BETHEL ISLAND, Calif. – With a total purse of $1 million on the line this week, the full field of FLW Series anglers departed Russo’s Marina shortly after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday amid a backdrop of nearly perfect fishing conditions. With a brilliant sunrise, virtually no wind, warming water temperatures and the promise of sunshine throughout the day, anglers hit the open waters of the Delta in search of their quarry – which most anglers hope to parlay into first-place checks of $125,000 and $25,000 in the Pro and Co-angler divisions, respectively.
However, with fishing reports indicating a very aggressive prespawn bite, anglers should be prepared to return with some pretty sore arms, some huge stringers and the knowledge that 18 pounds a day probably will be little more than a footnote in this tournament, which runs from March 14-17. After all, this is the California Delta – a gigantic expanse of a fishery that consistently churns out some of the largest bass in the nation.
Throw in the fact that FLW Series competitors seem to be arriving at the Delta at almost peak spawning time, and it’s not hard to imagine that some long-standing FLW Outdoors records could be broken – if not shattered – this week. But no matter what happens, plenty of anglers undoubtedly will cash in on some of the best four days of fishing of their entire careers.
Tourney format, history
As of this year, the Wal-Mart FLW Series has undergone an historic expansion, splitting into two distinct divisions – the National Guard Western Division and the BP Eastern Division – with each sporting four regular-season events throughout the 2007 season. In the Western Division alone, which now boasts the most lucrative total purse in the history of bass fishing in the Western United States, anglers will be competing from at least 15 states, including a budding international field of competitors hailing from Japan, Mexico and Australia.
Per tournament rules, the entire California Delta field will compete in each of the first three days of tournament action. Top prize in the Co-angler Division will be awarded to the angler who nets the heaviest accumulated three-day total weight. After the third day of competition, the pro field will be whittled down to the top 10 anglers based on overall weight during the first three days. During the final day of competition, the pro winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight over the course of the entire tournament.
Although the prize money allocated for the eventual champion is significant, the lucrative total purse at the Delta will also offer up a nice payday for a good chunk of the field, including a minimum $10,000 cash prize through 50th place and a guaranteed $2,000 minimum payout through 75th place in the Pro Division alone. In addition, all anglers in the tournament will be competing for valuable year-end standings points in the hope of qualifying for the BP East-National Guard West Fishoff and a shot at advancing to the $2 million, 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million cash.
FLW Series Western Division action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. Pacific time at Russo’s Marina, located at 3995 Willow Road in Bethel Island, Calif.
On the Web
For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:20 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 52 degrees
Expected high temperature: 78 degrees
Water temperature: 50-55 degrees
Wind: NW at 11 mph
Maximum humidity: 51 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny