Night tournament raises money for Camp SAM
Published 5:37 pm Wednesday, July 7, 2010
In what has become a Lake Mitchell tradition, the Birmingham Bassmasters club will hold its 22nd annual night fishing tournament to benefit Camp Smile-A-Mile.
The tournament will last from 6:30 p.m. July 10 to 6:30 a.m. July 11, with launch and weigh-in at Higgins Ferry Park.
Club President Chuck Whitfield said Lake Mitchell is perfect for a night tournament.
“It’s easy to navigate at night, unlike Lay Lake and some of the others,” Whitfield said. “Mitchell is very deep and not that large of a lake.
“And it’s a great facility there at Higgins Ferry. We draw people from Birmingham and Montgomery, so it’s centrally located.”
Anglers can participate for $100 per boat, and there is a $1,000 guaranteed payback to the winning boat if at least 50 boats participate.
Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. on July 10.
In its 21 years, the tournament has allowed Birmingham Bassmasters to donate almost $150,000 to Camp SAM, which is a non-profit summer camp on Lake Martin for children who have been diagnosed with cancer.
The tournament will also feature thousands of dollars in door prizes, a zero weight drawing, goodie bags and a “big fish” pot.
“The door prizes are what set this tournament apart,” club President Chuck Whitfield said. “It’s not just about the fishing.”
For more information on the tournament, call Whitfield at (205) 790-0979, Bill Vineyard at (205) 681-2548 or Jim Weems at (205) 655-7067, or visit www.birminghambassmasters.com.