U.S. Anglers Choice announces 2013 Pro-Am Season Program
U.S. Angler’s Choice, one of the West Coast’s largest shared weight Pro-Am events is pleased to present our Pro-Am program and schedule for the 2013 season. “With the vacancy created by the cancellation of another trail planned for the 2013 season, we felt that there was an opportunity to provide Western Anglers with a cirt s cuit that could run a full 4-event trail” noted USAC Tournament Director Bill Hutcheson. ‘Likewise, the USAC Pro-Ams will offer season end cash for anglers who follow the trail through the course of the season and fish three of the four events, including the season ending Clear Lake tournament”.
The dates and venues for the 2013 USAC Pro-Am season are as follows:
March 16-17th, 2013 Lake Oroville – Spillway Launch Ramp
April 27-28th, 2013 CA Delta – B&W Marina
June 1st-2nd, 2013 Clear Lake – TBD
September 21st-22nd, 2013 Clear Lake – TBD
This schedule, although out to our fisherman later than usual, avoids as many conflicts with FLW and WON BASS as possible. Additionally, this schedule hits each venue at some of the optimal peak fishing periods.
TOC Fish off Program – Anglers need not worry if they have a bad tournament as USAC’s approach to our TOC fish off is aimed towards supporting those who support the circuit. Simply fish three of the four of the USAC Pro-Am events – including the final Pro-AM / TOC combined event at Clear Lake in September and you will automatically qualify to fish for the TOC holdout cash. 15% of each entry from the season is placed into a TOC reserve fund. Based upon full fields at the four USAC Pro events, a total of $30,000 will be set aside for the Pro division and $10,000 for the Am division competitors.
The TOC event is effectively two tournaments in one. All anglers get to fish for the regular tournament payback, however, only anglers who have fished all four events will get to compete for this additional cash pot at the September 21st-22nd Clear Lake tournament.
Entry Fees – Entry fees for the 2013 USAC Pro-Am season remains one of the most affordable in the west with Pro angler entry at $500 per event and $250 per event for Am anglers
Paybacks – No hyperbole or smoke and mirror here. USAC immediately posts tournament results along with complete paybacks for everyone to see so that the anglers will know that they are getting paid out what they paid in. USAC pays back 1 in 5 places and pays back 100% on all options taken in. USAC bases its paybacks on a realistic 100 boat full field and the paybacks increase proportionally when the fields exceed 100 boats.
2013 Anglers Choice Pro-Am Payback*
* Based on 100 boat field – one in five payback
PAYBACK CHART DOES NOT INCLUDE OPTION PAYOUTS
|
Pro |
15% TOC |
AM |
10% TOC |
||
|
Place |
Payback |
Holdout |
Place |
Payback |
Holdout |
|
1st |
$11,000 |
1st |
$2,500 |
||
|
2nd |
$7,000 |
2nd |
$2,000 |
||
|
3rd |
$4,000 |
3rd |
$1,500 |
||
|
4th |
$3,000 |
4th |
$1,250 |
||
|
5th |
$2,500 |
5th |
$1,000 |
||
|
6th |
$2,000 |
6th |
$900 |
||
|
7th |
$1,500 |
7th |
$800 |
||
|
8th |
$1,200 |
8th |
$700 |
||
|
9th |
$1,000 |
9th |
$700 |
||
|
10th |
$900 |
10th |
$600 |
||
|
11th |
$800 |
11th |
$500 |
||
|
12th |
$700 |
12th |
$400 |
||
|
13th |
$700 |
13th |
$300 |
||
|
14th |
$600 |
14th |
$300 |
||
|
15th |
$600 |
15th |
$300 |
||
|
16th |
$500 |
16th |
$250 |
||
|
17th |
$500 |
17th |
$250 |
||
|
18th |
$500 |
18th |
$250 |
||
|
19th |
$500 |
TOC |
19th |
$250 |
TOC |
|
20th |
$500 |
Holdout |
20th |
$250 |
Holdout |
| Total |
$40,000 |
$7,500 |
$15,000 |
$2,500 |
Options – All USAC Pro-Am options are paid back 100%. USAC Pro-Am events offer two $50 options – A $50 Big Bass option, which pays out the top two largest bass caught each day at a 65-35% ratio. The second option is a Top 5 Option, which pays back the Top 5 positions in that Option pool based on the final results of the tournament. The Top 5 option pays back at a 40-25-15-10-10% ratio. Both the Pro and Am anglers have their own option pools, which pay out independent of one another.
Shared Weight Program – Anglers Choice Pro-Am events utilize the popular shared weight concept. Developed here on the West Coast, the shared weigh concept allows each day’s Pro and Amateur angler to effectively fish as a team to catch their best five fish limit. The Pro and Am angler then “share” their total weight, which carries over to the next day of fishing. Pro and Am anglers are then paired up with different partners for the second day of competition and any subsequent days of fishing. The total weight each pro and co angler accrues for each day of fishing is then totaled to determine their overall weight and position in the standings.
“The advantage of the shared weight format is that it fosters a learning environment within the boat” stated USAC’s Hutcheson. “Pro anglers are all for their Am partners catching fish as it goes towards the common good of the boat. Am’s will often find their Pro partners offering tips on bait selection, techniques, and even loaning tackle in an effort to boat fish. Your $250 entry fee would not even pay for a day’s guided trip much less two days on the water with some of the top pro anglers in the west”, Hutcheson closed.
Rule Changes for the 2013 season – After discussions with our advisory committee members and feedback from other USAC anglers as to how to improve the USAC Pro-AM trail moving forward, the following changes will be implemented for the 2013 season:
- Mon-Tues-Wed off Limits. The tournament lakes will be placed off limits for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday immediately prior to the event. Official Pre-fish days will occur on the Thursday and Friday prior to the tournament.
- First come, First Serve Sign ups – Anglers (both Pro and Am) will be entered and paired up for the tournament on a first come, first serve basis. The guarantee of partners via signing up together will be eliminated.
- Wednesday Cut-off for sign ups – All participating anglers must have
the full entry fees paid to the office by Wednesday prior to the event. No
on-site sign-ups will be taken.
Sign-Ups – Competitors may sign up for the 2013 USAC Pro-Am events by logging on to www.anglerschoice.com and clicking the Pro-Am events link on the home page. You may then click on the entry form link and print out a copy and mail it in with a check or credit card. Want to go paperless? Call Sherry Harwood at the USAC office (800) 360-7112 or Bill Hutcheson (208) 442-6877 and you may sign up over the phone with your credit card.
Specific event related questions should be phoned in or e-mailed to Tournament Director Bill Hutcheson at hutch@basswest or (208) 442-6877. Again, deadline to enter each tournament is the Wednesday prior to competition. All competitors must be current USAC members in good standing to compete and qualify for prizes. You may also renew your membership over the phone at the numbers below.
U.S. Anglers Choice Tournament Coordinator – Sherry Harwood (800) 360-7112
U.S. Anglers Choice Tournament Director – Bill Hutcheson (208) 442-6877
Fish the best in 2013 – Fish U.S. Angler’s Choice.
It pays to look good with Rayjus Clothing
Your team is eligible for “Rayjus Cash” 12 months from time of purchase!
Rayjus outdoors, one of the foremost dye-sublimation printing companies in the tackle industry has partnered with US Anglers Choice to make you look your best and win some cash in the process.
“The promotion is a simple one” noted Justin Romines Co-Owner of Rayjus Outdoors. “Any US Anglers Choice team who purchases a Rayjus standard or weekender shirt is eligible to win up to $100 in cash for each USAC event they win”
The basics of the program are as follows – any team whose anglers are both wearing Rayjus shirts during competition that have both the U.S. Anglers Choice logo and the Rayjus Outdoors logo on the upper portion of the chest and wins that event (first place finish) will receive $100 if the team members are wearing a standard Rayjus Jersey. If the team happens to be wearing a Rayjus Weekender series shirt, they will receive a $50 check for their first place finish.
“Even if you have a shirt on order with us and win, we will still honor our commitment and pay the spiff we are offering”, noted Romines. “U.S. Anglers Choice fishermen really have the chance to clean up two ways – there is no limit on the number of times they can cash in on this promotion and by sporting Rayjus clothing, they are going to look professional in the process”.
Best of all, Rayjus is offering a $5 discount to any angler who places the US Anglers Choice logo on their Rayjus shirt.
This promotion is valid for all U.S. Anglers Choice sanctioned events for the remainder of the 2013 season, including TOC events. All winning anglers must submit a redemption form signed by the U.S. Anglers Choice tournament director for that particular trail or region.
To see the complete line of Rayjus clothing, log on to their website at www.rayjus.com. Check out the many different styles they have in the gallery section of the website for ideas. Chose from a multitude of stock designs or create your own. You can then place your order on line and they will send you a proof of your shirt prior to going into production to make sure that you like what you see.
