Bass Pro Tour, National TV Audience Coming To Dale Hollow Lake In 24

The third stage of the 2024 Bass Pro Tour will be held at Dale Hollow Lake April 9-14.

The event is the largest fishing event ever hosted by Dale Hollow and the Pickett County Chamber of Commerce. The county will host 80 boats in total, each manned with a fisherman, a cameraman and a judge. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Robbins said the event is the first time Dale Hollow will be on national television.

“For what it’s going to cost us to host them, you couldn’t touch the television coverage, not even think about it,” Robbins said. You know, you get on national television for an hour, the impact nationally is going to be pretty impressive I’m sure.”

Robbins said the smaller events have had a positive impact on Pickett County’s economy, and he expects the Bass Pro Tour to have an even larger impact. The event will cost the County $15,000 to host.

Pickett County has hosted smaller Major League Fishing events the last three years and were featured on MLF livestreams covering the event.

“All our rentals, BBOs and Air B&Bs and our marinas that had cabins to rent, we filled them up,” Robbins said. “Economically, they come and they fish and most of the time they bring wives and kids with them, and when they’re not fishing on the lake, they come up to the community and eat and buy groceries and gas. Things like that make a big impact.”

Robbins said Major League Fishing and the state approached the county about hosting the event.

“The Department of State Tourism helped me hook up with this big event,” Robbins said. “They’re wanting to get on Dale Hollow Lake because it’s been designated a Bill Dance Signature Lake, one of 18 in the state.”

Fisherman Bill Dance partnered with the state to create the Tennessee Signature Lakes. The TWRA and the state agreed to invest $15 million in the 18 Signature Lakes. Robins said Pickett is using money from that to build a new boat launch.

Live broadcasts of the tournament will be available on MLFNOW, MyOutDoorTV and at MLF’s website. The tournament will also air on the Discovery Channel in July.