In Plattsburgh, flexibility reels in record number of fishing tournaments on Lake Champlain
This year, seven professional bass fishing tournaments are coming to the City of Plattsburgh. Kristy Kennedy, the vice president of marketing for the North Country Chamber of Commerce's Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, chalks that up to leaving the door open for tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic put a halt on a lot of things, like concerts, fairs and other large-scale events. But many local fishing tournaments went on as planned. Kennedy said the visitors bureau went above and beyond to work with organizers who still wanted to bring their competitions to Plattsburgh.
"We went through all the hoops, we did all the reporting," she said, "but we showed that it could still be done."
The chamber took on a challenge, Kennedy said, and it paid off, with more fishing tournaments this season than ever before. She said the visitors bureau demonstrated to tournament organizers that they could adapt to COVID protocols if necessary, an attractive feature in the yearlong planning process when no one knew what this summer's restrictions might look like.
"That’s why they kind of came forward and said, 'You already know what you’re doing. Are you willing?' And, we said 'yes.'"
Kennedy said she hopes the tournaments will provide a boost to local marinas, which have been hit hard by the pandemic. Three larger tournaments are each set to bring in 400 or more anglers at a time, and more than 2,000 are expected throughout the season, in addition to their families, she added.
The most recent study on the economic impact of the tournaments was done in 2017, when there were five competitions. That year, it’s estimated angler spending contributed more than $3 million to the Plattsburgh economy.
Kennedy said the visitors bureau also prioritized maintaining its relationship with East Coast Watercross. That organization oversees watercraft racing competitions, and will bring its national championships to Plattsburgh City Beach for the third time in July.
"It’s going to be a busy, busy time on the lake, but I think it was because of the hard work — taking all the precautions that we needed to, but still showing we had to adapt," Kennedy said. "You can’t just shut down, you can’t just say no to tourism and keep going."
All the tournaments are open to the public, and Kennedy encourages people to come out for vendors and to meet the anglers and racers. Participants in the first fishing tournament will check in this Sunday at the Dock Street boat launch in Plattsburgh.
Learn more about the bass fishing tournaments held along Lake Champlain's Adirondack Coast here.
