LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - San Francisco Giant first basemen and Hudson native Brandon Belt is hosting what many are calling the biggest amateur fishing event on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
The event will be February 3-5, 2022 on the Sam Rayburn Reservoir. There will be 400 boats allowed in the tournament. The top 20 from the cumulative weight from Thursday and Friday will move on to Saturday. No one fishing in the tournament will be allowed to fish on the lake Monday-Wednesday leading up to the event.
“I would love to come out here and change someone’s life,” Belt said. “That is the ultimate goal. It would be a lot of fun for me to see that. Like I have told everyone else, I am a go big or go home type of guy and this was the best way to do that.”
The winner of the tournament will get a guaranteed $100,000. A total of $400,000 will be given out throughout the event. The angler with the biggest catch on Thursday and Friday will win a Basscat boat valued at around $70,000.
“I wanted to give back to the guys that fish Rayburn and our local anglers,” Belt said. “I wanted to give them the chance to win money. I have a new love for bass fishing and I thought this would be a good way to do it.”
Belt’s first love is baseball but his high school baseball coach Glen Kimble got him hooked on fishing.
“Once I finally came out to the lake and threw my first cast I was hooked,” Belt said. “I am not great at it but I go out and have fun. This event could be good for those at my level you may find a lucky spot the first two days and find yourself in the Top 20 for the third day. You might get lucky and just get that one big catch that brings you the brand new boat.”
Fishers of Men Ministries will be bringing out their trailer which will allow for a proper weigh in of the catch. The event will also be used to raise money for the non-profit that helps orphans in Brazil.
“We have a mission program called Fishing to Feed and we partnered with an orphanage in Brazil called the Father’s Heart,” Director of Ministries Dick Polk said. “They have about 75 kids down there and our program is designed to help feed those kids down there. They really need help right now. Some of the missionaries have not been able to get back down there because of the pandemic and COVID-19 is still a serious problem down there.”
“It is a great charity,” Belt said. “It is a huge reason why I wanted to get with them. They have the same goal of helping out.”
The entry fee per team is $800. First place will win $100,000. Second place will win $30,000. Third will win $25,000. Fourth will win $20,000 and fifth place gets $15,000. The top 50 places will get money.
More information on the event and how to signup can be found here.
Copyright 2021 KTRE. All rights reserved.