RIVER VALLEY (KFSM)- The Big Bass Bonanza fishing tournament has been postponed because of all the rain we've gotten in the area.
Instead of happening this weekend (July 17-19), the tournament will now be held at the end of this month.
Jerry Knittig is the owner of the Tackle Box on Zero Street in Fort Smith. He said several of his customers aren't happy the Big Bass Bonanza had to be rescheduled.
“I`ve had a couple people come in and say they couldn`t change their vacations for the third or fourth time, and they were upset about it,” Knittig said.
But, he said with all the recent flooding, he understands safety is a concern.
“Unfortunately the Arkansas River fluctuates with the rainfall, so it had to be postponed,” he said.
The Big Bass Bonanza is the biggest fishing tournament in the state, where amateur anglers can fish along 300 miles of the Arkansas River.
“There`s a lot of people who come from all over the country to fish in it,” Knittig said. “It represents a lot of revenue for the state.”
“It's a different format we don't get to fish this format here a lot, but it's a good way to get your money back real quick and they give away a lot of money,” Morgan Mason, participant said. “It's a good deal.”
Organizers said the event will now be held Friday, July 31st –Sunday, August 2nd.
“I can still probably fish it anyway, so it's not a big deal,” Mason said.
Experts said there is a silver lining. Because of the flooding, there hasn't been a whole lot of fishing going on in the river.
“Pressure causes fish not to bite, and if there hasn`t been any pressure, hasn`t been a bunch of people out there on the water,” Knittig said. “You probably got a better chance of catching a fish or catching more fish.”
You can still register to participate in the tournament at the Tackle Shop. For more places to register and more information on the event, click here.