In case you haven’t noticed, Anderson County is big on fishing, with another tournament coming to Lake Hartwell on Saturday, May 8.
Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $13,000 and $3,000, respectively, in the one-day Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League event presented by T-H Marine.
Takeoff is at 6:30 a.m., with weigh-in scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Green Pond Landing, 470 Green Pond Road, Anderson. The public is invited to attend.
The 2021 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season and five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Phoenix Bass Fishing League Regional Championships.
Boaters will compete for a $60,000 prize package that includes a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000. Strike King co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro bass boat with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.
Despite the pandemic, tourism in Anderson County flourished in 2020, according to Neil Paul, director of Visit Anderson. Fishing tournaments alone accounted for more than 5,000 room nights in Anderson County between mid-August and mid-November 2020 – a number that includes hotels, campgrounds, Airbnb’s and Vrbo’s – with an economic impact of $3 million to $5 million.
Visit Anderson uses a $175 per day spend by a visiting professional angler when calculating economic impact.
“Based on that figure, you see the impact that these fishing tournaments have on our local economy,” Paul said.
On March 30, officials from B.A.S.S., Visit Anderson and Visit Greenville SC, announced that the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk will be held on Lake Hartwell March 4-6, with takeoffs from Green Pond Landing & Event Center. The 2022 tournament will be the fourth time Anderson and Greenville counties have co-hosted the world’s most prestigious professional bass tournament.
For more information on the Major League Fishing (MLF) Phoenix Bass Fishing League, click HERE.
