Cabela’s NABC North Region Visits Mighty Leech Lake July 26-27
Category: npaa
Jul 22nd, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 22nd, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Ponca City, Okla.-July 8, 2014-A big-water bassin’ battle is brewing on Minnesota’s mighty Leech Lake. Top teams from across the Midwest will compete for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes when the Cabela’s North American Bass Circuit’s North Region visits the world-class fishery July 26-27.
Open to two-person teams regardless of club or sponsor affiliation, the event offers a single day of competition, with a backup day in case of bad weather. Teams will be allowed to bring their best five bass to the scale, and the team with the highest total weight will be crowned tournament champions. Tournament fans of all ages are invited to watch the action unfold at the weigh-in, which is free, open to the public, and starts at 3:30 p.m. at Horseshoe Bay Lodge.
With summer bass patterns in full swing, a variety of tactics will produce fish on the 112,000-acre north-central Minnesota honeyhole. At last season’s Cabela’s NABC stop on Leech, Minnesotans Connor Leagjeld and Chad Keller flipped their way to victory with 19 pounds, 6 ounces. In 2012, Wisconsin’s Bernie and Brad Ksionek sacked 18.72 pounds fishing swim jigs and Texas-rigged hawgtails in skinny water to take top honors.
Besides great fishing, competitors will vie for serious cash and bragging rights. Cabela’s NABC payouts are based on the number of teams entered in each event. Qualifying tournaments with 75 teams or more offer a guaranteed first-place cash purse of $10,000 plus payout to the top 20 percent of the field. Plus, the NABC Big Bass Pot, along with sponsor contingencies including Ranger Cup, Stratos 2X and Optima True Blue add thousands in cash and prizes to the total.
Teams competing in multiple events can reap even greater rewards. Those fishing at least three NABC tournaments have a shot at qualifying for the prestigious, high-stakes championship for their respective NABC Region, which offers $15,000 cash for first place based on a full field. Regional Team of the Year titles will also be awarded to the team from each region with the highest point total from any three NABC qualifiers. Each title is worth $2,000 in Cabela’s gift cards, plus trophies and paid entry into their 2014 regional championship and 2015 regional qualifiers. In all, Team of the Year races will award more than $7,000 in cash and prizes to the top five teams in each region.
This is the third of four NABC North Region qualifiers of 2014. The remaining schedule includes a final qualifier on Lake Vermillion, Minnesota, August 22-23 (two-day bonus event), and the North Region Championship is set for Oct. 4-5 on the Mississippi River at La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Southeast Region Championship will be held on Lake Lanier, Georgia, Aug. 9-10.
Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its fourth season as title sponsor of the NABC. Other sponsors include: Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, Optima Batteries, G-Juice and Sea Grant.
Based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, the Cabela’s NABC is open to two-person teams regardless of club or sponsor affiliation. Entry fees are $500 per regular season tournament and $600 for each two-day region championship. The Circuit offered more than 100 percent payback to anglers in 2013 and will do so again in 2014. In addition, a small donation is included in each entry fee and matched by NABC and other conservation organizations up to 3-to-1 in support bass conservation projects anywhere the NABC does business.
Registration closes at 10 a.m. on Monday prior to each tournament. For more information, visit northamericanbasscircuit.com, email [email protected], or call (580) 765-9031.