The Mille Lacs Lake area has scored a world-premiere bass tournament following fishing regulation changes made by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that aim to attract larger bass tournaments to the lake, a DNR release said Friday.
The Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship is scheduled to take place at Mille Lacs Lake on Sept. 15-18, 2016. Bassmaster made the announcement on its website on Nov. 5. The tournament is the championship event in the 12-event national Bassmaster Elite Series.
"We are very pleased that Bassmaster has recognized something we've known for years - that Mille Lacs Lake is a world-class smallmouth bass fishery. We're thrilled that anglers from all across the nation will get to experience and see what Mille Lacs Lake and the surrounding community has to offer," DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr said in the release. "To boot, Bassmaster announced that the potential economic benefits could be $3.4 million for the region."
Mille Lacs Lake is one of the premiere bass fishing lakes in the country, ranked the 10th-best bass lake in the nation by Bassmaster Magazine. The lake is a world-class smallmouth bass fishery, attracting anglers from all around the United States in search of a lunker ready and willing to put up a fight, the release said. The lake also offers abundant largemouth bass.
The DNR in August made rule changes specific to Mille Lacs Lake involving how tournament anglers possess and sort their catches, with the goal of encouraging tournament organizers to bring larger bass tournaments to Mille Lacs, the release said.
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Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, hailed the news in his own release.
"We are all well aware of the walleye issues at Mille Lacs, but this major tournament will help highlight the wide variety of fish to be caught in the lake in addition to our famed walleye," Lueck said. "The tournament will have a positive impact on our local economy and continue to highlight the great many recreational opportunities our 'big lake' has to offer. Congratulations to all involved in landing this tournament and I look forward to the event becoming a strong success."
