The winning team of the Crappie Masters National Championship powered their boat with ethanol. The 2019 season concluded last week with Robert Carlile and Craig Nichols coming out on top with a two-day weight of 31.97 pounds at Grenada Lake in Grenada, Mississippi.

The National Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association were co-title sponsors of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail for the third consecutive year.

“We’ve had a dream season,” said Carlile. “When we are filling up our boat before coming to the tournaments, we never think twice about filling up with E10. We will continue to put ethanol in our boat.”

“We are proud to use E10 in our boat and be a part of the group of winning teams who use ethanol,” said Nichols. “Our engine runs great when using ethanol-blended fuel. We see the benefits of running ethanol in our engine first-hand.”

The team received a $2,000 bonus from the Missouri Corn Growers Association for voluntarily using E10 fuel in their boat.

“Ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 40%-45%, meaning a cleaner environment for marine life,” said Jay Schutte, Missouri farmer and Ethanol Action Team Chair for NCGA. “Ethanol has many benefits and being a part of the Crappie Masters National Tournament gives us the opportunity to share the advantages of ethanol with anglers.”

“This tournament and the rest of the season has provided a fun and visual way to educate people about the power of high-octane, low-carbon ethanol,” said RFA Vice President for Industry Relations Robert White. “Each year, it’s given us the opportunity to reach thousands, if not millions, of people around the country who now know that E10 fuel is good for all of their engines, not just for cars or trucks.” 

The 2019 tournament schedule kicked off in February and ran through last week in nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The National Championship next year will be held in Louisiana.

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