Anglers From Around The World Come To Oklahoma For Bassmaster Classic

The Bassmaster Classic kicks off Friday morning, March 22, bringing anglers from all over the world here to Oklahoma.

It's called the Super Bowl of bass fishing. Fifty-six anglers have their sights set on some big fish and a big check for $300,000 this weekend.

This is the first time the tournament has been held here on Grand Lake in Grove since 2016.

This week, these anglers have spent time getting some practice fishing in and taking a look at the lake before the tournament starts.

There will be fishing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with weigh-ins at the BOK Center in Tulsa each night.

The field will be cut to 25 anglers after Saturday's weigh-in.

A couple of Oklahoma natives are participating, Luke Palmer and Jason Christie. Christie won the Bassmaster Classic in 2022 in South Carolina and said Grand Lake is a great spot for the tournament.

"It's just a very, very healthy lake. And saying that, I may know some of the better areas, the little tricky spots. But it's just so good. Some guy from Japan can pull up to a pocket he's never been in and literally catch a bag to win the event," Christie said.

The anglers will set out at 7:15 a.m. Friday to catch their share of fish. The weigh-ins will start at 5 p.m. each night at the BOK Center.

The outdoor expo will be open Friday morning at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa as well, and it's all free admission.