Bassmaster competitors fish the lake for a tournament in Clarksville in 2020. (Drew Taylor photo)
The Bassmaster pro fishing circuit is coming back to Buggs Island Lake with what is being touted as the biggest fishing tournament in Mecklenburg County since 1998.
Anglers in the St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing will compete on Buggs Island Lake May 3-5.
Mecklenburg County Tourism Coordinator Tina Morgan said 225 boats carrying roughly 450 anglers are registered to compete in the tournament. Practice rounds begin Friday, April 28 and end on May 2 at 1 p.m.
According to Bassmaster rules, anglers can fish in the main lake or any creeks and canals connected to Buggs Island Lake that are open to all public fishing. Waters closed to the public are also closed to tournament contestants.
Morgan said the county is “thrilled to host the Bassmaster Open here in Mecklenburg County. A multi-day tournament of this caliber will not only give us the exposure we need to attract more of these high-level tournaments but hosting 240-plus anglers for an average of seven days will have a tremendous impact on our local economy.”
Competitors and their families have booked hotels in Clarksville and South Hill, as well as cabins and campgrounds at Occoneechee State Park and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers camping facilities.
Morgan said she is “looking forward to working with the B.A.S.S. organization as they discover why Buggs Island/Kerr Lake is indeed one of the best fisheries on the East Coast.” Hosting tournaments such as the St. Croix Bassmaster Open qualifier, Morgan said, is one example of efforts undertaken by her office to promote Mecklenburg County, its attractions, historic sites, and events as a tourist destination within the southern Virginia region.
To show the visitors some Southside hospitality, Morgan is working with Coldwell Banker Advantage Realty in Clarksville to sponsor golf carts and operators to move the anglers around quickly. She also recruited junior anglers from Mecklenburg Youth Bassmasters and Mecklenburg High School Anglers fishing teams as volunteers in fish conservation efforts.
Since the open is a catch and release tournament, the young anglers will be helping to return the fish to the lake once they are weighed.
Officials with Bassmaster say that participation in the St. Croix Bassmaster Open has exploded over the past few years. But the buzz grew louder with its new Opens EQ (Elite Qualifiers) format, which includes nine tournament in three division, covering eight states.
Anglers fishing in all nine events are vying for an invitation to the Bassmaster Elite Series. The top nine anglers in the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers standings will earn an invitation to join the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Series in 2024. Individual event winners — including those who only fish one, three-event division — will be eligible for a berth in the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
Buggs Island Lake kicks off the Division 3 tournaments, followed by opens at the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, N.Y., July 20-22, and Watts Bar Reservoir in Kingston, Tenn., Sept. 13-15.
While participants in other Bassmaster tournaments are likely familiar with fishing on the Lawrence River, Bassmaster officials say the other two fisheries in Division 3 are more of a mystery. B.A.S.S. has been to Buggs Island Lake for major events only 11 times and not since 1998. Watts Bar Reservoir, which covers 38,090 acres on the Tennessee River, has hosted only three major B.A.S.S. events, all during the 1970s.
Other division tournaments will take place in Eufaula and Decatur, Alabama and Leesburg, Florida for Division 1 and in Many, Louisiana, Eufaula, Oklahoma and Osage Missouri for Division 2.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing for fans to use as they wish. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Mossy Oak Fishing, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic.
