IOUE Local 148 Charity Buddy Bass Tournament Comes To Lake Of The Ozarks

The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 148 is pleased to announce that they are bringing their 27th Annual Reel Help for Kids Charity Buddy Bass Tournament to Lake of the Ozarks. Scheduled for September 20, 2014, this tournament could bring an estimated 200 boats to the lake, all here to help raise money for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.

“The whole objective of these tournaments is to raise money for organizations that battle childhood diseases,” says Brian Favier, one of the tournament’s organizers. “Since the start of our event, we have raised over $1.7 million for Cystic Fibrosis, Cardinal Glennon and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.”

Favier says they are excited about their change of venue. For the past 26 years, the tournament has been at Truman Lake. With all the lodging, restaurants and other amenities Lake of the Ozarks has to offer, Favier thinks having the tournament here will make organizing the event easier. He also hopes it will make registering for the event more attractive to a larger number of anglers.

                The entry fee is $150 per boat. Pre-tournament check-in is Friday September 19 at Public Beach # 2. That evening anglers registered for the tournament can partake of a bratwurst dinner complete with chips, soda and beer. Take-off is Saturday morning around 6:30 a.m., with coffee and donuts available at the launch site. That evening after anglers return from their day of fishing, they are served a BBQ pork steak feast and have the opportunity to participate in a silent & live auction open to everyone. Numerous attendance prizes are given away. The last order of business is announcing the winners and giving away the grand prize.

The top winner takes home $1000. “We keep the winnings on the lower end because we want as much of the proceeds as possible to benefit the charity,” says Favier. “But the grand prize can be anywhere between $2500-$5000 in cash and prizes, and you don’t even need to catch a fish to win! Everyone who registers is eligible to win the grand prize, but this year you do need to be present to win.”

One year Favier says a newlywed couple that broke down on their way to the tournament actually won the grand prize, and they never even got out on the water. Another year, Cobra donated a brand new, fully-rigged boat that was won by a gentleman celebrating his birthday that day.

“About 75% of anglers registered for the tournament are repeats,” says Favier. “The tournament becomes like a family reunion. It’s lots of fun, and we’re looking forward to having it here at Lake of the Ozarks this year.”

To participate, anglers can’t earn more than $5000/year in tournament earnings. The organizers like to make the tournament welcoming to fishermen who might be intimidated by competing with professional anglers.

                For more information about the tournament, visit www.oe148.org or call Sarah at 314-865-1300, ext. 120.