Major League Fishing to bring All-Star event to Smith Mountain Lake

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Major League Fishing (MLF), one of the top professional bass fishing circuits in the world, will bring its 2025 General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Stars event to Smith Mountain Lake. The nationally-televised, big money tournament will be held from May 17 to May 22 of next year.

Not only will it provide a national spotlight on the quality fishing and tourism Smith Mountain Lake provides, it is expected to generate tens of millions of dollars for the local economy. Millions will watch the event on television while thousands of people are expected to attend the event in person over the course of the tournament week.

Visit Franklin County and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge were instrumental in bringing the tournament to Smith Mountain Lake.

In a release from MLF, Franklin County Tourism Director Kevin Tosh said: “Hosting the Major League Fishing Heavy Hitters event is the result of more than a decade of strategic stocking, conservation, and fish care efforts by local anglers, business owners, and tournament organizers.”

Smith Mountain Lake holds great numbers of smallmouth and largemouth bass. A Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources program to stock F1 hybrid largemouth is partially credited with attracting the tournament. F1 hybrids are a cross between northern strain largemouth and Florida strain largemouth. Florida largemouth are genetically predisposed to grow large quickly. By some estimates, 13% of the largemouth in Smith Mountain Lake weigh in excess of four pounds. Fish of those weight in good numbers are prized by tournament anglers.

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