BASS Nation Northern Regional Tournament Hosted in Clinton, Iowa
The 2022 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Regional tournament held in Clinton, Iowa, from June 28-July 1 this year was a success, drawing more than 200 people from nine Midwestern states to the Greater Clinton Region for multiple days of competition and boasting an economic impact of $142,500 for the Clinton area.
The tournament kicked off with registration and packet pick up on Tuesday, June 28, held at the Eagle Point Lodge. The fishing competition began Wednesday morning with all boats in the water and ready to launch by 5:30 am. Daily weigh-ins were staged with the Bassmaster official scales in the parking lot of the Candlelight Inn and Clinton Marina, with the final win going to Steve Lee from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who secured his win with a three-day total of 42 pounds, 14 ounces.
More than 180 anglers plus tournament staff were welcomed to the Clinton area with “swag bags” consisting of tourist information, promotional items from area businesses, and River City Gold to be used at participating restaurants and businesses. “As part of the financial commitment to hosting an event like this, we are required to provide a meal of meal vouchers for the tournament,” said Lesley Webster, Director of Placemaking & Tourism for Grow Clinton. “We were able to offer River City Gold for the food voucher, giving the guests multiple choices for dining and directing them out into our community.”
In addition to the official four days of the tournament, many competitors scoped out the area ahead of time, arriving in town up to two weeks before the event to practice on pools 13-15 of the Mississippi River. Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how many were in town, Webster offered a conservative estimate of 60 hotel nights purchased before the event.
“An event like this requires collaboration from so many entities,” Webster remarked. Both Grow Clinton and the Clinton Parks & Recreation department were involved in planning from the beginning. Mike Blaesi, President of the Iowa B.A.S.S. Nation, commented, “All of the Clinton city employees who helped with barricades, parking, restrooms and trash collection made it successful.” He thanked the Clinton Police Department for providing extra patrols throughout the event, Mayor Scott Maddaison for being in person to congratulate the winners, and the volunteers who directed boat traffic at 4:00 am each morning. Blaesi said “Thanks from the IBN anglers and staff for your hard work that made the Northern Regional a success.” He hopes to bring additional future tournaments to the Clinton region.
