U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship hosts best teams from around the country
Popular event celebrates eighth year cleaning up area lakes, offering new State Record Jackpot and $100,000 in cash and prizes
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – One of the largest annual events in the fast-growing sport of bowfishing is returning to the Ozarks, at the 2021 U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship.
The tournament will take place May 1-2, at the Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy in Ridgedale, Missouri, with official tournament waters on Bull Shoals Lake, Table Rock Lake and Truman Lake.
The eighth annual competition will attract hundreds of teams from across the country, all chasing the largest payout of any bowfishing tournament, with $25,000 to the winning team, part of a $100,000 guaranteed total purse.
“This tournament gives participants a unique blend of hunting and fishing, and with the competition hours at night, it’s a special experience for everyone,” said John Paul Morris, Founder of the U.S. Open Bowfishing Championship. “It helps make a big difference in conservation efforts on our waters, and throughout its history has helped lead to increased interest in the amazing sport of bowfishing.”
There also are State Record Jackpot prizes 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 2021 TRACKER 1860 CC Sportsman Bowfishing Package, valued at nearly $27,000.
Creating fun while supporting conservation
Besides offering a fun weekend for participants and families, the bowfishing event provides lasting conservation benefits for area lakes. Bowfishermen targeting non-native species, like Common Carp and Grass Carp, help improve habitat conditions for native game fish populations.
The tournament will help rid 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. Fish must be taken with a bow.
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.
Pre-registration is open through April 24. Entry fees are $300 per team of two to four persons. 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.”
Media Contact: press@basspro.com, 417-873-4567
