Imagine going fishing, and collecting $100,000 for catching one bass.
One pro angler can do that this week on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes as Major League Fishing (MLF) will hold the fifth General Tire Heavy Hitters Presented by Bass Pro Shops.
This All-Star tournament will feature 30 pros who qualified from the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season, with the heaviest total from those seven events, competing in a no-entry-fee tournament. Anglers will also be awarded Big Bass Bonuses during the competition, that pay up to $100,000 for catching the single biggest bass.
In addition to the tournament, Big Bass Bonuses are awarded in each round of competition with payouts of $10,000, $30,000 and $100,000 awarded to the single biggest fish in each round.
This event marks the fourth time that the MLF Bass Pro Tour will hold an event on the Kissimmee Chain – extending Kissimmee’s record as the most-visited venue on the Bass Pro Tour. The first ever Bass Pro Tour event was held on the Kissimmee Chain in January of 2019.
When the Bass Pro Tour last visited the venue to open the season in 2023, Chris Lane, of Guntersville, Ala., used his understanding of Florida bass to coax bites from the heavily pressured fishery and catch enough bass to take home the big red trophy and $100,000 payday.
“The Kissimmee Chain is a big bass factory – we’re going to catch them all over the place,” said Lane, who grew up fishing the chain with his grandfather, father and brothers. “I think it’ll take an 8-plus-pounder every day to win the big bass award.
“All four lakes – Hatchineha, Cypress, Toho and Kissimmee – are good, and any cast on the chain could be a giant,” Lane continued. “I think guys are going to spread out, and we’re going to see some substantial weights.”
Anglers will launch each day at 7:30 a.m. from Big Toho Marina. Each day’s General Tire Takeout will be held at the park, beginning at 4 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on its SCORETRACKER® coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Saturday and Sunday from 1-6 p.m., MLF will welcome fans of all ages to the marina to watch the pros live, enjoy free food, enter to win hourly giveaways and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel from Pure Fishing each day. Heavy Hitters competitors will cross the stage at 4:30 p.m. following lines out and will be available to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.
After each two-day qualifying round (Saturday and Monday, Sunday and Tuesday) is complete, the top eight anglers from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round. The remaining 16 anglers compete to finish in the top 10 to advance to the Championship Round. In Thursday’s final-day Championship Round, the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
Major League Fishing (MLF) provided information for this report.
