2020 Tournament Canceled

APRIL 1, 2020 – After careful consideration of the health and safety of everyone in our community, state, county, and in the sport of bass fishing –– we have made the difficult decision to cancel our annual National Lake Fork Open High School Scholarship Tournament, scheduled for July 17-19, 2020, here at Lake Fork Texas.

We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our high school students, their parents, boat captains, and sponsors. But we believe it is the right decision based on current information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are sending this message to our chamber members, former and current tournament participants, high schools that have participated in the past, and our Facebook friends. We thank everyone who has been involved in our tournament. We’ve enjoyed hosting them for the past six years and hope to continue again with tournament number seven in July of 2021. If you have any questions regarding the cancellation of this event, please contact us at: info@lakeforkchamber.org.

Tournament Director Letter

By Micheal Rogge

High school fishing is officially now the fastest growing sport in high school history. It is a sport that any kid can do and is not gender-specific. They won't need superior grade points or special physical skills. All they need is a love and respect for nature and the desire to excel.

Living and working on world renowned Lake Fork in Texas (33 of the 50 largest bass recorded in Texas were caught on this lake), the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce has put together a unique fishing tournament. It is an open format so that any child can fish even if they do not belong to an organized fishing club. They can even be home schooled.

What is the most important asset that we have for the future? Our children. They are the future and anything that we can do to help should be a priority. With today's economy, parents try to save enough to pay for their continued education. With this tournament, we improve the chances of that continued education.

The tournament continues to grow. In 2014, our inaugural year, 71 teams of three members (two anglers and a captain) participated from three states, attendance was about 1,000. At that time there were only two schools in the Lake Fork area that had fishing teams. We awarded $15,000 in scholarships during the first two years; 2014 and 2015. In 2016 and 2017, we awarded $20,000 in scholarships and prizes. In 2017, 135 teams participated, and seven states were represented. Over 2,000 people attended the 2017 tournament. In 2018 we had 121 teams competing for over $22,000 in scholarship funds!

The 2019 Lake Fork Open High School Scholarship Tournament will be held July 19-21, 2019. Tournament headquarters will be at Oak Ridge Marina. There is a mandatory meeting on July 19, 2019 at 6:30 pm.

We expect 2019 to be another exciting event! We believe the sky is the limit! We look for this to grow and become a premier event that will attract kids from all over the nation. We've had a great series of tournaments and with your help and support we can make it even better.

Thank you for your participation,