Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour championship will visit Lake Norman  March 8-12 to crown professional bass fishing’s newest world champion.

The five-day tournament will be broadcast on Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel and showcases the top 40 Bass Pro Tour anglers from the 2022 season competing for a top prize of $300,000.

“Lake Norman is absolutely thriving – it’s one of the best spotted bass lakes in the country,” said General Tire pro Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, South Carolina, who will be making his fourth career Redcrest appearance. “The lake is full of fish, and this time of the year the fishing is very good. It’s going to be a very fun tournament.

“I think you’re going to see guys catching them a lot of different ways,” Montgomery said in a news release. “The big wild card in this one is going to be the forward-facing sonar – I think it’s going to be a big factor in this event. But guys are going to catch them with typical prespawn techniques – shallow cranking, jerkbaiting, and the old, traditional standby on Lake Norman – fishing docks.”

Fellow pro Casey Ashley of Donalds, South Carolina, added, “I think it’s going to take 15 to 16 pounds a day average to win this one.” He is making his third career Redcrest appearance. “Lake Norman is fishing really well, and I think the docks are going to be big player. I’m so happy to be fishing in this event. This is a pretty tough crew on Tour that we fish against, so just making it here is a feat in itself. I’m excited, and I really want to win.”

The General Tire Take Off Ceremony will begin at 6:15 a.m., on Days 1-4, and 7:15 a.m. on Day 5, at Blythe Landing Park, located at 15901 N.C. 73 in Huntersville. Anglers will depart at 7 a.m. on Days 1-4, and 8 a.m. on Day 5, and return after competition ends at 4 p.m. on Days 1-4 and 5 p.m. on Day 5. Fans are welcome to attend all launch events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Family-friendly events will also take place throughout the weekend March 10-12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day at the Park Expo and Conference Center, located at 800 Briar Creek Road in Charlotte. Fishing and outdoor enthusiasts will have the opportunity to visit numerous booths and vendors showcasing the latest and greatest in fishing, boating and the outdoors. The biggest names in the outdoor industry will be on hand, including the professional anglers that compete on the Bass Pro Tour and fishing legends like Jimmy Houston, Roland Martin and Hank Parker.

Children are welcome to visit and play in the Bass Pro Shops Kids Zone. Visit REDCRESTExpo.com for more details
Redcrest 2023 Presented by Shore Lunch at Lake Norman will feature pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five  heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day.

All 40 Anglers will compete on Days 1 (Wednesday) and 2 (Thursday) of the event and will score their five heaviest bass each day. After two days of competition, the field is cut to the top 20  and the field is trimmed to 15 anglers on Day 4 (Saturday), then the final 10 anglers compete on Day 5 (Sunday). The winner is determined by the heaviest three-day total (15 bass) cumulative weight with the winner earning the top prize of $300,000.

The 2022 Bass Pro Tour featured a field of 80 of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country. The top 40 anglers in the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings after the seven events qualified to compete.

Television coverage of Redcrest 2023 Presented by Shore Lunch will be showcased across two, two-hour episodes, premiering at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 1 and July 8 on Discovery Channel. Starting in July 2023, MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery Channel, with re-airings on Outdoor Channel.

Sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.