SLIDELL, La. – The Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers will bring postseason activity to the Pearl River Oct. 22-26 for regional competition.
The top 30 boaters and co-anglers from the Arkie, Bama, Cowboy and Mississippi divisions will descend upon Rigolet’s Bait and Seafood with hopes of securing a berth in the prestigious and lucrative 2003 Wal-Mart BFL All-American championship, where the boater champion will win $100,000 cash and the co-angler champion will win $50,000 cash – two of the largest cash prizes in competitive bass fishing.
During the regional, a full field of 120 boaters and 120 co-anglers will compete for two days to determine which six will advance to Saturday’s final day of competition. On Saturday, the top finishers will start at zero, competing for position and prize money. All six automatically advance to the All-American.
The winning boater will take home a new Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha as well as a new Chevy truck. The winning co-angler will receive an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger boat.
Anglers who failed to qualify for the regional can still have a shot at the All-American by finishing in the top six at the Chevy Trucks Wild Card, set for Nov. 5-9. The 2002 All-American champion, Eddie Waits of Pine Bluff, Ark., earned his All-American berth through Wild Card competition.
Nationwide, the BFL is divided into 26 divisions – each featuring four one-day qualifying tournaments and a two-day Super Tournament. Under the BFL’s boater and co-angler format, boaters supply the boats, fish from the front deck and control boat movement throughout the competition. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and are competing against other co-anglers. Two hundred points are awarded to tournament winners, 199 points are presented for second, and so on, except for the Super Tournament, where the winners earn 300 points, 298 points are given for second place, and so on. These points determine angler standings throughout the season. Every angler who receives weight credit earns points.
As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the EverStart Series and ultimately the Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series. Each year the top 30 BFL boaters and co-anglers from each division are eligible to advance to the EverStart Series. All-American champions are eligible for Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition. The top 10 pros and co-anglers from each of the EverStart Series’ three divisions are eligible to advance to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Former BFL anglers who have become fishing superstars on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour include Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Chevy pro Tommy Biffle and four-time FLW Tour champion David Fritts.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart BFL are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BC Powder, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, FujiFilm, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Maxwell House, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, Stren, U.S. Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.