Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions have led organizers to cancel the upcoming 2020 Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, Illinois. 

The annual fishing tournament-invasive species protest and river party is known to draw hundreds of people from across the state and country to the tiny Illinois River town of Bath in Mason County on the first weekend in August. Organizer Betty DeFord says the Redneck Fishing Tournament began as a quirky protest against the invasive Asian carp that have taken over vast stretches of the Illinois River. The fish crowd out native species and ruin sport and commercial fishing. But they are most notorious for shooting out of the water when spooked by passing boats….

The tournament is unique in many ways, most notably that fishing poles aren’t used. Instead, contestants see how many fish they can net as the Asian carp jump out of the water.

The 2019 tournament was also canceled because of severe flooding and the damage left behind at the boat launch and nearby grounds.