The La Crosse region will be on full display this weekend, as more than 300 anglers hit the Mississippi River for the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier.
The event — which runs Friday-Sunday — marks the largest qualifier of its kind ever hosted, putting a national spotlight on the area’s premier bass waters.
It’s one of many both statewide and national events that are bringing in a lot of new faces to La Crosse showcasing the region.
“What we benefit so much from is what we call the ripple effect in showcasing that,” Explore La Crosse’s Jeremiah Burish said on WIZM last week. “Those types of outdoor recreational sports on the national level to an audience that may have never heard of La Crescent, Minnesota, or even La Crosse, for that matter.”
Burish added that those families then see the Coulee Region “as a destination to come travel to because the riding is so good. And we see that too with the river and fishing tournaments. And then they book their leisure travel with their family to come fish here because it’s just such a unique place. It’s beautiful. All the amenities are here.”
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As for this weekend’s tournament, while the anglers will be navigating miles of wing dams and backwater channels across Pools 7, 8, and 9, Veterans Freedom Park will serve as the tournament’s high-stakes hub for daily 6 a.m. takeoffs and 2 p.m. weigh-ins.
The goal for these 300 competitors is the 2026 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Lake Hartwell — a legendary 56,000-acre “Bass Heaven” on the South Carolina-Georgia border.
Only the top 10% of the field will advance to the championship, where a $50,000 top prize and a dream-ticket to the professional Bassmaster Elite Series are up for grabs.
During last season’s championship on these same waters, a 7-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth was landed, and it took a total of 77 pounds over four days for Wisconsin pro Nick Trim to take the win.
According to tournament organizers, smallmouth are expected to be a major factor this week as they hit the beds in gravel eddies just off the main river, while largemouth move into backwater areas to prepare for the spawn.
Fans can follow the live action and weigh-ins on Bassmaster.com
