Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship returns to the Ozarks
Registration to Compete for Largest Prize Purse in Bowfishing Now Open
Championship to Showcase Best of Bowfishing, Benefit Conservation this Spring
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The premier championship in the rapidly growing sport of bowfishing – the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship – will return to the Ozarks from April 30 – May 1, 2022, with team registration now open at basspro.com/bowfishing.
The ninth annual competition will be hosted at the Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy in Ridgedale, Mo., with official tournament waters on Table Rock Lake, Truman Lake and Bull Shoals Lake. The popular event is open to the first 250 teams to register and offers the largest payout of any bowfishing tournament, providing a $100,000 guaranteed total purse of cash and prizes and $25,000 grand prize. In the first 24 hours of registration opening this week, more than 170 teams from around the nation signed-up to compete in the 2022 Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship.
“Bowfishing offers a unique blend of hunting and fishing – and once you’ve tried it, you’re hooked for life,” said John Paul Morris, Founder of the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship. “We’re thrilled to host the U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship and look forward to welcoming the best in the sport to the Ozarks. Most importantly, this annual tournament directly improves habitat in some of America’s best reservoir fisheries, furthering our company’s commitment to conservation these last 50 years.”
In addition to the largest payout in the sport, State Record Jackpot prizes are available, with the harvest of a Missouri or Arkansas state record Grass Carp, Common Carp, Buffalo or Long Nose Gar on tournament night worth $10,000. A top-five finish in a TRACKER Bowfishing Boat will mean bonus cash as well, with $10,000 added to the $25,000 for the first-place team. The first- through fifth-place teams receive guaranteed payouts.
All anglers pre-registering will automatically be entered into a drawing for a 2072 Grizzly Bowfishing Package, valued at more than $38,000.
HAVING FUN WHILE SUPPORTING CONSERVATION
Besides offering a fun weekend for participants and families, the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship provides lasting conservation benefits for area lakes. Bowfishing helps reduce populations of harmful, non-native fish species, such as Common Carp and Grass Carp. Native game fish benefit from this population reduction with improved habitat and water quality.
The tournament will help rid local waters of “rough fish.” No game fish may be shot during competition. Any legal non-game fish may be weighed in. Most common species include Long Nose Gar, Short Nose Gar, Buffalo, Bighead Carp, Common Carp, Grass Carp, Silver Carp and Suckers.
Visitors are welcome to attend the event and enjoy vendor booths, seminars, food and live music, shooting lanes, an ATV course and prizes for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Entry fees are $300 per team of two to four persons and all teams must pre-register online. For entry information and complete rules, visit basspro.com/bowfishing.
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About Bass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”
