WELCH, Minn. – Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division anglers will have one last chance to earn valuable points when they visit the Mississippi River Sept. 6-7 for the division’s final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament. The tournament will feature as many as 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers and will pay out as much as $70,950, including as much as $9,600 to the winning boater.
Anglers will take off both days from Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Welch. After Saturday’s competition, the top 20 percent of the field will advance to day two, and the winner will be determined by the heaviest two-day accumulated weight.
Following the Super Tournament, the top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Beaver Lake regional in Rogers, Ark., Oct. 14-18, where they will compete against qualifiers from the LBL, Okie and Ozark divisions for a slot in the 2004 All-American. With a $100,000 top cash award going to the winning boater, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and most lucrative events in competitive bass fishing.
The BFL comprises 24 divisions nationwide, each featuring five regular-season events. Points are accumulated through four one-day events that award 200 points to the winner, 199 for 2nd, 198 for third, and so on, and one two-day Super Tournament that awards 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points.
The top six boaters and top six co-anglers from six regional competitions will advance to the All-American. Anglers who competed in all five regular-season events within their division but did not advance to regional competition are eligible to compete in the Chevy Trucks Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a field of 84 All-American contenders.
Heading into the Mississippi River Super Tournament, Doug Yule of Camdenton, Mo., leads Great Lake Division boaters with 759 points after four regular-season events. He leads second-place boater Jeff Ritter of Prairie du Chien, Wis., by four points. Kevin Killhauer of Iowa City, Iowa, leads the Co-angler Division with 711 points, a three-point lead over Michael Huffman of Fort Madison, Iowa.
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 boaters and co-anglers from each BFL division are eligible to advance to the EverStart Series, and the All-American champions are eligible for Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition. The top 15 pros and co-anglers from the Central, Eastern and Northern divisions of the EverStart Series (top 10 from the Western Division) 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.