After hosting a stop in June, Selma is preparing to host the trail finale for Cabela’s King Kat Fishing Tournaments.

Selma will host the Cabela’s King Kat Fishing Tournament Classic on Sept. 27-29 along the Alabama River.

Elton Reece, Selma Parks and Recreation Department director, said the tournament will bring qualifying anglers from all the previous King Kat tournament trail stops to town, including some local anglers who qualified for a shot at $60,000.

“The King Kat Tournament this time is going to be the finale for all of the winners of the 25 previous tournaments, and everybody that qualified in those 25 tournaments will be here for the grand prize of $60,000,” Reece said. “It’s the World Series of the King Kat fishing tournaments.”

Since Cabela’s invites all of the winners and their families, Reece said they’re expecting 350 to 500 people at the awards banquet for Cabela’s trail finale.

Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce executive director Sheryl Smedley said events like these have a positive impact on the local economy.

“It will be a tournament that will definitely have an impact in our local economy here in Selma,” Smedley said. “They will be lodging, they will be eating and receiving hospitality here in Selma.”

Reece added the city has gotten positive feedback from tournament organizers and participants.

“The local people and the people who came here for the one in June – we had 32 teams from nine states – they loved it. It was just hot, but they loved the city of Selma, the way it looked, it was just a new place for them,” Reece said. “We’ve actually had some of the people that’s going to fish in the next tournament down here practice fishing and learning the river. They’ve been coming for a couple of weeks now. They’ll fish two or three days and then they’ll go back home, so they’ll be familiar with the river when they come back in September.”

Weigh-in for the tournament will be on Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. at the Selma City Marina.

Reece said the city will also host another Cabela’s King Kat Free Kid’s Fishing Rodeo.

“We’ll have the one at the East Selma Fishing Pond again on Saturday, Sept. 29 and we register at 9 a.m.,” Reece said. “It was a great success and we’re looking forward to that, too.”