Bass Challenge Starts Petition to Allow Bass Tournaments in North Carolina

On April 16, 2020 the North Carolina State Wildlife and Resources Commission announced all Special Use and L15 Permits required to host bass tournaments in North Carolina have been rescinded and will no longer be issued until after May 31, 2020. This announcement virtually eliminates all bass tournaments in the state of North Carolina until June of 2020.

This announcement comes after the state announced in March that these same permits would be rescinded until April 30, 2020. The Eastern NC Bass Challenge feels strongly that outdoor activities including tournament fishing should be considered essential. These activities provide mental, emotional, and physical relief from the rigors of the current social situation regarding COVID-19.

While we fully understand that stopping the spread of COVID-19 is imperative, we believe that we can safely and soundly host bass tournaments for the anglers of eastern North Carolina. Our tournaments have become a staple for bass anglers in eastern North Carolina. We believe we can provide an outlet for individuals to escape the current onslaught of negative news from social media and news outlets.

While we fully understand that stopping the spread of COVID-19 is imperative, we believe that we can safely and soundly host bass tournaments for the anglers of eastern North Carolina. Our tournaments have become a staple for bass anglers in eastern North Carolina. We believe we can provide an outlet for individuals to escape the current onslaught of negative news from social media and news outlets.

How Can We Safely Host Bass Tournaments?

We have devised a plan and routine that will call for social distancing and encourage good hygiene practices during our events. These guidelines are as follows:

• No groups of 10 or more people congregating in a specific area.
• Only 1 boat may enter the ramp area at a time to launch their vessel.
• Only 2 anglers are allowed in a vessel at any given time.
• Staggered weigh-in times to allow anglers to enter and exit the boat ramps in groups of 10 or less.
• No exchange of cash, checks, or other monetary items by hand during fishing tournaments.
• All cash prizes must be awarded digitally.
• All anglers are required to practice good hygiene by using hand sanitizer which should be made available by event coordinators.
• Any angler that has symptoms related to COVID-19 are not allowed to participate in an event

Bass tournaments take place in wide-open spaces on large bodies of water. In fact, we believe it is one of the best forms of social distancing possible. During the actual event it is virtually impossible for more than 2 people to be even relatively close to one another. If we as an organization use the tactics above during morning check-in’s and afternoon weigh-in’s, then we can have an event that is SAFE FOR EVERYONE. We’ve already exhibited this once this year as our 1st event on March 22, 2020 followed the practices listed above. The event was a success.

How Can You Help?

Do you want to make your voice heard? Then sign our petition on change.org. You can view the petition by following this link -> https://www.change.org/allow-nc-bass-fishing-tournaments

Why Did We Start This Online Petition?

While we fully respect Governor Roy Cooper and his office, we believe this is a case in which we as a people are being over-governed. We simply want to ask our government to rethink this new announcement and allow us as a people to make safe and sound decisions regarding our own health.

Thank You For Your Support

If you’re one of the many people who have signed and supported our petition, we thank you! Please continue to share your thoughts so we can collectively get back to some form of normal in North Carolina. Please contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns.