Crappie USA News
Crappie USA Starts 2008 Season in the Sunshine State of Florida
Crappie USA Inc., "America's Premier National Crappie Fishing Tournament Organization" will start out the 2008 tour with 3 major qualifying events along with a regional event in the beautiful State of Florida. Each year anglers from across the nation plan their schedules, some a year in advance to assure their place in these major events in the competitive world of crappie fishing.
Harris Chain Wildcard Event
Crappie USA will start the season out right on the Harris Chain of Lakes February 9, 2008 with a Wildcard Event. Wildcard events are designed for anglers from across the nation which fish in one of the 4 regions and can apply their qualifications and points to their home region. The Harris Chain Wildcard event will start with a seminar on February 8th at the Guesthouse Inn in Leesburg, Florida. Sign up and late registration will begin at 5:00pm with the seminar at 7:00pm. The weigh in will be held Saturday the 9th at the Venetian Gardens in Leesburg. Host lodging for this event will be the Guesthouse Inn, Leesburg, Fl. For reservations phone 352-787-1210.
Held in conjunction with the tournament will be the Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo to be held Saturday morning at the Venetian Gardens in Leesburg. Sign up for the Kids Rodeo will be at 8:00am with the rodeo from 9:00am till 11:00am. The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for children of the area to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing and win some prizes. The event is free to all children 12 and under with all participants eligible for a chance to win one of the four, Crappie USA $5,000.00 scholarships to be awarded at the Cabela's Crappie USA Classic.
Entry fees for the Harris Chain Wildcard event are: In the Amateur division $75.00 per team including Big Fish and Cash Payback will go to the Top 20% of the field. In the Semi Pro division $155.00 including Big Fish. Cash Payback will be paid to the Top 20% of the field.
Lake Talquin $10,000.00 Super Event
Second on the list of these major events will be the Lake Talquin $10,000.00 Super event to be held February 16th. Each year Crappie USA and the Tallahassee Sports Council work together to present qualifying events on this great body of water and this year they have went all out with a $10,000.00 guaranteed payback event which will draw anglers from across the country. The seminar and late registration will be held on Friday February 15th at the Collegiate Village Inn, Tallahassee, Fl with registration beginning at 5:00pm and the seminar beginning at 7:00pm.
The weigh in for this super event will be held Saturday at 3:00pm at the Whippoorwill Sportsman's Lodge near Quincy, Fl. Host lodging for this super event will be the Collegiate Village Inn, Tallahassee, Fl. For reservations call: 850-576-6121. Entry fees for this super event are: In the amateur division $200.00 per team and in the semi-pro division $300.00 per team. All entry fees include big fish award.
For more information on the area call the Tallahassee Sports Council: 1-888-311-2872 or 1-800-628-2866. You can also visit their website at: www.seetallahassee.com.
Held in conjunction with the tournament will be the Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo to be held Saturday morning at the Whippoorwill Sportsman's Lodge near Quincy, Florida. Sign up for the (free) Kids Rodeo will be at 8:00am with the rodeo from 9:00am till 11:00am.
Lake Monroe Wildcard Event
Next in this series of qualifying events will be held February 23rd on Florida's beautiful Lake Monroe in Seminole County. This wildcard event will be the last chance for anglers to qualify for the regional event coming to Lake Monroe April 25th & 26th.
The seminar and late registration for the Lake Monroe Wildcard event will be held Friday the 22nd at the Sanford Civic Center in Sanford, Fl with registration beginning at 5:00pm and the seminar at 7:00pm. As with all Crappie USA seminars the public is invited to attend.
Entry fees for the Lake Monroe Wildcard event are: In the Amateur division $75.00 per team including Big Fish and Cash Payback will go to the Top 20% of the field. In the Semi Pro division $155.00 including Big Fish. Cash Payback will be paid to the Top 20% of the field.
The weigh in will be held on Saturday the 23rd at the Palms Island Resort and Marina, Sanford, Fl beginning at 3:00pm. Host lodging for the event will be the Palms Island Resort and Marina, Sanford, Florida. For reservations call 407-688-7644.
Held in conjunction with the tournament will be the Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo to be held Saturday morning at the Palms Island Resort and Marina, Sanford, Florida. Sign up for the Kids Rodeo will be at 8:00am with the rodeo from 9:00am till 11:00am. The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for children of the area to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing and win some prizes. The event is free to all children 12 and under with all participants eligible for a chance to win one of the four, Crappie USA $5,000.00 scholarships to be awarded at the Cabela's Crappie USA Classic.
Crappie USA Lake Monroe 2-Day Regional Event
This is the one they have all waited for, the Crappie USA Lake Monroe 2-Day Regional Event to be held on April 25th & 26th. This event brings the top crappie anglers from across the nation that have qualified for this regional event. The weigh in will be held both days at the Palms Island Resort and Marina, Sanford, Fl beginning at 3:00pm. Host lodging for this regional event will be the Palms Island Resort and Marina, Sanford, Florida. For reservations call 407-688-7644. Like most Crappie USA events, numbers of rooms will be limited and it is recommended that both participants and spectators reserve rooms as early as possible.
The Seminole County Convention & Visitors Bureau would like to welcome all Crappie USA anglers and their guest to the area and hope they take the opportunity to enjoy the many attractions in the area. For more information on the area call: 1-800-800-7832 or visit their website at www.visitseminole.com/tourism-cvb.
Held in conjunction with the tournament will be the Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo to be held Saturday morning at the Palms Island Resort and Marina, Sanford, Florida. Sign up for the Kids Rodeo will be at 8:00am with the rodeo from 9:00am till 11:00am. The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for children of the area to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing and win some prizes. The event is free to all children 12 and under with all participants eligible for a chance to win one of the four, Crappie USA $5,000.00 scholarships to be awarded at the Cabela's Crappie USA Classic.
Crappie USA and our anglers have contributed nearly $270,000.00 to the "Crappie Kids" Scholarships since 1997. We are very proud to be a part of the education process for the youngsters who participate in our tournaments as adult/youth teams and those who fish in the Crappie USA "Kids Fishing Rodeos".
ACA membership is required to fish in our tournaments and a space is provided on our entry form for you to become a member. Teams may consist of one or two partners. If you made less than $2000.00 per team in Crappie USA tournaments last year, you may fish in either the Amateur division or the Semi Pro Division. If you made over $2000.00 per team last year, you may fish the Semi Pro Division Only. No product purchase necessary to fish either division. If you desire to join the point's race, your $100 team entry fee must be received prior to participation in an event for points to be tabulated. Points will be tabulated in the Semi Pro and Amateur Divisions.
All participants must be a member of the American Crappie Association to fish in these events. American Crappie Association membership is $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for spouse and youth memberships. Lifetime memberships are also available by contacting our office listed below. Each membership will include a product gift pack and subscription to the official publication of Crappie USA, one of the top fishing publications in the nation.
National Sponsors of Crappie USA are: Cabela's, Ranger Boats, Suzuki Marine, Tite-Lok Rod Holders and Acc., B ‘n' M Poles, Minn Kota, Humminbird Electronics, Adventure Products EGO Nets, J.R. Mad's, Eagle Claw, Eagle Claw Nitro Baits, Charlie Brewer's Slider Co., Food Source Lures, Big Bite Baits, TTI-Blakemore Road Runner, Vicious Fishing Line, Flip Stick Co., Southern Pro Tackle, Crappie Unlimited, Culprit Crappie Baits, AWD Baits, Cruiser RV and Ron Gooding Insurance.
The following companies furnish product to help make these events possible: Kodiak Fish Attractants, Keep Alive, and Hydro Glow.
