By Fletcher Allen and Lacey Spear
Picture premier bass fisheries, expert anglers, and prestigious awards. This is the Bassmaster Classic, gathering over 100,000 people annually and serving as the Super Bowl of the bass fishing world. The winner of the Classic gains $300,000 and boasts the most coveted title in all of bass fishing, but how does one procure this prestigious award? Here is the path to the Classic.
During all events, each angler competes to reel in the heaviest combined catches. At the weigh-in, the angler with the most weight to their name obtains first place and gains 300 AOY (Angler of the Year) points. All other anglers still acquire points, but the amount decreases relative to the angler’s event ranking. The AOY award is given to the person who accumulates the most points from all events and is on par with winning the Classic.
In this article, we’re highlighting nine lakes that will feature some of these exciting events, including the 2022 Classic!
Alabama
Lewis Smith Lake
Lewis Smith Lake is deep and clear, with a maximum depth of 264 feet. The transparency of the water — sometimes up to 20 feet — makes it the perfect place for lighter test lines and natural-colored creature bait. It is set to host three Bassmaster events this year: the High School Series on March 13, the Nation Southeast Regional April 27-29, and the Kayak Series on May 21.
Logan Martin Lake
Logan Martin Lake has a long history of tournament play because of its ideal stained freshwater conditions — the perfect place to find bass. Largemouth and spotted bass are the most popular catches, sought out under docks, laydowns, and brush piles. The College Series Wild Card will take place June 17-18 and give teams who are on a waiting list for the regular qualifiers a chance to make it to the College National Championship.
Arkansas
Lake Norfolk
Although it’s nationally famous for stripers, Norfork Lake has fantastic opportunities to catch largemouths, smallmouths, and spotted bass. Norfork has less underwater structure than other lakes, but anglers find action when focusing on limited brush piles or steep shoreline drop-offs. A high school and college qualifier will take place back to back, with the college qualifier happening April 22-23 and the high school qualifier on April 24.
South Carolina
Lake Norman
Another consistent setting for bass fishing tournaments is Lake Norman. There is plenty of cover to fish here, such as docks, bridge pilings, and creeks, but the most popular fishing spot is the hot water discharge chutes at the McGuire Nuclear Station. Baitfish crowd the warm waters, drawing in the white bass, stripers, largemouths, and spots here. A college series qualifier will take place March 25-26.
North Carolina
Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell is one of the southeast’s largest and most popular recreational lakes, measuring a whopping 56,000 acres. Anglers know it as a fantastic bass fishing lake, with species like stripers, large and smallmouths, spots, and hybrid stripers present. Hartwell has hosted many Bassmaster events in the past, including three classics. Besides hosting 2022’s Classic, there will be a Southern Open October 6-8.
Tennessee
Cherokee Lake
Cherokee Lake, a hotbed for smallmouth bass, is known for its abundant forage base of threadfin shad, gizzard shad, and alewife. This forage creates stellar fishing prospects by providing cover for three black bass species, white, striped, and hybrid striped bass, walleye, sauger, sunfish, and catfish. The Southern Open will debut on Cherokee Lake March 31-April 2.
Chickamauga Lake
Chickamauga Lake, nicknamed “The Land of the Giants,” contains hundreds of 10-pound largemouth bass. The aquatic vegetation and strategic landscaping create ideal conditions for smallmouth and striped bass, as well as bluegill, redear sunfish, walleye, sauger, and catfish. On April 7-9, the Bassmaster Elite Series will premiere on Chickamauga Lake, providing viewers the chance to see the experts take on these prolific waters.
Texas
Lake Fork
In 2021, Bassmaster magazine named Lake Fork the Best Bass Fishery in the nation. The lake was created as a textbook fishery and offers a stellar fish habitat with 80% of the standing timber remaining. On these waters, fishermen catch largemouth and white bass; black and white crappie; channel, flathead, and blue catfish; bowfin, and sunfish. On May 19-22, Lake Fork residents and guests can watch the Elite Series.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Spanning 114,500 acres, the Sam Rayburn Reservoir is the second-largest lake in Texas. This lake provides successful fishing all year round. Most fish are concentrated in the deeper water near brush piles or in creek channels, and anglers reel in largemouth and white bass, crappie, sunfish, bluegill, and channel catfish. On October 20-22, fishing fans can view the Central Open on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Bassmaster not only hosts competitive tournaments with large prize pools but also teaches bass anglers at an early age to appreciate preserving fish populations and their respective waterways. Bassmaster’s primary goal is “to advocate for clean water, habitat preservation, invasive species control, public access, and ethical fish care,” proving that there is more to bass fishing than just reeling in the largest catch.