Drew Gregory’s River Bassin Tournament Trail Heads Back to Birmingham on July 23
OutdoorHub 07.14.11
For Immediate Release – July 14, 2011: Professional Kayak Angler Pioneer Drew Gregory brings his 2011 River Bassin Tournament Trail, presented by Jackson Kayak, back to Birmingham, Ala., next week. The tournament will be hosted by Bass Pro Shops on Saturday, July 23, and will feature some of the top kayak anglers from across the country.
Originally scheduled for April 16, the heavy rains that moved through Alabama earlier this year forced the tournament to be postponed until July 23.
“Now with consistent low summertime water conditions we’re finally going to see who takes the title in Alabama,” Gregory said. “Anglers in the past have done well in smaller rivers and creeks, but with this low water it may be a larger river such as the Coosa, lower Cahaba, or Black Warrior that shines. Regardless of where participants fish it usually comes down to who can catch those big Alabama spotted bass!”
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 began in Charlotte, N.C., on April 2, and is slated to finish up September 10, in Roanoke, Va., one of the country’s premier outdoor lifestyle regions. Due to the area’s pristine rivers and lakes, Roanoke makes for the ideal setting to host the trail’s grand finale, where food, live music, a separate lake tournament and a film festival will take place along with awarding the River Bassin series champion.
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.
Upcoming Events Include:
River Bassin Bedrock Series:
- Birmingham, Ala. – July 23 | Bass Pro Shops
- Beloit, Wis. – July 30 | Paddle and Trail
- Frankfort, Ky. – August 27 | Canoe Kentucky
- Roanoke, Va. **Grand Finale** – September 10
The entry deadline is Friday, July 22, with a mandatory pre-tournament meeting 7 p.m. Friday night at Bass Pro Shops located at 5000 Bass Pro Blvd. Leeds, AL 35094, (205)-702-7500. Tournament check-in time is 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the same location. Registration fees range from $40-60 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.
Contact:
Jason Brown 770-402-5791 jmbrown1322@gmail.com
Heather Thompson 404-604-2190 sedancomm@gmail.com
