The 2014 Dallas County High School bass fishing tournament is back for a second year with a bigger prize.

The tournament, which is run by the high school’s parent/teacher organization, will pay out $3,000 for first place this year — three times as much as last year.

“We’re hoping [the prize money] will encourage more boats to come and fish, which will help provide our school with more benefits,” said PTO president Dr. Frances Kendrick. “Our goal is to have 100 boats so we can raise $10,000 for the school.”

Like the prize money, Kendrick said the need for additional funding at the school is just as big this year, if not larger.

“The school is underfunded and we have a lot of students that are in financial need,” Kendrick said. “There are students that wouldn’t be able to participate in the programs at the school if it wasn’t for the additional funding set aside by the PTO.”

The tournament will be held Oct. 11 at the Selma Marina from daylight until 3 p.m. The entry fee is $100 per boat, with the top four finishers being awarded cash prizes. Second place will win $1,000, third place $500 and fourth place $250.

Since this is a Bass Cat sanctioned tournament, the winner could even take home more cash if he or she is fishing in a Bass Cat boat and there are at least 50 boats.

A total of 47 sponsors have helped the prize money be guaranteed this year, Kendrick said. Other sponsors have pitched in by providing door prizes.

The winner will be required to take a polygraph test.

There is a 12” minimum length per fish and five fish limit per boat. There will also be an optional big fish competition for $10 and  $5 for a raffle entry.

“We help to build relationships inside our school because parents are coming together,” Kendrick said of the PTO. “We are building friendships with other parents and teaching children how to promote and provide for their school and we are teaching them responsibility.”