TRITON Boats Owners Ready
To Tackle Kentucky-Barkley Lakes 

Ray Scott, the "Bass Boss,"
celebrity weighmaster for
June 4-6 tournament …

PADUCAH, Kentucky - The first cast hasn't been made yet, but a "Big Fish" has already been landed for the 4th Annual TRITON Boats Owners Bass Tournament, June 4-6, 2003 on Kentucky-Barkley Lakes.

Ray Scott of Pintlala, Alabama, known around the bass fishing globe as the "Bass Boss," will serve as celebrity weighmaster for the event set for the Kentucky Dam Village.

The founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), Scott awaken the sleeping bass fishing industry in 1967 with his first All-American Invitational Bass Tournament at Beaver Lake, Arkansas. From 106 entrants, Scott parlayed the growth of the sport into the Bassmaster Tournament Trail and the organization of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society with a worldwide membership of over 600,000 anglers.

Today, bass fishing tournaments are a way of life for both professional anglers and an army of amateurs fishing events, like the 2003 TRITON Owners Tournament.

"We're expecting over 400 two-member teams this time. It's growing every year, and we've made some changes in the tournament format to handle the entries," said Earl Bentz, president of TRITON Boats, headquartered in Ashland City, Tennessee.

"First, we switched the tournament from Old Hickory Lake where we've fished previously. With 400 teams and all the fishing interest in Nashville, the Old Hickory lake fishes kind of small," explained Bentz.

That's not the case on Kentucky Lake's sprawling 160,000 acres where the TRITON teams will try to qualify on June 4th and 5th.

"Half the field will fish Wednesday (June 4) on Kentucky Lake, and practice the next day on Lake Barkley," explained co-tournament director Larry Bryant. "The other half practices on Barkley (June 4) and fishes the qualifying Thursday (June 5) on Kentucky Lake."

Bryant says the top 50 percent by weight from each qualifying day will advance to Friday's (June 6th) finals. In the final round, anglers can fish both Kentucky and Barkley lakes.

The per boat limit is five bass. Largemouth, spotted or smallmouth over the 15-inch size limit will be weighed. A 1/2 -pound penalty will be imposed for any dead fish at weigh-in.

"The past two years the winning teams posted just 11 pounds on Old Hickory," said tournament director Larry Bryant. "That probably won't make the money this time."

Recently a two-day score of 44-pounds captured a FLW tournament, according to Bryant, but recent rains and flood-conditions could mess up the TRITON teams.

"The lake's way high," Bryant added. "The gates are wide open at both Kentucky and Barkley dams and at last report the water level at seven-feet above summer pool. Locals tell me it's the highest in over 40 years."

Looking two weeks ahead, Bryant says, "If we get some more rain, they'll catch fish in the buckbushes. Normally, the bass are ending the spawn and moving out on the drops and setting up in the deeper water summer pattern."

The pre-tournament meeting and banquet will be held at the Paducah Expo Center, June 3rd, from 4-7 p.m. The tournament is open to TRITON Boat owners and their partners. Entry fee is $200.

Launch site will be at the Kentucky Dam Village ramp with weigh-ins at 3 p.m. on June 4th and 5th. Friday's (June 6th) final weigh-in will begin at 2 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins, Ray Scott and Earl Bentz will be on hand to sign autographs and take photos with fishing fans. And, for bass fishing buffs and collectors, Ray Scott will be autographing copies of his best-selling, "Bass Boss," the story of the modern-day sport of competitive bass fishing.

After final weigh-in, Scott will go fishing for the name of a lucky TRITON tournament angler. The name Scott selects will win a fully-rigged Triton TR21, powered by Mercury Outboard.

For more information on the 2003 TRITON Owners Tournament visit Triton's website at www.tritonboats.com. Or contact tournament directors Larry Bryant at Ph (615) 859-2100 and Tracy Townsend, Ph (615) 851-1674.

Polygraph tests will be given and all contestants are subject to testing and agree to abide by the outcome of the test and the decision of the tournament directors.