BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

MASSENA — Out of state anglers continue to flock to Massena for professional fishing tournaments, with 400 recently attending for the Major League Fishing tournament.

According to Don Meissner, sports-fishing promotion director for the town of Massena, the most recent Toyota Series competition was one of the biggest to date.

The event was the second of the summer and proved to be a hit with anglers and fans alike, he said.

“We never before had so many people enter anything here in the town of Massena. We hit 400 anglers from around the United States,” Meissner said.

According to Meissner, an economic impact survey was completed for the tournament and yielded some unexpected results.

The survey revealed that only about 15% of the 400 anglers and their families were from New York.

“They were from 40 different states around the country,” Meissner told town board members recently.

Meissner said the reactions were all positive from competitors, with many sharing what they enjoyed most about the North Country.

“The guy that won this is from Tennessee and he got up on the stage and he started raving about this. He said he came here a year ago and he was so impressed and loved the area so much that this summer he came and stayed the whole summer. And we had stories like this that abounded with this operation,” Meissner said.

In conjunction with Major League Fishing, the town will receive more detailed information regarding the impact such tournaments will have locally, as well as details about how far anglers traveled from.

All of that information will then be used to continue to improve and refine marketing and advertising efforts, officials say.

Meissner also took a moment to voice his appreciation for the numerous volunteers that assist with the logistics and planning of the tournaments.

“The reason that these tournaments have been so successful is because of the volunteers that have helped us do it. The reason people get up on the stage and they rave about Massena isn’t just the bass fishing that’s out there in the river. It’s the way they’re treated when they come here, and it’s different than any other place, and that’s because of the volunteers that make it possible,” Meissner said.

The Toyota Series won’t be the last opportunity for Massena to showcase its brand of hospitality, as more tournaments are planned through September and October.

The Phoenix Bass Fishing League - Northeast Division will hold a tournament Sept. 9-10 at the Massena Intake Dam, with the Cashion Rods Tour slated to host a one-day tournament on Sept. 30.

In October, the 8th Annual Big Bass Blowout will be held on the 7th and 8th at the Massena Intake Dam.