bass
Professional bass fishing's biggest event is getting bumped to the summer.
The Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic — often dubbed the "Super Bowl of Bass Fishing" — and Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will no longer be taking place in late March as originally scheduled; instead, the event has been rescheduled to June 11 – 13, 2021.
B.A.S.S., the international authority on bass fishing, cited the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — and associated limits on large gatherings — as the reason for the postponement.
The event will still take place at Lake Ray Roberts in Denton, while the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will take place at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Memorial Center and weigh-ins at Dickies Arena.
“It’s our hope that this delay will allow us to alleviate many of the challenges — including any potential capacity restrictions and travel complications — related to hosting both the tournament and Outdoors Expo in the current pandemic environment,” B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin said in a statement.
This would be the first year the tournament takes place in the Fort Worth area. The Bassmaster Classic has been known to reel in thousands of attendees, with recent tournaments (and their ancillary activities) held in Birmingham, Alabama, and Knoxville, Tennessee, drawing record-breaking crowds of 122,814 and 153,809 fans respectively.
At least 12 new products launched during last year's Outdoors Expo, which draws about 200 exhibitors annually. According to Visit Fort Worth, the success of the expo is a major contributing factor to the Classic’s overall economic impact. Last year's expo generated a windfall of $35.9 million, according to 2020 host community Birmingham, Alabama.
“Hosting the Bassmaster Classic later this spring will bring jobs and much-needed business to our local economy,” Jason Sands, director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission, said in a statement. “We are looking forward to hosting anglers and the thousands of outdoor enthusiasts and Bassmaster fans this world-class sporting event attracts.”
Additionally, the Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake, originally scheduled for June 10-13, will take place at the Florence, Alabama, fishery on March 18 – 21.
More information is available at bassmaster.com.
