Classic Weigh In?

[Football Head]

Does anyone know if you have to get tickets to attend the weigh-ins each day of the classi? I checked the Tulsa convention center website but was not able to purchase tickets. So just curious if tickets are even needed? or can you just show up and get in?

[Quillback]

The web site (you can Google "2013 Bassmaster Classic") says that it is open to the public, so you don't need advance registration or tickets. Don't know if there's a door charge, but it doesn't mention it on the website. I'll probably head over there for one day myself.

[J-Doc]

I'm taking vacation days to attend. I always wanted to go to one and this is just too close to not enjoy free stuff and soaking in what I watch on TV all the time.

Looking forward to this years classic.

[Football Head]

Thanks Quillback

[Guest]

Im bringing the whole family to the classic show.

How far is the drive from the marina to the weighin show?

Ive never driven over to Grand but I might soon.

[Quillback]

The launch they'll be using is near the city of Grove, I think it's about 55 miles from Bella Vista, probably another 20 miles or so from Fayetteville. The weigh in is in Tulsa, not sure of the distance, but I'm going to estimate it's 40-50 miles from the launch to Tulsa. I'm thinking the launch parking has room for maybe 75-100 rigs, but that might be an overestimate. There's also a small park there, maybe they'll let people park on the grass also. Don't know if they'll let people park on the access road shoulders, but if so that would add some more parking. I'm thinking parking might be a little tight at the launch, but I've never been to one of these things so don't know if a lot of people show up to watch the launching and return of the boats.

[Bird Watcher]

The launch they'll be using is near the city of Grove, I think it's about 55 miles from Bella Vista, probably another 20 miles or so from Fayetteville. The weigh in is in Tulsa, not sure of the distance, but I'm going to estimate it's 40-50 miles from the launch to Tulsa. I'm thinking the launch parking has room for maybe 75-100 rigs, but that might be an overestimate. There's also a small park there, maybe they'll let people park on the grass also. Don't know if they'll let people park on the access road shoulders, but if so that would add some more parking. I'm thinking parking might be a little tight at the launch, but I've never been to one of these things so don't know if a lot of people show up to watch the launching and return of the boats.

supposedly, they are going to widen the Wolf Creek Ramp to accomodate launching of 6-8 boats simultaneously and accomodate parking for 300, but last I heard there hasn't been any work started. They received some funding from the state to help so I would think there would be some pressure to get the work completed, but one just never knows with the good ol GRDA.

[Quillback]

I didn't think about ramp width, but good point, I think as it is now there are only two single boat ramps, but it's been a while since I launched there. I wonder if they'll put in a new dock also, the existing one seems small for an event like this.

[Bird Watcher]

I copied this from another site:

Dec. 8, 2012

A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Bassmaster Classic on its way to Oklahoma, along with new facilities at Grand Lake

The Bassmaster Classic is like a Super Bowl or World Series for fishing, and the event is headed to Oklahoma this winter.

Grand Lake of the Cherokees will host the Bassmaster Classic fishing tournament Feb. 22-24, 2013. The event is expected to draw 70,000 visitors and account for more than 20,000 hotel nights in the region. Even more important, the event is expected to pump $24 million dollars into the economy of Tulsa, Grove and other communities around Grand Lake.

At its December meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission heard a presentation on the upcoming Classic. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will be involved in the event by helping with the live release of fish back into Grand Lake following each weigh-in, through booth participation at the event expo, as well as through an extensive project to help the host community of Grove to develop world class fishing, boating and tournament facilities on the lake.

With over 15 hours of national media attention on ESPN and ESPN2, the Classic will be an enormous asset to the local economies and to the promotion of fishing in Oklahoma, according to officials with the Wildlife Department. Weigh-ins will be held at the BOK Center in Tulsa, which will be filled with an estimated 15,000-18,000 spectators at each of three different weigh-in events. The winner of the Classic takes home $500,000 in prize money plus inevitable sponsorships and the most coveted prize in competitive bass fishing.

"It really is the top prize in professional bass fishing," said Gene Gilliland, assistant chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department. "It's easily the biggest fishing event that will ever come to Oklahoma."

While expressing the magnitude of the event, Gilliland also noted that the Classic represents a tremendous opportunity for developing the region further for recreational use by anglers and boaters.

"The Bassmaster Classic is going to be a starting point for a lot of things that will be happening in the Grand Lake area and 'Green Country' in general," Gilliland said. "As big as Grand Lake is and as popular as it is, it doesn't really have big-time boat launching facilities. The City of Grove has stepped up and is cooperating with us and some other partners to try to make that possible, not only for the Bassmaster Classic, but for the future."

Wolf Creek Park in Grove is being renovated to provide six boat ramp lanes, parking for up to 300, restrooms, pavilions, a drive-through weigh-in station, courtesy docks and more. The two-phase project will result in a multi-million dollar, first-class facility for the public to use.

"This facility being built at Grand Lake is not just for the big level tournaments," Gilliland said. "But the City of Grove is trying to make something that the local fishermen can use so that they have some nicer facilities to be able to do some of their weigh-ins."

Over the course of the two-phase project, the Wildlife Department will contribute about $3 million, which will be combined with several million dollars provided by the City of Grove, Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Grand River Dam Authority - which owns the lake. The second phase of the project could include other partners as well.

"It's a big deal," Gilliland said. "I'm hoping that the folks at Lake Eufaula and at Lake Texoma and Ft. Gibson and some of our other major reservoirs get really jealous about seeing all this, because we'd like to do this same kind of project at those lakes and put in some really first-class facilities at other places around the state."

A recent episode of the Wildlife Department's Outdoor Oklahoma TV show featuring the upcoming Bassmaster Classic can be viewed on the Outdoor Oklahoma Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/outdooroklahoma.

[Quillback]

Thanks for that info, Birdwatcher. Sounds like this will be a great launch once it is done. But as you said, they'd better get working on it, we're about 2 months away now.