Byrdstown Welcomes 2-Day Fishing Event This Weekend

The Dale Hollow Spring Bass Classic takes over Byrdstown this weekend, delicious bait to hook visitors.

Byrdstown Mayor Sam Gibson said the lake is the most important tourism asset in town. Gibson said this weekend’s tournament along with the recent Major League Fishing tournament event showcase the area.

“We want heads in beds,” Gibson said. “We want people to come in here and spend two or three nights, two or three days, and that way, they’re going to help our tourism money that’s coming in, and they’re also going to be eating and buying gas and so forth. So, they’re going to help the overall economy.”

Gibson said many people who watch the Major League tournament on television this fall may not realize what great fishing is available at Dale Hollow Lake. He said he believes this tournament can help the town recruit bigger tournaments in the future.

“We will get more in return than what we’re spending out for that,” Gibson said. “And sometimes, that’s a little hard, really, to explain to people, how we may invest a few dollars in this tournament, but yet, in the long run, we’re going to get considerably more than that back, and that’s what we look at in recruiting.”

He said the town turns down plenty of similar tournaments that may not bring back the same return on investment. He said he does not want to take away too much time from regular fishermen from within Pickett County, and those who travel to the lake to cast a line or two. Gibson said the town has begun receiving hotel-motel tax this year, making recruitment more feasible and increasing the long-term monetary benefits of events that drive tourism.

“We’ve hired a tourism director and hopefully, we’re going to be able to get more of this information out to people that we’ve got all these rentals out here that we do have, where we can house these people that come to these tournaments,” Gibson said. “And if we get a little more of that, then it’s going to give us even more of an advantage in getting more of these people in.”