Anglers Gearing up for Electric Bass Angling Championship
The Electric Bass Angling Championship powered by Elco Motor Yachts is a year-long series of fishing tournaments hosted by local fishing clubs to promote the use of clean energy in water sports. More than 800 teams, comprising of thousands of anglers, have competed since the start of the tournament. The goal is to get anglers to switch to electric power when it comes time to repower their boat.
Registration for 2022
Registration is open for the 2022 Electric Bass Angling Championship (EBANC), a fishing tournament dedicated to the advancement and growth of water sports that include clean energy.
The tournament, which is sponsored by Elco Motor Yachts, is going into its sixth year with nearly a dozen fishing clubs involved in the fishing tournament. The clubs competing are primarily in Georgia, Virginia and Maryland, though the event is open to clubs throughout the United States.
Organizers say over 800 teams, comprising of thousands of anglers, have competed since the start of the tournament. Local fishing clubs organize the tournaments, which place throughout the year.
EBANC National Champions
The EBANC National Champion for 2021 is still to be determined. The National Champion for 2020 was Kevin Hollasch and Matt Elliott of Maryland participating through the Baltimore Metro Reservoir club.
The duo participated in five events with an average weight of 16.78 pounds for 500 total points. Second-place finisher Aaron Bland and Jason Brown with the Dahlonega Jon Boat Anglers in Georgia had an average weight of 8.19 pounds for 491 total points.
Raising Awareness
The Electric Fishing Network is an international network “dedicated to the advancement and growth of water sports that include energy as part of the venue.” The group says its goal is to bring excitement and competitiveness to these events while helping to keep waterways clean.
Organizers said that if only 5 percent of the 13 million registered boats in the U.S. were repowered with electricity, 1 billion pounds of CO2 emissions would be eliminated. Some lakes, which are used primarily used for drinking water, are banning combustion engines and the only option for getting out on the lake is electric power.
Elco Motor Yachts a Natural Partner
When launching the first Electric Bass Angling Championship in 2017, Elco Motor Yachts was a natural partner to promote clean energy. Elco, the original electric boat company, introduced the original production electric-powered boat in 1893, more than 100 years ago.
Today, the company offers both electric inboard and outboard motors and has been at the forefront of reliable and clean power. Its motors can be used for a fully electric set up or hybrid-electric (think Toyota Prius).
Based in Athens, N.Y., Elco Motor Yachts has five outboard offerings from five to 50 horsepower. Current models in production include the EP-5, EP-9.9, EP-14, EP-20, EP-30 and EP-50.
On the inboard side, Elco has six options from six to 100 horsepower. Models available are the EP-6, EP-12, EP-20, EP-40, EP-70 and EP-100.
New Technology
Elco says it has developed a more efficient series of marine propulsion system through the use of AC induction motors. The manufacturer claims the motor is more reliable, efficient and has a lower operating cost than a DC motor.
Elco claims the efficiency of its AC Motor is 85-92 percent, which is over 30 percent more efficient than a DC motor and over 40-50 percent more efficient than a combustion motor. The AC motor is rated for up to 50,000 hours in an all-electric package.
The all-electric package is ideal for sailboats and other displacement hulls. A hybrid-electric combination opens Elco’s products to lobster boats, trawlers and yachts in addition to sailboats.
Unlike diesel engine that uses belts, pulleys and other moving parts, the Elco EP motor has only one moving part and provide full torque throughout most of the curve.
How to Register
To register for the 2022 Electric Bass Angling Championship and for more information, visit electricfishingnetwork.com.
Elco Motor Yachts, elcomotoryachts.com
