$3,948,926.00, (that's three million, nine-hundred and forty-eight thousand, nine hundred and twenty-six dollars), is how much has been paid out in cash and prizes at CAST tournaments during the last 17 years. Last year's Classic tournament alone paid out over $100,000.00 in cash and prizes with the Grand Prize being a 2007 Ranger 518 with a 200 hp EFI Mercury motor. The suggested retail value was $35,700.00.

Not bad for a club that started strictly because another local bass club would not let my wife fish with me as my partner in the tournaments. Being a little bit immature, I said that I would just quit and start my own club where men could fish with their wives. I was told over and over again that absolutely "NO ONE" would want to fish a tournament with his wife. I was told that I was completely wasting all of my time and money trying to start such a club.

However, the driving force behind my determination to hold at least one tournament was the fact that my wife, Barbara, was not only my wife, but also my best friend. And I liked fishing with my best friend.

Driving to the very first tournament at Lake Bob Sandlin in March of 1984, Barbara asked me how many couples did we have signed up for the tournament? I was forced to tell her the truth and say, none.

"But the bright side of that," I said, "was that we could probably win the tournament if no one showed up but us." When we pulled into the motel that we were using as the tournament headquarters, there were over 20 boats parked there. Somebody must be holding a tournament I thought. It never crossed my mind that they were all waiting for us so that they could enter the first C.A.S.T. Couples tournament ever held.

We had a total of 38 couples fish with us that first tournament. Two years later at the first tournament of the season we had 176 couples fish with us at Lake Fork. Over the past 17 years, we have had a total of 4,687 different couples fish a CAST tournament. This year we have seven regions in two states that you may choose from to fish, and we truly feel that they are run by some of the best and most caring people that you will find anywhere.

CAST [Couples Association of Sport Tournaments] is the oldest major tournament circuit in Texas. U.S.Bass, Specialty Bass, Poor-Boy, Bass-N-Gals, and many others have come and gone, but C.A.S.T. is still here. These were all very good tournament circuits.

However, I think that they forgot why you started to fish in the first place---to have fun!   At C.A.S.T., we have never forgotten that having fun is the only true reason for going in the first place. We try our best and hardest to make the C.A.S.T. tournaments not only a fishing event but a social event as well. Fun and friendship is the reason that C.A.S.T. is still around and growing. If you like the blood and guts of some of the other bass circuits then C.A.S.T. is not for you. We are indeed a unique group.

We hope that you will try fishing with us once and that you will find C.A.S.T. as much fun as we do.