Norman & Carlson win NABC Season Opener on Sturgeon Bay
Category: npaa
May 13th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified May 13th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Norman, Carlson Win Cabela’s NABC 2015 Sturgeon Bay Season Kick-Off
Presented by Mercury Marine
Little Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.-May 10, 2015-Ontario’s Troy Norman and Andrew Carlson sacked a five-bass limit weighing 26 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Cabela’s North American Bass Circuit’s 2015 season opener on Wisconsin’s legendary Sturgeon Bay of Lake Michigan May 10.
Norman and Carlson, both of Fort Frances, claimed the $8,200 first-place cash prize plus two $450 Cabela’s cash cards. They also collected $1,500 from the big bass pot for a 6-pound, 9-ounce behemoth bronzeback that was the biggest fish brought to the scale during the event.
Sixty-six two-person teams from nine states and two Canadian provinces battled on the bay’s legendary smallmouth fishery. The field recorded a full 58 limits as 300 fish weighing 1,169 pounds, 12 ounces crossed the stage, to the delight of weigh-in fans gathered at scenic Wave Pointe Marina.
Second-place finishers Mark Raveling, of Longville, Minnesota, and Shane Raveling, of Jordan, Minnesota, weighed 24 pounds, 9 ounces, worth $4,100 in cash plus two $225 Cabela’s cash cards. Close behind with 24 pounds, 8 ounces were Jon O’Connor, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Joe Frohreich, of Pinewood, Minnesota, finished third and collected $2,050 in cash plus a pair of $125 Cabela’s cash cards. In all, the top 13 teams shared more than $29,360 in cash and prizes.
This was the first of four NABC regular-season qualifiers of 2015. The remaining schedule includes Lake Wisconsin, June 6; Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota, July 11; and Lake Vermillion, Minnesota, August 15. The NABC Championship is set for Sept. 19-20 on Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka.
Besides great fishing, competitors 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 additional 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 Garmin Grand Giveaway add thousands in cash 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, which offers $15,000 for first place and $10,000 for second, based on full fields at the qualifiers and championship. Team of the Year titles will also be awarded to the top five teams, led by a $3,600 prize package for the overall Team of the Year, which includes paid entry fees to all four 2016 qualifiers and the 2015 championship, $1,000 Cabela’s in gift cards and handsome trophies.
Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its fifth season as title sponsor of the NABC. Other sponsors include: Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats, Mercury Marine, Garmin, MotorGuide, G-Juice and T-H Marine.
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 the two-day championship. The Circuit offered more than 100 percent payback to anglers in 2014 and will do so again in 2015. 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 or call (580) 765-9031.