Visit Knoxville Sports Commission Announces 2020 Kayak Anglers Society of Tennessee State Championship

The 2020 Kayak Anglers Society of Tennessee (KAST) State Championship will take place October 9-11, 2020 in the waters of Fort Loudon Lake, Tellico Lake, the French Broad and Holston Rivers. This annual tournament showcases the top kayak anglers in the state. This year’s event will be hosted in Knoxville by Tennessee Kayak Anglers Tournament Trail (TNKATT) and the title sponsor is Dugout Bait and Tackle. Event check-in and awards will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Papermill Drive. The tournament will have 2 days of competition, followed by an awards ceremony on Sunday morning. With over 100 anglers from 11 different clubs competing each year, the TN State Championship is one of the biggest kayak tournaments in the country. Anglers compete for the chance to be named state champion, but also compete as a team for their respective clubs for bragging rights and bring home the state championship team trophy.

Tennessee is home to one of the biggest and most active kayak fishing communities in the country. Competitive kayak fishing is a rapidly growing sport and 2020 has seen that growth continue with B.A.S.S. stepping onto the kayak fishing tournament scene. Fort Loudon and Tellico Lakes recently hosted 52 of the top professional bass fishermen from across the nation at the 2019 B.A.S.S. Bassmaster Classic. This event drew record crowds attracting 153,809 people to tournament venues. B.A.S.S. is the world's largest fishing organization and has just announced its inaugural kayak series for the 2020 season and has partnered with us to make the 2020 KAST State Championship a qualifier for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic Championship.

“We are excited to continue to welcome elite fishing events here in Knoxville such as the 2020 KAST State Championship,” said Chad Culver, Senior Director of the Visit Knoxville Sports Commission. “The surrounding waters of Knox County provide the high-quality environment needed to host competitive tournaments and anglers can expect a thrilling weekend catching big bass.”

Schedule of Events and Prices:
Friday, October 9
9am - Captain’s Meeting
11am-7pm - Fishing Session
8pm - Check-In

Saturday, October 10
6am-4pm - Fishing Session
5pm - Check-In and Dinner

Sunday, October 11
9am - Awards Ceremony
Entry Fee: $100/angler

The following clubs will participate in the 2019-2020 season:
• Kayak Bass Fishing Tennessee (KBFTN) – Nashville, TN
  Ashley Chaney and Shane McIntyre
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537136146600146/

• Central Tennessee Kayak Anglers (CTKA) – Cookeville, TN
  Garrad Johnson & Robert Null
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/CentralTNKayakAnglers/

• Clarksville Area Kayak Fishing Group (CAKFG) – Clarksville, TN
  Anthony Shingler & Larry Nolan
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/434767256714143/

• Southern Mid-Tennessee Kayak Anglers (SMTNKA) – Tullahoma, TN
  John McClenney & Derrick Bailey
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthernMidTnKayakAnglers/

• West Tennessee Bass Yakkers (WTBY) – Paris, TN
  Donnie Jones & Matt Skelton
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/628107197328378/

• Tennessee Kayak Anglers Tournament Trail (TNKATT) – Knoxville, TN
  Brent Long & Andrew Dotson
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/TNKATT/

• Tri-Cities Kayak Anglers (TCKA) – Johnson City, TN
  Brandon Tomlinson & Chris Brumit
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/tristatekayakanglers/

• Tennessee Valley Kayak Anglers (TVKA) – Chattanooga, TN
  Steve Owens & Ryan Lambert
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/905156839538273/

• Clinch Mtn. Kayak Anglers (CMKA) - Speedwell, TN
  Scott Bullins & Curtis Perez
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/160029334416540/

• Cumberland Kayak Trail (CKT) - Lebanon, TN
  Zach Powell & David Klosterman
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/860398944126361/?ref=br_rs

• Northeast Tennessee Kayak Anglers (NETKA) ~ Rogersville, TN
  Jimmy Davis & Scotty Ridley
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/646425449033841/

For more information:

Andrew Dotson/Brent Long
Tournament Directors
Kayak Anglers Society of Tennessee
865.591.8497
Tnkatt2019@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/KayakAnglerSocietyOfTennessee/

Kristen Combs
Director of Communications
Visit Knoxville
865.306.4341
kcombs@knoxville.org

About KAST: Kayak Anglers Society of Tennessee (KAST) is a group comprised of two directors from each of the participating kayak fishing clubs from across the state. In the past, anglers fishing across Tennessee in multiple club trails found it difficult to judge and compete for a state championship due to varying rules and regulations. Clubs felt the need for a standardized set of rules and regulations in order to adequately and fairly judge kayak fishing tournaments, so in 2014, the idea of KAST was born.

About Visit Knoxville Sports Commission: The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission, established under Visit Knoxville in 2016, is responsible for bringing tournaments and sporting events to Knoxville and Knox County. The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission has had the honor of hosting top-tier events including the Sports ETA Symposium, USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, USA Swimming TYR Pro Swim Series, and the largest BASSMASTER Classic in B.A.S.S. history. Visit Knoxville, a 501c3 organization, is the official Convention and Visitors Bureau for Knoxville and Knox County. For more information, visit https://www.visitknoxville.com/sports-commission.