After Bassmasters in 2018, Anderson set to host B.A.S.S. premier event in 2019 at Hartwell

For the second straight year, a national bass fishing organization will stage its most prestigious event in Anderson.

Alabama-based B.A.S.S., which sanctions tournaments in 47 states and 10 countries, has scheduled its top 2019 event, the Nation Championship, at Hartwell Lake's Green Pond Landing. The B.A.S.S. tour is not as lucrative as Bassmaster events, but feature many of the same competitors.

The date has yet to be selected, but will most likely be held in October, one month after the final regional championship event is staged at Sebago Lake in Maine.

Earlier this year, Bassmasters held its premier event at Green Pond Landing. That event drew a total attendance of 143,323, a Bassmaster Classic record and 33,000 more than attended the event in Houston a year earlier. It was the third time in 10 years that the championship event was staged in Anderson.

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The 2019 event will be hosted by Visit Anderson.

The 56,000-acre Hartwell Lake is one of the largest venues for the B.A.S.S. competitions.

“Our team at Anderson county could not be more excited about hosting the 2019 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship again at Green Pond Landing and Lake Hartwell,” said Neil Paul, executive director of Visit Anderson.

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“Our community enjoys a tremendous amount of success whenever we’re hosting the great folks at B.A.S.S.," Paul said. "We owe a great deal of credit to B.A.S.S. for their part in helping to make Lake Hartwell a championship fishery and Green Pond Landing one of the top facilities in the nation."

The top three finishers from the 2019 Nation Championship will earn a spot in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic. The winner will also receive an invitation to fish the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series.

Attendance at Green Pond Landing this year for the daily launch exceeded 9,000 spectators, an average of just over 3,000 per day.  More than 14,000 visitors attended the Bassmaster Get Hooked on Fishing, a family-friendly event to introduce kids to fishing.  Fan Appreciation Day attracted 1,400 of the most avid fans to meet anglers, view equipment and get autographs and photos. 

In addition to tourists, the event brought national exposure. A record number of viewers watched live coverage on Bassmaster.com, ESPN3 and ESPN, and more than 200 national media representatives attended the event. 

Hotels sold more than 1,500 rooms in Anderson County and more than 5,500 in Greenville County, bringing overall hotel occupancy to 87 percent, a significant increase over the same days in previous years, when occupancy typically is around 77 percent.

Area inns averaged a daily rate of $121, $19 more than the normal price for the date.

According to the Destinations International Economic Impact calculator, the region enjoyed an estimated economic impact of more than $18 million during the Bassmaster Classic. That includes $11.6 million in direct business sales and an indirect impact of $6.56 million.

Follow Abe Hardesty on Twitter@abe_hardesty or email abe.hardesty@independentmail.com