Th3 Legends Signed up to Fish Charity Tournament
Cast for a Cure event set for Old Hickory Lake in early November
Three legendary bass anglers have teamed up to lend their support to the first annual Cast for a Cure Big Bass Tournament on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville Saturday, Nov. 4.
Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and Roland Martin – Th3 Legends, as they’re collectively known – will participate in the charity event, whose purpose is to raise funds for cancer research.
Additionally, Nashville performers such as Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Chris Young, Frankie Ballard, Brothers Osborne and others will fish in a little friendly competition against each other for bragging rights and to raise money for cancer research.
Sanders Ferry Park at 513 Sanders Ferry Road in Hendersonville will serve as tournament headquarters. The event begins at 8 a.m., and weigh-ins are set for 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. for general registrants. Spectators are invited to attend the weigh-in and mix and mingle with Th3 Legends and celebrities.
A separate “celebrity weigh-in” is set for 3 p.m. at Sanders Ferry Park. Concurrently, a “Party in the Park” for spectators and visitors is free and open to the public and will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pavilion No. 8. The event will include live music as well as food samples from Jim ’N Nick’s Barbecue, Dunkin’ Donuts and others.
“We are thrilled and grateful to join forces with legendary anglers Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston and Roland Martin to raise money for cutting-edge cancer research and help save lives,” says Tinti Moffat, Southern Region executive director of the T.J. Martell Foundation. “The participation of Th3 Legends has attracted anglers of all ages throughout Tennessee and surrounding states. We couldn’t be more pleased with the community involvement in our first tournament and hope to make it an annual outing. We also invite spectators to join us at Sanders Ferry Park to mix and mingle with the legends of fishing and celebrities, and help us fund a cure.”
The tournament entry fee is $200 for adults and $75 for youngsters 14 and under. Online registration will be open through 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, and onsite registration will be available from 6 a.m. to the tournament’s start at 8 a.m.
Prizes for the heaviest single fish in the weigh-ins at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. are $750, $500 and $250 for first, second and third, respectively, in the adult division; youngsters 14 and under will be vying for $150, $125 and $100 at each weigh-in.
For the heaviest single fish overall, the grand prizes are $4,000, $2,000, $1,000 and $500 for first through fourth places in the adult division and $250, $200, $150 and $100 for first through fourth in the youth division.
“Roland, Bill and I are really excited to be a part of this project to raise money for cancer research,” says Oklahoma bass pro Jimmy Houston, one member of the Th3 Legends trio. “Cancer touches every family in this country in some form or fashion, and we’ll do anything we can do to help eradicate it. So, we’re looking forward to spending some good times with other fishermen and sharing in a worthy cause on Old Hickory Lake.”
Robert White, the assistant tournament director, says Old Hickory typically fishes tough in November, as the lake is going through a transition period that sees bass and bait moving out of coves and back into the main lake.
“There’ll be some topwater and spinnerbait action in the shallower water first thing, but it’s like anywhere else: If you hit Old Hickory right you can have a great day, but it can be a struggle at times,” says White. “There are 10-pound bass in that lake, but they’re usually caught in the spring of the year when the spawn is on. Typically, 5- and 6-pound bass are more the norm for this time of year. The important thing is, regardless of the size, somebody’s going to catch those winning fish no matter what they weigh.”
A prize of $1 million awaits the lucky angler who catches and weighs in a new state record largemouth during the event. The current record is 15 pounds, 3 ounces and was caught from Lake Chickamauga in 2015.
About the T.J. Martell Foundation: The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry’s leading foundation that funds innovative medical research focused on finding treatments and cures for cancer. The Foundation was founded in 1975 by music industry executive Tony Martell and his colleagues in loving memory of Martell’s son, T.J., who died of leukemia when he was 19 years old. The Foundation has provided more than $280 million for research at seven flagship hospitals in the United States. For more information regarding the T.J. Martell Foundation, visit tjmartell.org.