories (individual angler, team, youth and top female) on stage to share their fish photos and discuss with them their day on the water.
Throughout the trail, more than $60,000 in prizes from numerous sponsors will be given away, most notably from – Jackson Kayak, Diablo Paddlesports, NuCanoe, Bass Pro Shops, Aqua Bound & Bending Branches paddles, Kokatat Watersports Wear, Paddle and Trail, Amazon Expeditions, KayakBassFishing.com, RiverBassin.com, Gorilla Glue, GoPro Cameras, RAM Mounts, Tallon Systems, and Kayak Angler Magazine.
The trail is also poised to raise money for the ALS Foundation. The foundation is instrumental in assisting those with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, as well as searching for a cure to a disease that can affect anyone, of any race, age, gender or social class at any time.
The entry deadline is Friday, Sept. 9, with a mandatory pre-tournament meeting at 7 p.m. the same night at the Green Ridge Recreation Center located at 7415 Wood Haven Rd, Roanoke, VA 24019. Tournament check-in time is 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at the same location. Registration fees range from $15-50 per person. For more information on the tournament trail, its stops across the U.S., its sponsors, hosts, partners and causes please visit www.riverbassintrail.com.
About Drew Gregory:
Drew Gregory, known as “BasserDrew” to many, is a professional kayak angler and an expert in bass fishing America’s rivers and creeks. Drew hails from Atlanta, Ga., and currently resides in Charlotte, N.C. He has been river fishing since he could handle a rod and reel, but for the past nine years has been pioneering the sport of kayak fishing in freshwater rivers. Standing up and fishing out of his signature series kayak, The Jackson Kayak Coosa, for smallmouth, largemouth and shoal bass is his passion. Gregory has logged more than 700 river kayak fishing trips and is the co-founder of RiverBassin.com and the River Bassin Tournament Trail (RiverBassinTrail.com). Visit www.DrewGregory.com for more information.
