Major League Fishing announced today that the 39th annual BFL All-American will be held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. in 2022. The tournament, scheduled for June 2-4, will showcase some of the nation’s best weekend anglers and award the winner up to $120,000 cash.
The three-day, no-entry-fee-championship hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs is the sixth All-American to be held in Hot Springs – a record for the most times a city has hosted the event. It will provide an estimated $1 million economic impact to the region.
“The entire Hot Springs community is proud to have been selected as the host city for the 39th annual (All-American) in 2022,” said Steve Arrison, Visit Hot Springs CEO. “Hot Springs loves pro fishing and bringing the tournament back to Lake Hamilton for the fifth time is a real testament to our city’s ability to make the anglers feel welcome, while also providing the opportunity for them to have a great time on and off the water.
“Aside from the million-dollar economic impact that the All-American will bring to the city, the people of Hot Springs are simply great fans of the excitement that the event brings to town. We love the weigh-ins and the entertainment that surrounds the tournament and participants – we can’t wait to host the event again in 2022.”
The championship was previously held on Lake Hamilton in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2008 and on DeGray Lake, also in the region, in 2010.
“We are thrilled to bring the 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American back to Lake Hamilton,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF executive vice president and general manager. “We’ve had great success hosting tournaments in Hot Springs over the years and the community excitement coupled with the competitive fishery has made bringing our All-American championship there an obvious choice.”
