Bassmaster Classic Helps Boost Business In Downtown Tulsa

Thousands of people made their way to Tulsa for what's been called 'the Super Bowl of bass fishing.' While they were here, many took the opportunity to see what the city had to offer.

Weigh-ins happened at the BOK Center where visitors from across the country were greeted with a "Welcome to Tulsa" sign.

While much of the action happened inside the event center walls, many people were excited to check out the rest of the city.

People from all over were reeled into the BOK Center to watch Day 2 of the Bass Pro Shop's Bassmaster Classic weigh-in.

While many spent the evening celebrating each contestant’s catch of the day, the Bassmaster Classic made a splash all over the city.

"We have 4,000 rooms contracted for the Bassmaster folks, but on top of that we have all the fans coming from all over the world to see this take place so all in all we're probably well over 8,000 hotel room nights," said Joel Koester with the Tulsa Sports Commission.

Many of the event's visitors dipped their toes into some local spots around town, "so we hit up Coney Island and we're probably going to go to McNellies after," said visitor Travis Wylie.

Some businesses felt the waves of the event, from just steps away, "we're extremely busy, we're on an ait, we've got lines out the door," said Arena Pub and Grill general manager Baldo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez from Arena Bar and Grill said he's seen firsthand how national events like these help the Tulsa economy.

"Events like this are huge, not just for us but also for the staff and for everybody else because it supports a lot of people being a local business in Tulsa," Rodriguez said.

While Rodriguez was happy to see his business making a splash with the event, he said it made a difference for the whole city.

"It definitely is beneficial for us, for our business, for our bottom line, but for all of Tulsa and all of downtown."