Bass Fishing Fans In Downtown Tulsa For Bassmaster Classic Kickoff Party

Thousands of bass fishing fans are in Green Country this weekend for the Bassmaster Classic bass fishing tournament.

They kicked off the celebrations with a block party Thursday night in Downtown Tulsa.

People from as far away as Philadelphia and Des Moines are in town just for the Bassmaster Classic- and they are ready for it to get started!

The Bassmaster Classic is bringing the world’s best bass fishers to Green Country for the weekend.

It also brings in super fans like Steve, Jodi, Grant, and Collin Nore from Iowa.

"We just rolled into town but it looks like they rolled out the welcome mat for us,” said Steve Nore. “So far, having a great time down here, hoping to rub elbows with some locals and maybe run into some pros, that would be pretty cool too."

"This is the closest the classic has been for us in a while, so I figured we'd show up,” said Grant Nore.

Fans at the block party got to see the dog jumping contest, hear live music, and learn more about bass fishing.

They all say they are looking forward to getting the weekend started.

"Because I love being at the BOK and I seen Koe [Wetzel] come in with his boat, we seen the boats came in on the dock,” said Camden Bennett, who came to the party with his parents and sister.

The organizers of this weekend say they wanted to put on an event to show off Tulsa to the visitors and get them familiar with the lay of the land.

"We hope everyone learns a little about fishing, a little more about the outdoors, and to be honest, we just hope people come out and have a good time,” said Eric Lopez, the Director of Event Operations for B.A.S.S. “We like celebrations, we like parties, and really, that's what this weekend is all about."

Fans say they love the community the sport creates.

"Bass fishing, in general, it's a great community; everybody is really friendly,” said Steve Nore. “And a bad day fishing always beats a good day working."

The tournament starts Friday at 7:15 a.m. out at Grand Lake in Grove.