Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Returning To Mille Lacs Lake

ONAMIA (AP) — A major bass fishing tournament is returning to Mille Lacs Lake.

The 2017 Bassmaster Angler of the Year tournament runs Sept. 14-17. The top 50 anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour will compete for the Angler of the Year title.

Eric Lopez of the Bass Angler Sportsman Society says last year's event, which brought the tournament to Mille Lacs for the first time, couldn't have gone better.

Local businesses and the state are promoting the big lake as a bass fishery to help make up for the decline of its walleye population.

Over three days of fishing last fall, the top 50 anglers caught 729 bass for a total three-day weight of nearly 2,900 pounds. Minnesota angler Seth Feider won it with a three-day total of over 76 pounds.