Bassmaster Classic Headed To Alabama In 2020

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The "Super Bowl of fishing" will return to the state of Alabama next year as the announcement was made this week that the Bassmasters Classic will be held at Lake Guntersville May 6-8, 2020. The 2020 tournament will be the 50th annual Classic, and marks the 13th time the event has been held in Alabama.

“It’s fitting that the golden anniversary classic be held in Alabama, where B.A.S.S. was founded more than 50 years ago,” B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin said. “Our plans are to make this the most spectacular celebration of bass fishing in history.”

Coming off a record-setting classic in Knoxville this year that had more than 153,000 in attendance and an economic impact of more than $32 million, officials are hopeful that the 50th will be the event’s best.

“As a competitor – and I know everybody in this room are real competitors – I think we need to shatter both records next year,” Akin said. “Between Birmingham and Guntersville and the state of Alabama, I’m pretty confident we can. With the record we’ve got against Tennessee in all facets of things, I think we will.”

Daily weigh-ins will take place in Birmingham at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, coupled with the associated Classic Outdoors Expo.

"The Bassmaster Classic is the Super Bowl of bass fishing and we are excited that Lake Guntersville was chosen as the fishing venue for such a prestigious event,” said Guntersville mayor Leigh Dollar. “We are so proud of our beautiful lake city and can hardly wait for all of you to come visit next March and experience Southern hospitality at its best.”

There will be 53 anglers competing for a total purse of $1 million, with $300,000 going to the winner.