The inaugural Mille Lacs Smallmouth Alliance (MLSA) Free the Fighter Team Big Bass Challenge, presented by In Tune Marine/Vexus Boats, is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 6 on Lake Mille Lacs in central Minnesota, along with an MLSA high school event Oct. 7.
The Challenge will be patterned after Classic Bass Champions Tour events – after a smallmouth bass is caught, it will be weighed by a boat official, who will record the weight, and the angler will then release the fish back into the lake. A high school angler will accompany each team and serve as boat officials, watching each bass being weighed, recording the weight and enforcing any rule violations that take place.
Entry fee is $350, and $50 of the entry fee will go towards the MLSA High School Scholarship Fund. The tournament is limited to the first 50 teams. For registration form, click here.
The winning team will receive $5,000 (based on 50 boats) and total payout is $12,000 (also based on 50 boats). Along with the cash prizes, there will be five merchandise winners, both in the morning and afternoon sessions. A mandatory pre-tournament meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 at Izatys Resort.
On Sunday, Oct. 7, the MLSA will host a High School Division event. There is no entry fee, and the event is open only to high school anglers who serve as boat officials during the Challenge the previous day.
The high school tournament will also follow the Champions Tour format and the high school anglers will be randomly paired together to form two-person teams. Volunteer anglers will serve as boat officials and be randomly paired with the high school anglers, who will compete for $2,500 in college scholarships. Click herefor registration form.
Sponsors for all of the weekend fishing festivities include In Tune Marine, Vexus Boats, Classic Bass, Simms, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Izatys Resort, Berkley Powerbait, and Juice Bait Co. For more information, click here, or email Jim DaRosa at [email protected].
