2020 Bassmaster Classic
The 2020 Bassmaster Classic, officially the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic Presented by Huk, was the 50th in the annual series of fishing tournaments hosted by BASS. It was held on March 6–8, 2020 on Lake Guntersville, with weigh-ins at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex arena.
The event was televised each morning on ESPN2 and also streamed live via the Bassmaster.com website. Hank Cherry of Lincolnton, North Carolina was crowned champion. Cherry's three-day haul totaled 65 pounds 5 ounces, propelling him ahead of Todd Auten and Stetson Blaylock at the top of the field of 53. The winning purse was $300,000. The total purse for all competitors was just over $1,000,000.
The weekend also included the Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia at Lake Logan Martin and the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at the Convention Complex.
A total of 122,814 people attended some portion of the event. The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated the economic impact of the event for the area at $35.9 million. The tournament and expo was one of that last large events held in the area before restrictions placed on public gatherings due to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic.
References
- "Birmingham, Lake Guntersville to host 2020 Bassmaster Classic" (April 23, 2019) BASS Communications press release
- Patchen, Tyler (May 5, 2020) "Bassmaster Classic generated $35M economic impact." Birmingham Business Journal
External links
- Bassmaster Classic at ESPN.com