Oklahoma’s Grand Lake to Host MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven

Oklahoma's Grand Lake offers scenic beauty and fishing diversity to the 80-angler Major League Fishing roster when the MLF Bass Pro Tour visits the well-known northeastern Oklahoma lake as the 2019 series' Stage Seven event, May 31- June 5.

March 18, 2019 • Major League Fishing • Bass Pro Tour

TULSA, Okla. (March 18, 2019) – Major League Fishing® (MLF) announced today that Oklahoma’s signature bass destination, Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees, will host Stage Seven of the 2019 MLF Bass Pro Tour from May 31 through June 5.

Simply called Grand Lake by most, the 72-square-mile reservoir sprawls across much of Oklahoma’s northeastern corner. It is the state’s third-largest body of water in size, but offers the greatest diversity in depth and structure.

“We are so excited to have the MLF Bass Pro Tour coming to Grove and Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees,” said Donnie Crain, President of the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our lake has rightfully earned a reputation with professionals and amateurs alike as one of America’s top bass fishing lakes.

“Hosting an MLF Bass Pro Tour competition solidifies that reputation even more because of the event’s prestige and pro lineup. We look forward to hosting MLF’s great anglers and invite everyone to come join us in Grove to meet them and see for yourself why Grand Lake is so wonderful to visit and fish.”

High-profile, big bass events are no stranger to the 79-year-old lake, especially in more recent years since the City of Grove, the Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation and the Grand River Dam Authority have teamed up to complete millions of dollars in improvements to the Wolf Creek Park and Boat Ramp area near downtown Grove.

Retired Major League Fishing boat official, Oklahoma’s John Bond, shows off the kind of quality Grand Lake bass the MLF pros likely will see during their visit to his home lake at the end of May.

“Few places can rival the venue, enthusiasm and expertise afforded by Grand Lake, the Wolf Creek facility and the folks of Grove,” said Michael Mulone, MLF Senior Director, Events & Partnership. “There’s no doubt the red carpet will be rolled out for this event and that the fishing here will make for a genuine shootout among the country’s very best anglers.

“Of course, we also like the fact that Grand is in MLF’s own backyard, and that means our fans will have a chance to meet a lot of MLF staff from our Tulsa headquarters. Don’t miss this one!”

Among the Bass Pro Tour’s 80-man field are six Oklahoma pros: Tommy Biffle (Wagoner), Zack Birge (Blanchard), Jason Christie (Park Hill), James Elam (Tulsa), Edwin Evers (Talala) and Jeff Kriet (Ardmore).

The Grand Lake Stage Seven event is the penultimate in the eight-event Bass Pro Tour season. Two have been held to date, with Stage Three taking place at the end of the month in the waters of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Bass Pro Tour season will culminate with a championship held in August.

The Grand Lake competition, as with each of the Stages, will result in its own two-hour television episode that will air on Discovery Channel in the fourth quarter of 2019. It will repeat on Sportsman Channel in first and second quarters 2020.

MLF also has programming on Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network and Discovery Channel, and all episodes are available on-demand on My Outdoor TV (MOTV).

For more information about MLF and its anglers, rules and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

About Grove Area Chamber of Commerce
The Grove Area Chamber of Commerce is the principal business-driven leadership organization responsible for fostering the economic growth and development of Grove and Grand Lake, Oklahoma to ensure that business and industry may operate profitably and enhance the earning opportunities and quality of life for residents. To learn more, visit GroveOK.org or find the Grove Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook.

About Major League Fishing

Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). New for 2019, the Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV. MLF uses the entertaining and conservation-friendly catch, weigh and immediate-release format where every scorable bass counts and the winner is the angler with the highest cumulative weight. For more information on the league and anglers, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more in-depth coverage, see Game & Fish magazine, the official publication of MLF.