American Fishing Tour events March 18-19, 2023
ATHENS, Ala. – The American Bass Anglers American Fishing Tour, Presented by Caymas Boats, will hold multiple tournaments during the weekend of March 18-19, 2023.
All Anglers will need to register onsite with the local director during their registration period at this weekend's events. Contact the director if you have questions.
If you are not an ABA member, you can join onsite when you register. Why should you join onsite? Because both new and renewing members do not pay a late fee at the American Fishing Tour Event where you become a member or renew your membership. Other AFT and Couples Late Exemptions include Life Members, Visiting Directors, and Active Military.
On March 18, 2023
AFT Alabama - Mobile Division 41
Alabama Division 41 heads to the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The anglers will run out of Cliff's Landing, located at County Road 80 in Bay Minette.
The Alabama and Tombigbee rivers merge near Mount Vernon, Ala. to create the Mobile River. The Tensaw River breaks off from the Mobile southeast of Mount Vernon and flows 41 miles through Baldwin County. More known for numbers of largemouth bass, the system can produce some bass up to seven pounds. The system does hold some spotted bass, called Alabama bass in the Mobile River system.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Barry Woodward at (251)423-0753.
AFT Georgia North Division 125
The AFT Georgia North Division 125 heads to Allatoona Lake. The anglers will run out of the Galts Ferry ramp, located at Rocky Lane in Acworth, Ga.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment, Allatoona Lake covers 12,010 acres of northwestern Georgia. It drops to 145 feet deep in places. The lake sits on the Etowah River and its major tributary, the Little River. Other waters include Noonday Creek and Allatoona Creek. The lake offers anglers 270 miles of shoreline.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Alex Pearce at (706) 263-2137 or Dane Hunter at (770) 780-2002.
AFT Kentucky Central Division 33
The AFT Kentucky Central Division 33 visits Kentucky Lake. The anglers will run out of Kenlake State Park, located at 542 Kenlake Road in Hardin, Ky.
Kentucky Lake runs for 184 miles along the Tennessee River. Created in 1944, the largest artificial lake by surface area east of the Mississippi River spreads across 160,309 acres. It offers anglers more than 2,064 shoreline miles, more than twice as long as the California coastline. It connects to the 57,900-acre Lake Barkley on the Cumberland River through a 1.7-mile-long navigation canal. Lake Barkley offers anglers another 1,004 shoreline miles. If flattened into a straight line, the combined shoreline from the two lakes and associated waters would stretch almost from Boston to San Francisco.
The system produces good catches of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass including many largemouths in the 4- to 7-pound range. The system also produces some double-digit bass.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Robert Linton at (270) 206-8051.
The AFT Missouri Division 64 heads to Table Rock Lake. The anglers will run out of Aunts Creek Landing, located at 2837 State Highway OO in Reeds Spring, Mo.
Table Rock Lake regularly ranks among the best bass lakes in the nation. Deep and clear, the mountain lake covers 52,300 acres of the Missouri Ozarks. The lake dates to 1958 and offers anglers more than 800 miles of shorelines.
The sprawling reservoir can produce big bass with good numbers of largemouth in the 1- to 3-pound range and some bigger ones. It has produced largemouth exceeding 11 pounds and spotted bass exceeding seven pounds.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Randy Chapman at (417) 880-8399.
AFT North Carolina Central Division 17
The AFT North Carolina Central Division 17 heads to Tar/Pamlico River area. The anglers will run out of Masons Landing, located at 625 Clarks Neck Road in Washington, N.C.
The Tar River runs 215 miles through North Carolina. Formed by the confluence of the Tar River and Tranters Creek, the Pamlico River flows into the Pamlico Sound estuary. In a tidal system, bass commonly hold behind any obstructions that break the current. The water direction can change throughout the day. As the water rises and becomes saltier, bass seek fresher water.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Mike Colbert (252) 223-2325.
AFT North Carolina Division 14
The AFT North Carolina Division 14 Division will fish Lake Norman. The anglers will run out of McCrary Creek Access Ramp, located at 1437 River Highway in Mooresville, N.C.
The largest lake completely within North Carolina, Lake Norman covers 32,475 acres on the Catawba River. The impoundment offers anglers more than 520 shoreline miles. Lake Norman produces excellent catches of bass in the 1- to 2-pound class plus some in the 5- to 8-pound range. The lake also holds an enormous spotted bass population.
The division returns to Lake Norman and McCrary Creek Access Ramp on March 19. For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Lance Eckford at (919) 628-3383.
AFT North Carolina Piedmont Division 16
The AFT North Carolina Piedmont Division 16 heads to Falls Lake. The anglers will run out of the Upper Barton ramp, located at 12900 Six Forks Road in Wake Forest, N.C.
On the upper portion of the Neuse River Basin, Falls Lake covers 12,410 acres in Durham, Wake and Granville counties. Named for the Falls of the Neuse River, the reservoir runs about 22 miles up the Neuse River to its source at the confluence of the Eno, Flat and Little Rivers.
The lake and its tributaries hold good populations of largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. The lake can produce largemouths in the 5- to 8-pound range and smallmouths in the 4- to 5-pound range.
The division fishes Falls Lake again on March 19 out of Upper Barton ramp. For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Hilton Glover at (910) 494-5512 or (910) 488-7873.
The AFT Oklahoma Division 65 heads to Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees. The anglers will run out of Tera Miranda Harbor on Monkey Island near Grove, Okla.
One of the top bass lakes in the United States, Grand Lake spreads through 46,500 acres of the Ozark Mountains of northeastern Oklahoma. It stretches about 64 miles along Grand River, also called the Neosho River. With numerous coves and points, the deep, rocky lake offers anglers varied cover along its 1,300-mile shoreline. Several feeder streams enter the system.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Jeff Davison at (918) 289-6993.
The AFT Texas Division 112 heads to Lake Nocona. The anglers will run out of Weldon Robb Park on FM 2634 in Nocona, Texas.
Lake Nocona covers 1,362 acres about eight miles northeast of Nocona, Texas. Impounded in 1961, the lake drops to 80 feet deep in places. Also called Farmer's Creek Reservoir, Lake Nocona can produce monster largemouth bass. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department considers the well-stocked lake the fourth best bass lake in a state renowned for its giant largemouths. The lake record, caught in March 1997, weighed 13.40 pounds. It hit a plastic worm.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Rob Eckle at (940) 867-2198 or Olivia Hendricks at (940) 337-0608.
The AFT Virginia Division 14 heads to the Chickahominy River. The anglers will run out of Chickahominy Riverfront Park, located at 1350 John Tyler Highway in Williamsburg.
A popular bass river, the Chickahominy River rises about 15 miles northwest of Richmond and runs for 87 miles through eastern Virginia into the James River. The longest river in Virginia, the James River begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows 348 miles into Chesapeake Bay near Hampton.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Gary Conner at (757) 293-8651 or Randy McFadden at (757) 880-9330.
On March 19, 2023
The AFT Alabama Division 12 heads to Lake Eufaula. The anglers will run out of Chewalla Marina, located at 580 Chewalla Road in the town of Eufaula, Ala.
Officially named Walter F. George Reservoir, but more commonly called Lake Eufaula, the impoundment dates to 1962. It covers 45,181 acres along the Chattahoochee River spanning part of the Alabama-Georgia line. The lake averages about 15 to 18 feet deep, but some holes in the old river channel drop to more than100 feet deep. The lake offers anglers 640 shoreline miles.
Lake Eufaula produced numerous double-digit largemouths and excellent numbers of bass in the 2- to 8-pound range. Some largemouth topped 12 pounds. It still holds great numbers of 1- to 4-pound bass. The lake also holds some spotted bass.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Danny Christ at (910) 987-8326 or Virginia Christ at (910) 578-4251.
The Alabama West Division 110 heads to Bankhead Lake. The anglers will run out of Howton’s Camp, located at 350 Pine Ridge Road in Bessemer, Ala.
The second largest lake on the Black Warrior River system, Bankhead Lakes covers 9,200 acres about 15 miles west of Birmingham. Dating back to 1915, the lake covers parts of Walker, Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties and flows out through the Black Warrior River into Holt Reservoir. It offers anglers more than 400 shoreline miles. The lake can produce some big largemouth and spotted bass.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Charles McCaleb, Jr. at (205) 329-1315.
The Florida Division 20 heads to the Harris Chain of Lakes northwest of Orlando, Fla. The anglers will run out of Buzzard Beach Landing, located at State Road 441 in Tavares, Fla.
Nine natural lakes spanning 76,000 total acres make up the Harris Chain of Lakes. Lake Harris, the largest lake in the chain, covers 15,500 acres. Really just a cove off the main lake, Little Lake Harris breaks off the southern shoreline of Lake Harris. The entire chain can produce double-digit bass at any time. The lakes regularly deliver bass in the 2- to 7-pound range. Some exceed 13 pounds.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Henry Montgomery at (352) 682-0593.
AFT Florida Northeast Division 19
The AFT Florida Northeast Division 19 heads to Orange Lake. The anglers will run out of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic Park, located at 14901-14917 SE 189th Place in Hawthorne, Fla.
Once the home of the writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who immortalized the town of Cross Creek with her reminiscences and reflections of her life in the area, Orange Lake covers 12,708 acres. Through Cross Creek, it connects to the 8,348-acre Lake Lochloosa. Both lakes can produce some double-digit bass.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Randy McLean at (904) 612-2367 or Mike Pryor at (352) 281-3882.
The Georgia Division 70 heads to Lake Seminole. The anglers will run out of Big Jim’s Landing, located at 7863 Reynolds Landing Road in Donalsonville, Ga.
Lake Seminole dates to 1952 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam near where the Chattahoochee River, Flint River and Spring Creek merge to form the Apalachicola River. Lake Seminole spreads across 37,500 acres. The Chattahoochee River forms part of the Georgia-Alabama line and feeds into Lake Seminole from the northwest.
The lake averages about eight feet deep with thick grass covering much of it. Stumpy flats, submerged logs, woody shorelines, humps, islands and other cover punctuate the lake. Lake Seminole regularly delivers bass in the 4- to 8-pound range with some double-digit fish. The lake record exceeds 16 pounds. Besides largemouths, Lake Seminole produces quite a few spotted bass.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Brad Reynolds at (229) 400-1848.
AFT South Carolina Northwest Division 25
The AFT South Carolina Northwest Division 25 will visit Lake Russell. The anglers will run out of the Highway 72 ramp, located on County Road 381 in Elberton, Ga.
Lake Russell covers 26,650 acres on the Savannah River in northeastern Georgia and northwestern South Carolina. The lake dates to about 1984 with the opening of the Richard B. Russell Dam. The lake offers anglers 540 miles of shoreline.
Lake Russell contains good populations of largemouth and spotted bass. Spotted bass average about one to two pounds, but anglers may catch some in the 3- to 4-pound range. Largemouth bass typically run in the 2- to 4-pound range, but the lake can produce some 8-pound and larger fish.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Zachary Green at (478) 733-6473.
AFT Tennessee West Division 40
The AFT Tennessee West Division 40 will fish Kentucky Lake. The anglers will run out of Pebble Isle, located at 2120 Old Johnsonville Road in New Johnsonville, Tenn.
For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Eddie Scott at (931) 622-5273 or Tim Lyle at (615) 922-0775.
The American Fishing Tour offers low-cost, close-to-home bass tournament competition for the true weekend bass angler. Members pay $70 to enter each 1-day Divisional Qualifying event, $140 for a 2-day Divisional Championship, and $170 to enter the American Fishing Tour National Championship.
The American Fishing Tour is a draw format tournament series offering more than 80 divisions. Each division schedules six or more tournaments in a season.
In addition to cash payouts, depending upon participation, competitors earn points during the season based on their place of finish. These points are critical as an angler’s points are used to determine Divisional Angler of the Year, Service Team standings, and eligibility to compete at the AFT National Championship.
Points are earned within a division as well as nationally. Divisional points are accumulated from the four best 1-day and 2-day events fished within that one division. National standings include points earned from anglers’ four best 1-day and best 2-day events, no matter which the division(s) they fished.
The top 500 anglers will be invited to compete in the American Fishing Tour National Championship. The 2023 AFT National Championship will be held on Lake Hartwell near Anderson, S.C. from Oct. 7-13. Practice days will be October 7-10. Competition days will be October 11-13. Lake Hartwell covers about 56,000 acres on the Savannah River, which forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina.
At the AFT National Championship, anglers may also qualify for bonus money offered by such tournament sponsors as Caymas Boats. See each manufacturer’s website for details, rules, and qualifications for more information on their contingency programs.
Anyone who wishes to fish an ABA event must become an ABA member. ABA members can receive discounts from some sponsors. For example, Optima Batteries will give ABA members 25 percent off and free shipping on any battery. Membership costs $35 a year, but anglers can save money by signing up for multiple years, or even a life membership.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, T-H Marine, Power Pole, RT Outdoors, Optima Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low-cost, close-to-home tournaments for the weekend angler and, at the same time, offering each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression.
For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Open Series, the American Fishing Tour, the American Couples Series, the annual Military Team Bass Tournament, and the Top 150 Solo Tour, all presented by Caymas Boats, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
This story was written by ABA staff writer John N. Felsher. To submit articles of interest email info@americanbassanglers.com.
