BASSfest Fishing Celebration to Lure Fans to Durant
The fan-favorite BASSfest will be held June 8-12 at Lake Texoma, the nation's 12th-largest along the Oklahoma-Texas border. This will be the first time that lake has hosted a Bassmaster Elite fishing tournament, in which the winner will earn a guaranteed spot in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic, the Super Bowl of bass fishing.
In conjunction with the Elite Series fishing tournament will be the BASSfest Outdoor Expo, a fan-friendly celebration of fishing to kick off the summer June 10-12. Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant is presenting sponsor of BASSfest.
Officials expect more than 20,000 fans will attend the Expo near the weigh-in site. It will feature vendor booths, food concessions, music, local artisans and craftsmen, Kids Zone featuring Casting Kids, interactive BASS sponsor exhibits and a Bassmaster College Series fishing event.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will be represented at BASSfest. We will be handing out various free publications and answering questions about fishing in Oklahoma.
"The Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments have become extremely popular 'happenings' for bass fishing fans. By taking our fishing festivals to Lake Texoma ... we will expose the sport to new fan bases," B.A.S.S. Chief Executive Bruce Akin said. "And, our Elite Series anglers are sure to enjoy the new challenges these lakes present."
Lake Texoma, an 89,000-acre impoundment of the Red River, is known as "The Striper Capital of the Word." About 135 miles south of Oklahoma City, this border lake was the site of the 1979 Bassmaster Classic won by Hank Parker, now a popular fishing TV show host. It was the venue for Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens in 2007 and 2010.
In the '79 Classic, Parker caught 31 pounds and won $25,000 by using a "flipping stick" borrowed from fellow competitor Gary Klein, shining the national spotlight on the then-new technique of "flippin'."
Headquarters for the five-day BASSfest will be Choctaw Casino Resort at Durant. As in the two previous BASSfests, both held on Tennessee River impoundments, the 2016 event will feature a military and fan appreciation day, complete with Bassmaster University seminars, an expo and other activities.
"Choctaw Casino Resort is excited to partner with B.A.S.S. to bring the best anglers in the country to the Lake Texoma area," said Wendy Carter, marketing director for Choctaw Casino Resort-Durant. "We look forward to hosting competitors and their families, and introducing them to our many new amenities."
The mission of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is the management of Oklahoma's wildlife resources and habitat to provide scientific, educational, aesthetic, economic and recreational benefits for present and future generations of hunters, anglers and others who appreciate wildlife.
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