HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Valley Community College bass fishing program and the city of Hickory will host the 2020 B.A.S.S College Championship North Carolina State Qualifier on Lake Hickory on Saturday, Sept. 19.

The tournament will launch from Whittenburg Access on Lake Hickory starting at 7 a.m. and continuing until 3 p.m.

CVCC bass fishing coach Angela Mayo, who is entering her second year of leading the Red Hawk program, said there are many advantages to hosting this event, especially for her Red Hawk anglers.

"In most B.A.S.S. events that we fish, we fish against 249 other teams from all across the country on a lake most of our anglers have never seen. By hosting this qualifier, we will be on our home lake competing against other colleges in North Carolina," Mayo said. "The top two-angler teams in this tournament will head to the B.A.S.S. College National Championship on the Harris Chain in Florida the last week of October. Hopefully, our Red Hawk teams will benefit from the home lake advantage, and CVCC will send its first team to the B.A.S.S. National Championship."

The entry fee is $20 per team with an optional $5 big fish side pot. Entry fees can be paid (correct cash only) at the ramp on the morning of the tournament beginning at 5:30 a.m. 

All anglers must be a full-time college student with current B.A.S.S. and NC B.A.S.S. memberships.
 
Lake Hickory was created on the Catawba River in 1927 with the completion of the Oxford Dam 11 miles northeast of Hickory. The dam parallels the N.C. Highway 16 bridge over the Catawba River between Interstate 40 and Taylorsville. It is 122 feet high with an overall length of 1,200 feet. The spillway section of the dam is 550 feet long.

Lake Hickory was named after the city of Hickory and runs along its northern edge. The lake covers almost 4,223 acres with 105 miles of shoreline. Full pond elevation is 935 feet.
 
To register for this event, please email amayo095@cvcc.edu prior to Sept. 12.

Sponsorships are available for the event as well by contacting Terri Livingston at tlivingston652@cvcc.edu