News - Mille Lacs area lands major bass tournament after DNR rule changes

[Rick]

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. 

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,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “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 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.

Fishing is a major draw for out-of-state visitors, generating $2.8 billion in retail sales and 43,000 Minnesota jobs, according to Explore Minnesota Tourism. More information about bass fishing is available on the DNR website.

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