Douglas Lake is set to host a series of nationally coveted championship bass tournaments in early March. The Strike King Bassmaster College Series will take place on Douglas Lake March 7-8 and additionally, the Bassmaster Junior Series will launch from Dandridge Boat Dock on Douglas Lake on March 10.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Renowned for its wonderful backdrop scenery and world-class fishing, Douglas Lake is set to host a series of nationally coveted championship bass tournaments in early March.
The Strike King Bassmaster College Series will take place on Douglas Lake March 7-8 and additionally, the Bassmaster Junior Series will launch from Dandridge Boat Dock on Douglas Lake on March 10.
Douglas Lake is part of the Tennessee River system, which has hosted numerous high-profile angler tournaments in recent years, including one of professional angling’s most prestigious events, the Bassmaster Classic, hosted in Knoxville in 2019 and 2023.
The Tennessee River Basin’s growing reputation as a premier tournament fishery can in no small part be attributed to the system’s prime habitats. Robust baitfish populations – minnows, chubs, shiners and darters – provide ample gamefish forage, contributing to healthy bass populations and hefty weights.
Brandon Card, a 20-time top-10 finisher in Bassmaster Elite tournaments, grew up fishing on Norris Lake in East Tennessee, and went on to a stellar college career at the University of Kentucky, where he became the first Bassmaster College Series angler to qualify for the Elite Series.
Card, who won the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Rookie of the Year award, attributes much of his success to learning the angling ropes in the Tennessee River Valley’s lakes.
“Growing up in this area was a huge, huge help for me to pursue my dream to fish professionally,” Card told ExploreTRV.com during 2023’s Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville.
One of the things that makes the Tennessee River Valley and its reservoirs so special is the unabated diversity of places likely to hold bass.
In the vast waters of the Tennessee River Valley watershed, Card said, “You can pretty much learn every technique known to man for bass fishing.”
A common opinion among tournament anglers who compete across the country is that the Tennessee River system ranks among the healthiest large river-system fisheries in the country.
Known for lush native grasses, reliable water flows and abundantly varied shore and bottom structure, hooking up with trophy-sized fish happens all the time on reservoirs and moving waters managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which prioritizes maintenance of thriving recreational fisheries as part of its core environmental stewardship and economic development missions.
Unsurprisingly, the Tennessee Valley’s rich angling heritage is deeply rooted in the region’s culture. That results in a welcoming spirit towards visiting fishermen. East Tennessee’s 9 Lakes Region is especially notable for its diverse array of lodging, services, and well-maintained recreation infrastructure.
Veneration for fishing and the great outdoors also drives communities to take active steps in preserving the Tennessee River’s natural ecosystem. From organizing riverbank and lakefront clean-ups to monitoring water quality and assisting with habitat restoration projects, dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to sustain the Tennessee River system as an angler’s paradise – and to keep the region’s spectacular natural beauty drawing in responsible and remunerative tourism that benefits communities from the great basin’s Appalachian headwaters to its mouth on the Ohio River.
Media Contact
Julie Graham, METTC, 8655850811, [email protected], https://www.easttnvacations.com/
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