What to know about 2023 Bassmaster Classic: How to watch, live stream info, leaderboard
The big fish of the sports industry this weekend is the 2023 Bassmaster Classic. No, it's not an EDM DJ competition. It's all about who can catch the biggest fish.
Fishermen from around the world converge on the Tennessee River for what's commonly known as the "Super Bowl of fishing" to reel in — and release — the finest specimens of bass. Each one qualified by competing throughout the season on the Bassmaster Elite Series and earning a chance to show off their skills on the main stage.
The family friendly event is a three-day affair where the winner gets a cash prize and bragging rights for a year.
When and where is the 2023 Bassmaster Classic?
The 2023 Bassmaster Classic runs Friday through Sunday on the Tennessee River, with headquarters being based in Knoxville.
How to watch the 2023 Bassmaster Classic?
From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET., Friday's event will be streamed on Bassmaster.com.
From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, fans can watch the competition on Fox Sports 1. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET, the stream will again be hosted on Bassmaster.com.
The competition resumes at 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET on Sunday via Bassmaster.com. From 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET, the event can be watched on Fox Sports 1. The streaming concludes from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Fox.
Who is competing in the 2023 Bassmaster Classic?
Fishermen from around the world will put their skills to the test in the 2023 Bassmaster Classic. Defending champion Jason Christie of Park Hill, Oklahoma won the 2022 Bassmaster Classic, which gave him an automatic bid in this year's competition.
Angler of the Year leader Tyler Rivet, from Rathdrum, Idaho, will contend for this year's title as will Brandon Lester of Fayetteville, Tennessee, who won the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Southern Open at Kissimmee Chain.
Chris Johnston, Jeff Gustafson, Cory Johnston and Cooper Gallant will all be representing Ontario, Canada. Gallant won the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Southern Open at Cherokee Lake.
Kenta Kimura and Taku Ito hail from Hirakata, Osaka, Japan and Chiba, Japan respectively. The former won the 2022 St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open at James River.
How to see the Bassmaster Classic leaderboard?
The standings are not currently available as the fishing is underway.
Seth Feider and John Cox each got off to a good start on Friday with back-to-back catches.
See the full leaderboard at the Bassmaster Classic website.
How does the Bassmaster Classic work?
The Bassmaster Classic is a competition where fishermen race against the clock to catch the most pounds of fish. Each fish must be at least 12 inches in length to count toward the total. Once it is caught, it is measured and put into a pool of water at the back of each competitor's boat for weigh-in once fishing is complete. At the end of each day, the fish are weighed and released.
Upon the conclusion of competition on Saturday, the fishermen with the Top 25 weight totals advance to the championship round on Sunday.
After the final day, the overall weight totals are tallied and more than $1 million in cash prizes are given away. The fisherman with the highest weight total is crowned the winner and receives $300,000.