The cities of Texarkana and the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce have come together to host a National Professional Fishing League tournament at Lake Wright Patman from April 20th to the 22nd.
Weigh ins will be held at Spring Lake Park each afternoon of the tournament. The winner will recieve $100,000, double the prize pool of the last tournament in 2021. Both the competition and the weigh ins will be streamed on the National Professional Fishing League’s Facebook and website. The league consists of 76 talented anglers competing to achieve the biggest catch. The event is recognized for helping Texarkana’s economy and boosting an interest in tourism. Brad Fuller, president of the NPFL, says Lake Wright Patman is a unique location for anglers to set up, and that the organization is “excited” to come back to Texarkana.
A media day was held on April 19th, with professional anglers giving advice to the young and upcoming anglers. One of the pros, Daniel McGehee, gifted the kids with advice, knowledge, a pocket bible, $100 in tackle, and a scholarship to River University in Tampa, Florida. The professional anglers came in from all around the U.S. with one of them, Ryan Satterfield, being a Genoa local who started up the Genoa School District’s fishing team. Satterfield told the youth in attendance, “I think fishing keeps you out of trouble.”
Barbara Walker, director of sales for the Hilton Garden Inn says, “Money is being spent in our gas stations, hotels, restaurants, and retail stores.” Lisa Thompson, a Texarkana, Texas spokeswoman shares this sentiment, saying “Events like this only bolster Texarkana’s economy and add to the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
The tournament begins on Thursday the 20th. For those looking for more information and for a live broadcast of the event visit the National Professional Fishing League’s website.
And for more local and national news, visit Fox Sports Texarkana’s website.