Junior Collis Bass Tourney Set For Sinclair

If you have remotely followed the sport of competitive bass fishing, the name Junior Collis should ring a bell. Although he was the first Georgian to qualify for the coveted Bassmaster Classic in 1973, the champion of one of the toughest events in B.A.S.S. history on South Carolina’s Lake Keowee and the brains behind the ever-famous Carolina rig, you wouldn’t know it by talking to him.

Junior’s primary goal in life wasn’t fame or the inevitable notoriety that came with his accomplishments. He just wanted to help people—young or old, black or white, male or female—catch more bass. And he did that better than anyone.

The legendary Junior Collis passed away on March 27, 2013. Although he may not be with us physically, his memory and legacy remain anytime a child casts a bobber into a farm pond or whenever someone, like myself, is able to make a living following the road he paved.

The Junior Collis Memorial Bass Classic on Lake Sinclair Nov. 16 is presented by the Baldwin Backlashers and will be hosted by Berry’s Tournament Trail. Based on a 200-boat turnout, there will be a $10,000 guaranteed first-place prize, and a $5,000 first-place price based on 150 boats. The entry fee will be $160 per boat including a big-fish pot, and the tournament will pay back 80 percent.

The tournament will support Georgia Cancer Support, a nonprofit. If you are unable to attend, donations can be made to GeorgiaCancerSupport.com. All donations are tax deductible.

For info, call Bobby Berry at (770) 787-6179.