Sam Amico
Videos by OutKick
The hunt for bass is likely to kick some … well, butt in Fort Worth, Texas.
More specifically, the Bassmaster Classic will be held in Fort Worth this weekend and is expected to generate about $20 million for the local economy, per NBC 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth.
And the fisherfolks are coming from all over the world. “Of the 54 anglers set to compete, two have traveled from Canada while another two have traveled from Japan. The remaining 50 contenders are from the U.S., with five from Texas,” NBC 5 reported.
While the revenue for Fort Worth is expected to be noteworthy, whoever wins the tournament won’t exactly go home broke. This year’s first-place prize is $300,000. So it’s win-win all the way around.
Along with that, Bassmaster Classic estimates that more than 130,000 on-lookers will attend the event, opening their wallets in the Fort Worth area.
“You got hotels, restaurants, and entertainment but you also need at least couple hundred square feet to fit all the exhibitors and sponsors, and then we get a good fishery,” B.A.S.S., LLC CEO Bruce Akin told NBC 5. “These are best anglers in the world. They competed all year in 2020 to qualify for this event.”
So bring your fishing rods and debit cards. Some of the world’s top anglers are about to embark on Fort Worth, ready to kick some serious bass.
For the uninitiated … “Pro Bass Anglers” are very similar to NASCAR drivers of the 90s- early 2000s. They come from middle-class Middle America … majority from Carolinas, Tenn, Ga, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Okla. Although “The Tom Brady of Bass Anglers” – Kevin VanDam – is from Kalamazoo, MI. “Good guys” who appreciate their fans. There is no age limit but most are late 20s to early 50s. They don’t claim to be “athletes” … they are “Outdoor Sportsmen”.
Tournament purses are “good” but nowhere near the mega-$$$ of PGA Tour. The $$$ is in corporate sponsorships … and YouTubes. The Top 100 “names” wear shirts covered in sponsor logos – think NASCAR. Same with their $100,000 bass boats equipped with space-age electronics.
Oh… and there is ZERO Wokeness – SJWs – Cancel Culture in pro fishing. It may be the purest No Politics sport left.
Never mind Fort Worth, but other North Texas cities such as Denton (near where Lake Ray Roberts is located) will see some benefit as well. And yes, this is definitely a big deal around these parts…