Grand Lake/Tulsa To Host Major League Fishing Championship in 2021

Major League Fishing is bringing its championship round to Oklahoma for the first time next year.

Grand Lake will host the REDCREST Bass Pro Tour Championship in 2021 where the top 30 MLF pros will come to Oklahoma to compete for a $300,000 prize in a 5-day tournament.

The event will also bring a 3-day Outdoor Sports show to Tulsa’s River Spirit Expo, which will include with meet and greets with pros, seminars and entertainment. It will also showcase the latest fishing, hunting and boating gear.

Green Country is a great fit with not only with exceptional bass fishing, but also because centrally located and can easily draw in big crowds from neighboring states. Which Tulsa and Grand Lake have both seen hosting major fishing events in the past.

Tulsa Regional Tourism President Ray Hoyt said hosting the championship will have a huge economic impact for Tulsa, boosting tax revenue from hotels, restaurants and shops.

For Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum welcoming the MLF championship to the greater Tulsa area is something to look forward to once after a tough start to 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“At a time when our tourism industry, and those around the world, are struggling, this news is a welcome reminder that our community will bounce back quickly as a visitor and event destination," said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum.

The top 30 anglers from the 2020 MLF season will go on to compete in the REDCREST Championship on Grand Lake in February 2021. The current season was supposed to wrap up in July, but is on hold due to the Coronavirus. The MLF has currently only completed three of its eight stages.

Like so many other industries, the MLF is navigating these new waters, following the advice of public heath leaders and hoping get the tour going again as soon and as safely as possible.

“As our nation shelters to protect our neighbors and our families from this unprecedented situation, we find comfort in knowing that we have the 2021 REDCREST to look forward to,” said MLF co-founder Boyd Duckett. “Fishing is inherently a socially distancing sport and with proper precautions can be at the forefront of our nation’s economic recovery.”

Oklahoma's Own, Edwin Evers, won the $300,000 prize during the 2019 REDCREST Championship and he also won the Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake 2016. After the first three stages of the 2020 MLF season, Evers sits at 29^th place.

The 2021 REDCREST Bass Pro Tour Championship is set for February 23-28. It will launch from Wolf Creek Park on Grand Lake in Grove.

“The City of Grove is very excited to be chosen as the launching site for a tournament as prestigious as the 2021 REDCREST Championship,” said Mayor Ed Trumbull. “We will be looking forward to having the best anglers in the world utilizing Wolf Creek Park and fishing on Grand Lake O’The Cherokees.”

The championship will put Grand Lake and Tulsa on a world stage with 60 hours of live broadcasts, 11 hours of original programming that will air on CBS and the Discovery Channel, plus 100 hours or re-airs on the Sportsman Channel and CBS Sports.

Major League Fishing is headquartered in Tulsa, including its broadcast studio.