BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — NOCO, which designs and creates premium consumer electronics including battery chargers, jump starters and related power accessories, has signed on as the title sponsor when the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to Scottsboro, Ala., to take on historic Lake Guntersville Sept. 30-Oct. 3. The NOCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville kicks off a busy schedule of fall derbies that will take the Elite Series pros to South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
“We are thrilled to partner with the team at NOCO to present what is sure to be an exciting event,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “Everyone from enthusiastic fishing fans to complete novices have been following the excitement as our anglers compete on the country’s incredible fisheries, making this the ideal platform for NOCO to showcase its innovative products to a broad audience of sports fans.”
Bass fishing has become one of the summer’s hottest sports with an audience of more than 13.2 million viewers tuning in to ESPN2 to catch 16 days of live coverage of the four most recent Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments. Between televised coverage on ESPN2 and the livestream on Bassmaster.com and ESPN3, avid fans devoured more than 398 million minutes of tournament coverage.
“B.A.S.S. presents an excellent opportunity for NOCO to engage with some of the most loyal and passionate sporting fans in competitive fishing today,” said Jonathan Nook, Chief Visionary Officer for NOCO. “Its professional anglers and many avid followers demand reliable, high-performance gear, which closely aligns with our relentless pursuit of quality.”
Not only are both dedicated fans and newcomers alike eagerly tuning in to Bassmaster tournaments, but participation in the sport is booming across the country.
According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, 81% of Americans say they’ve spent time enjoying outdoor activities during the pandemic, 31% for the first time. Many of those people are flocking to fishing, as states across the country have seen remarkable growth in fishing license sales. Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont and Louisiana all report more than 50% higher fishing license sales in 2020, according to their state conservation agencies. Considered a hotbed of recreational fishing, even Alabama has experienced a 37% jump in resident fishing license sales.
Live coverage of the NOCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Guntersville starts Wednesday, Sept. 30 on Bassmaster.com.