By John Dobberstein, Editor
The top bass fishermen in the U.S. will be fighting it out for glory this weekend at the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove and ceremonies planned at the BOK Center in Tulsa during the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
The fishing competition began in earnest early this morning with the official takeoff at Wolf Creek Park and Boating Facility in Grove. Tournament officials and anglers were also at Bass Pro Shops in Broken Arrow today for Bassmaster Media Day.
It’s the second year in a row that Broken Arrow has gotten at least a taste of a professional sports tournament, as Cedar Ridge Country Club hosted the LIV Golf Tour last spring that was well attended.
In addition to the fishing competition, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be happening all weekend at the Cox Business Convention Center in downtown Tulsa. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
For those who want to attend, competitor takeoffs begin Saturday and Sunday from Wolf Creek Park at 7:15 a.m. For those wanting to watch the competition at home or on the road on their mobile devices, FS1 will broadcast live with the tournament leaders on Saturday and Sunday mornings before afternoon action from Championship Sunday picks up on FOX.
“Championship Sunday at the Bassmaster Classic is the pinnacle of a professional angler’s career, and watching the drama unfold live is the next best thing to being there for fans of the sport,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson.
Later Sunday night, a special Super Six highlight show will recap the Classic’s iconic winning moments.
While the Bassmaster LIVE team covers the leaders on FOX and FS1, viewers can also join Bass Fishing Hall of Fame journalist Steve Bowman and a stable of Elite Series anglers and fishing legends — including Rick Clunn, Bill Dance and Hank Parker — for LIVE Mix streaming on Bassmaster.com.
Daily weigh-in festivities can be streamed on Bassmaster.com beginning at 5 p.m. Central Time. For a full schedule, including program re-airs, visit Bassmaster.com/how-to-watch.
The 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors is being hosted by the Tulsa Sports Commission.
Grand Lake’s storied B.A.S.S. history
Grand Lake features excellent populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass and has been the site of many major B.A.S.S. events. It is not only hosting the Bassmaster Classic, but also the
Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance Nov. 6-8, with three spots in the 2025 Classic up for grabs. Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau will be the host for that event.
“Grand Lake is firmly engrained in the history of B.A.S.S. competition,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Manager GL Compton. “Some of our biggest moments as an organization have happened there, and that makes it the perfect destination for the Nation Championship.”
Grand Lake ranked ninth in the Central Division on Bassmaster Magazine’s annual 100 Best Bass Lakes list, and the lake has appeared on every rendition of the list since Bassmaster first began ranking lakes in 2012. The lake has hosted 11 major B.A.S.S. events, including most recently a St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN in 2021 — an event that was won by Nick LeBrun with a three-day total of 50 pounds, 2 ounces.
Before this year’s Classic even begins, the lake has a long history of hosting the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing. It was the site of the 2013 Classic, which was won by Mississippi pro Cliff Pace, and the 2016 Classic where Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers hoisted the winner’s trophy. For more information, go to https://www.bassmaster.com/tournament/2024-bassmaster-classic/.
Concha says
Thanks for coming to Grand Lake. We are so proud to have you all