GROVE, Okla. — On Wednesday, B.A.S.S. officials announced that Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, Okla., will be the site of this year’s Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance.
The 41,779-acre fishery features excellent populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass and has been the site of many major B.A.S.S. events, including the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, which is scheduled for March 22-24.
The Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees presented by Lowrance will feature competition on Nov. 6-8, with three spots in the 2025 Classic up for grabs. Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau will be the host for the event, and daily takeoffs and weigh-ins will be held at Wolf Creek Park and Boating Facility in Grove.
“Grand Lake is firmly engrained in the history of B.A.S.S. competition,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Manager GL Compton. “Some of our biggest moments as an organization have happened there, and that makes it the perfect destination for the Nation Championship.”
Grand Lake ranked ninth in the Central Division on Bassmaster Magazine’s annual 100 Best Bass Lakes list, and the lake has appeared on every rendition of the list since Bassmaster first began ranking lakes in 2012. The lake has hosted 11 major B.A.S.S. events, including most recently a St. Croix Bassmaster Open presented by SEVIIN in 2021 — an event that was won by Nick LeBrun with a three-day total of 50 pounds, 2 ounces.
Before this year’s Classic even begins, the lake has a long history of hosting the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing. It was the site of the 2013 Classic, which was won by Mississippi pro Cliff Pace, and the 2016 Classic where Oklahoma pro Edwin Evers hoisted the winner’s trophy.
“We have hosted thousands of fishing events at Wolf Creek Park in Grove, Okla., but when the city of Grove had the chance to host another B.A.S.S Nation event we were super-stoked,” said Brent Malone, director of the Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau. “Having the Bassmaster Classic in the spring and bookending it with the B.A.S.S Nation event in fall. Can it get any better?
“Many of the amenities (and the love for the sport) that the city of Grove (has) shows at Wolf Creek Park. We take great pride in being able to host anglers from all over the country, and the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship is yet another opportunity to host a championship event in our championship facility on our championship lake!”
A new format in 2024 has created more opportunities to qualify for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship — even for anglers who are not affiliated with a local club. Starting this year, both individual B.A.S.S. Nation anglers and club members from each state are allowed to enter national qualifier events, with the Top 20 finishers advancing to the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. Additionally, club anglers can qualify directly from their state tournaments.
“Interest in the B.A.S.S. Nation has risen dramatically, and our goal is to give the everyday angler more chances to make it to the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship,” Compton said. “Some working people and college students don’t have time to join a local club, so opening our regional qualifying events to unaffiliated individuals is a way to accommodate more competitors.”
Once anglers qualify for the Nation Championship on Grand they’re just one step away from achieving what most anglers dream of — a berth in the Bassmaster Classic. The top three finishers in the Nation Championship receive berths into the Classic, and the overall winner of the Nation Championship receives an invitation to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series, along with a Nation’s Best package that includes a fully-rigged truck and boat.
