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| More than 80 fishermen from several states will compete on West Virginia waters in the TBF Regional Championship event. Photo: West Virginia Bass Federation |
The city of Morgantown will host a major fishing event this fall on city’s Monongahela River.
Morgantown Mayor Ron Justice along with members of the West Virginia Bass Federation on Tuesday announced the TBF’s Mid-Atlantic Divisional Championships would be staged September 20-25 in West Virginia’s University City.
"Having the Mid-Atlantic here is very, very big for us," said Morgantown Mayor Ron Justice. "I think the overarching issue of this is the ability to use the river and to showcase the river and to show that it’s really made a comeback. The investment that has been made along the river is really starting to pay off."
The bass fishing tournament will draw 12-member teams from six states and Washington D-C for the tournament. Winners will advance to The Bass Federation’s National Championship Event and could qualify to fish the BFL-All American World Championships.
The 84 anglers will spend six-days fishing the waters of the Mon River. The launch each day will be at the newly built Fort Martin Ramp down stream from Morgantown near Maidsville, West Virginia. Weigh-in ceremonies will be held each day on stage at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.
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| Hazel Ruby McQuain Park has become a popular weigh-in site for big fishing tournaments in recent years. –Photo: West Virginia Bass Federation |
"It’s a good demonstration of all the governmental entities working together,” said Justice. "The city of Morgantown was very supportive of getting that ramp and frankly we didn’t have anywhere in the city limits to put that ramp. Certainly it behooves us to support that."
Although it’s the first nationally sanctioned fishing event to be staged in Morgantown, the city has hosted the state’s largest bass fishing event for the last two years with the West Virginia Bass Federation Invitational Championship tournament in July on the river with weigh-ins at the riverfront park.
Anglers will be allowed to fish up and down the Monongahela River, which includes locking down river into Pennsylvania waters. The river has gained a reputation as a quality bass fishery and its attributes will be showcased with the event.
The host state of the Mid-Atlantic Divisional Championships rotates each year. West Virginia last hosted the event in 1999 on the Ohio River in New Martinsville.
The tournament is expected to be a huge economic boom to the Morgantown area with anglers spending five days in area hotels and spending their money in local restaurants, gas stations, and other service locations. The attraction of the tournament is a result of a partnership between with the City of Morgantown, The Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau, The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and The West Virginia BASS Federation.