Bassmaster Classic Tournament to be economic boost - KOAM TV 7

Grand Lake area businesses are looking forward to an economic boost from a professional bass fishing tournament.

The Bassmaster Classic Tournament starts Friday and is expected to pump $26 million into the Tulsa-Grove area economy.

More than 100,000 spectators are expected to travel to the tournament and thousands will come to Grove to watch the fishing event on Grand Lake.

Many of the 53 pro-anglers have already made their way to town to pre-fish ahead of the weekend's contest.

Despite most of the pros and spectators staying in Tulsa and not Grove, the area chamber of commerce says they are looking toward the long term.

"The main hope here of course, with a lot of the tournament occurring in Tulsa, we're hoping for a lot of comeback money, so we're hoping that the fishermen once they're here and see what a great lake we have will be coming back at later times," says Lisa Friden, President of the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce.

The professional bass fishing tour runs Friday through Sunday on Grand Lake.  Weigh-ins will be conducted in Tulsa after anglers leave the water at about 3 p.m. each day.