MARSHALL COUNTY, Ky. — Major League Bass Fishing is coming to Kentucky Lake this weekend for Stage 5 of the pro tour. With people pouring in from all over the country, Marshall County is experiencing a boost in business.
The Kentucky Dam Marina is the host site for the tournament. Sitting on Kentucky Lake, this spot offers a large area for bass fishing.
Cindi Cook, owner of the Lakehouse Inn at Sledd Creek, said the tournament is responsible for her hotel reaching capacity.
"We have a full house currently and 90% are associated with the tournament," Cook said. "The other 10% were people who just made reservations prior to the tournament, and we've even had to turn some people away that have called to ask for reservation."
The Lakehouse Inn at Sledd Creek has reached capacity due to the bass fishing tournament. Both event staff and spectators are staying there, taking up 90% of available rooms.
With a need for lodging comes a need for food, which allows the local restaurant scene to flourish, working in tandem with the hotel business.
"They were asking for recommendations on where to go to eat," Cook said. "So I know that other businesses are going to feel the impact as well."
Boats lined up on the dock at the Kentucky Dam Marina. Thursday marks the first day of qualifying with the tournament lasting until Sunday.
With the competition lasting four days, the hundreds of spectators coming in from around the country will provide a consistent surge in profits over the course of the weekend — but the economic benefits started earlier than this week.
Daniel Fennel, senior director of tournament operations at MLF, said the anglers and event staff have been bringing in business long before the fans arrived.
"Not only do they come in for this week, but before our off-limits period," Fennel said. "They've come in and they've done pre-practice on the front end, which has put money into the community."
Local economics aren't the only positive to come from the tournament. Fennel said the preservation of aquatic life is at the forefront of tournament officials' minds.
"Conservation is out of the park with this circuit," Fennel said. "This is the only circuit with the catch-weigh-release format that we have," Fennel said.
This format used in the tournament requires the fish to be weighed and released at the spot of the catch, preventing the fish from being displaced or receiving harm.
"The conservation aspect of it is unparalleled, especially times where fish are, you know, spawning or doing those things," Fennel said.
The tournament is set to start its first round of qualifying on Thursday, with the competition going through the end of Sunday.
