Houston Lands 2017 Bassmaster Classic
The 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic is headed to Houston.
For the first time in the Classic’s 47-year history, the world championship of bass fishing will be held on Lake Conroe March 24-26, 2017. The 21,000-acre impoundment of the San Jacinto River in Montgomery and Walker counties, Texas, is noted for producing big largemouth bass.
“Lake Conroe is a bass-fishing gem, and we’re proud to show it off to the bass world,” said Harold Hutcheson, executive director of the Conroe Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our lake ranks seventh in the state in the number of Toyota ShareLunker entries (open to bass weighing 13 or more pounds), and it’s a popular place for recreational anglers and professionals alike. We look forward to hosting some of the world’s best anglers next year.”
Although Conroe has never held an Elite Series event, many Elite Series anglers are familiar with the lake. Superstar pro Rick Clunn, a four-time Classic Champion, worked as a bass guide on Conroe during the early years of his 42-year career. He is off to a strong start toward qualifying for what would be his 33rd Classic — he won the season opener of the Elite Series in March on Florida’s St. Johns River. Clunn will be 70 years old when the 2017 Classic gets under way.
The Classic champion will earn $300,000, part of the more than $1 million in prize money to be paid out to the anglers.
Also during Bassmaster Classic Week in Houston, the nation’s leading fishing tackle and boat manufacturers will take part in the annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoor Expo, to be held March 24-26 in the George R. Brown Convention Center. In recent years, tackle and lure companies have been using the Classic Expo as the venue to introduce their newest products to bass fishing fans. The 2017 Expo will cover more than 300,000 square feet, the largest in Bassmaster Classic history.