Scheduling an outdoor event for late June can be hazardous.

Heat. Humidity. Thunderstorms.

But the Samburg Tourism Committee knew the weekend of June 27-28 gave them the best window to promote their small town to anglers from all over the country.

It was hot, but clear skies and the occasional breeze kept the fish biting, and the first Reelfoot Lake Ultimate Crappie Challenge drew 162 competitors from 11 states.

“We accomplished our mission of bringing new anglers and visitors to Reelfoot Lake with hard work, sponsors, volunteers and partnerships with local businesses,” said Ed Mayberry, chairman of the Samburg Tourism Committee.

Putting together the successful tournament took 10 months of planning.

Planting the seed

The Samburg Tourism Committee is fully funded through the local hotel-motel tax and is always eager to bring in tourists and the tax revenue they generate. In July 2025, Ben Parker planted the seed of an idea.

Tourism slows in late June, and crappie trail tournaments near their end. What if the committee hosted its own event at Kirby Pocket in Reelfoot Lake State Park?

Since historic Reelfoot Lake is part of Bill Dance Signature Lakes, why not see if Bill Dance himself is available to hand out the cash prizes?

“As the idea grew, we decided to take a leap of faith and offer a $10,000 payout for first prize to meet or exceed other crappie tournaments,” Mayberry said. “Little did we know the small seed planted would grow into one of the most popular signature events held in Samburg in decades.”

Watering

Mayberry reached out to the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, which directed him to Klear Digital, the team behind the Bill Dance Big Bass tournaments.

With a Klear Digital contract in hand, Mayberry approached the Samburg City Council and Mayor Timbo Smith for approval. At that time, there was no guarantee Dance would attend, and the committee hadn’t approached the first sponsor.

When the council said yes, the work began. Mayberry and his wife, Betty, began securing sponsorships. Eventually, 23 businesses contributed cash and in-kind donations. The Southshore Resort and Boathouse Restaurant agreed to sponsor the $750 big-fish prize on both tournament days.

Organizers hit a potential snag when they discovered Kirby Pocket didn’t have the outdoor electrical service needed for the stage, sound, holding tanks and vendors. Gibson Electric and Tennessee State Parks worked quickly to solve the problem, with Gibson Electric installing poles, lines and a transformer.

During the tournament, Gibson Connect set up its Wi‑Fi trailer at Kirby Pocket to provide free wireless internet service for weather monitoring, streaming and more. The service gave competitors, vendors and guests a way to make calls and send texts in an area with limited cellular coverage.

Harvesting

With no idea what to expect for the pre-tournament meeting held Friday, June 26, at the Gilded Lily in Samburg, tournament organizers were thrilled to welcome 81 two-person teams to the field.

“Our goal was to register 75 anglers, so we were thrilled to blow that number out of the water,” Mayberry said. “We fed 200 people that night, and we were ecstatic. We knew we had been blessed.”

The tournament went off without a hitch, thanks to volunteers manning the four launch sites, handling parking for weigh-ins and dressing and frying crappie for anglers and guests to enjoy on Saturday evening.

TWRA, an event sponsor and partner, even had biologists on hand to examine the fish and glean valuable information to enhance the crappie population in all Tennessee lakes.

On Sunday, the tournament concluded with $33,750 in cash prizes, with the legendary Dance joining Klear Digital on the stage to talk to competitors, pose for pictures and share his memories of Reelfoot Lake. After the event, Dance hung around for three hours, signing autographs and talking to fans.

Dance, his daughter and niece were flown from his home near Collierville to Samburg by helicopter, an in-kind donation from Union City pilot Mike Rinker.

“We sincerely thank our sponsors, volunteers, the folks at Reelfoot Lake State Park, TWRA and Mr. Dance for making the first Reelfoot Lake Ultimate Crappie Challenge such a success,” Mayberry said. “Personally, I couldn’t have done it without my wife’s support and hard work. We look forward to hosting the tournament again next year.”