[IMG]Cunningham Memorial Bass Tournament 2008


On Saturday October 25, 2008 the 29th annual Cunningham Memorial Bass Tournament was conducted on Dale Hollow Lake. The tournament consisted of a pre-tournament meeting on Friday night and first light blast off on Saturday morning.

During the pre-tournament meeting Jimmy Carey, KSP academy staff, presented to those in attendance the reason that the tournament was first started. He addressed those in attendance about how on February 11, 1979 that Clinton Cunningham, a Kentucky State Police Trooper, was dispatched to a store in Northern Franklin County where he was ambushed and killed. After the fatal shooting he and retired Post 12 unit Terry Clancy formed the tournament to honor their fallen comrade.

On Saturday October 25, 2007, at first light, weigh masters Rick Odom and Carter Northcutt of Frankfort, KY starting the tournament by calling out the numbers of the 51 boats that participated in the tournament.

Upon completing the nine hours of fishing the team of Marty Shelley and Robert Reagan were awarded the champion and big fish trophies along with prize money totaling $2,235. The team of Shelley and Reagan came in with a sack of largemouth weighing 20.61 lbs with the big fish of the tournament weighing in at 6.64lbs.



Last years co-champion, the team of Todd Akin and Mitch Lewis, came in second place with 15.75 lbs.

The team of Michael Morrison and Timothy McDonald came in third place with a 13.91 lb sack.


Through the course of organizing the tournament much thanks has to go to the sponsors that made this tournament a success and raise over $2400 for Trooper Island. The corporate sponsor for this year’s event was Day’s boat sales and service from Frankfort, KY. Bill Day is a Ranger and Stratos boat dealer that also sales vehicles and services boats. His staff at Day’s can service Mercury, Yamaha and Evinrude out- board motors. Businesses that provided raffle prizes for the event were Ranger boats, Positively Awarding (1st place trophies), FLW, Wal-Mart, Fint’s auto and boat collision repair, KSPAA, Berkley, Amazingly Engraved (Big Fish Trophy) and Skeeter boats.

For questions about this year’s or next years tournament contact Eric Stone at eric.stone@ky.gov or (502) 330-6242.