BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- Bass Nation, which is part of Bassmaster, is eyeing Massena for a kayak fishing tournament in 2021, Don Meissner told the Town Council at their Wednesday, Nov. 20 meeting.

Meissner is a contracted by the town to market it as a fishing tourism destination.

Meissner said the 2021 kayak tourney would be on the Raquette and Grasse rivers.

"They're really excited about a 2021 tournament here," he said.

Meissner also told the board that Fishing League Worldwide, who hosted a major tournament in Massena earlier this year, wants to bring their pro circuit championship to Massena in 2020. It will bring the top 50 pro bass anglers in the country competing for a $200,000 first prize. The 50th place angler will still receive $10,000.

"They've never had anything like this before," he told the board.

He said FLW was impressed by the way the locals treated them when they came over the summer.

"This is why the FLW has chosen Massena. It's because of the treatment ... they've just never seen anything like that before," Meissner said. "The fact that we have the fishing expo coming here in February, it gives all the more meaning. We have a message we can spread to all the people in the northeast what Massena is."