Houghton Lake host of bass championship

If Houghton Lake seems a bit more crowded next week, and if the bass fishing seems a tad tougher, there's good reason.

Houghton Lake is hosting the 2007 National Bass Anglers Association (NBAA) Classic, the largest bass tournament of the year, from May 29 to June 1.

NBAA National Director Jack Horning said that Houghton Lake was an ideal place to hold the association's biggest tournament of the year.

"Houghton Lake is a very large lake, about 22,000 acres, and it has the ability to hold 300 boats or more, which is what this tournament will call for," Horning said. "It's also a good venue because it has both smallmouth and largemouth bass, and we've had past success holding tournaments here in previous years."

Horning considers the NBAA to be unique compared to other fishing tournaments because of its affordability and a local, laid-back atmosphere.

"I would consider the NBAA to be the bowling league of bass fishing," he said. "We have over 100 divisions, and a lot are split up into different types of team divisions, such as boyfriend and girlfriend and husband and wife, to make it more fun for our members," he said. "We try to hold tournaments that don't cost much or involve a lot of travel. It's a real grassroots kind of organization."

For more on the tournament, see a preview on page D1. For information on the NBAA, visit www.nbaa-bass.com.