Leesburg and Lake County are preparing to welcome the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship and participating anglers to the Harris Chain of Lakes.
The championship, which will be held Thursday, Oct. 29 through Saturday, Oct. 31, is expected to draw more than 130 teams of anglers from around the nation.
“On behalf of our great partners at Visit Lake and the City of Leesburg, we are so pleased to welcome the 2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College Team Championship to Lake County,” said Jason Siegel, CEO and president of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “Our community is appreciative of the opportunity to host the College Championship for the first time. We look forward to providing a safe and enjoyable atmosphere and are confident that the anglers and their families will have a wonderful experience in Lake County this fall.”
The championship will launch each day at 7:30 a.m., with weigh-in at 3:30 p.m. daily. Launch and weigh-in will take place at Ski Beach at Venetian Gardens in Leesburg. Anglers will be able to fish the entire Harris Chain of Lakes, which includes Lakes Harris, Little Harris, Apopka, Beauclair, Carlton, Dora, Eustis, Griffin and Yale.
Qualifications for the championship are based on team finishes in four college tournaments held around the country. Only one tournament was completed before events were postponed due to COVID-19, with the others being completed earlier this fall. The College Championship tournament will crown the national championship team, as well as the 2020 Bassmaster College Series Team of the Year.
Additionally, anglers on the top four teams will earn a chance to compete for a berth in the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic at November’s Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket Challenge on Alabama’s Lay Lake.
“We are thrilled to host the 2020 Bassmaster College Championship,” said Lake County Commissioner Tim Sullivan. “Lake County is the premier destination for visitors to experience ‘Real Florida. Real Close.’ and is home to the best bass fishing lakes in the Southeastern United States.”
For information about the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship, visit https://www.bassmaster.com/college-bass-fishing. Those interested in the event also can visit the official tourism site for Lake County at www.visitlakefl.com.
