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

KNOXVILLE, TN – The 2020 Kayak Anglers Society of Tennessee (KAST) State Championship will take place Oct. 9-11 in the waters of Fort Loudon Lake, Tellico Lake, the French Broad and Holston Rivers. 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.

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 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 two days of competition, followed by an awards ceremony on Sunday morning. Anglers compete for the chance to be named state champion, but also compete as a team for their respective clubs for bragging rights and to 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.