Fishing enthusiasts are heading to Lake Lanier this week for one of the nation’s top bass tournaments. The Forrest Wood Cup is considered the “super bowl” of fishing, and organizers are expecting the event to bring in the big names – and the big bucks.

The sport’s top pros will compete out of Gainesville’s Laurel Park. The park recently received a $1 million renovation as part of Governor Sonny Perdue’s Go Fish Georgia program.

The State Legislature passed the $30 million initiative back in 2007. Since then, the plan has worked to establish Georgia as national fishing destination.

Jeff Durniak is the Regional Fisheries Supervisor for Northeast Georgia. He says the project has also stimulated economic growth in local communities.

“We have such a diversity of habitat and fishing opportunities," Durniak says. "With these good facilities and this good national showcase that we have here, I’m confident that more folks will come down and enjoy fishing in Georgia and spend some money here. And I think that a lot of these partner communities will reap their benefits.”

The state estimates that this week’s tournament will pump between $20 million and $30 million dollars into Hall and Gwinnett Counties’ economies.

Tags: Georgia, boating, fishing, Sonny Perdue, Lake Lanier, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Gainesville, Forrest Wood Cup, Laurel Park, Go Fish Georgia