HUDDLESTON, Va. – The Walmart Bass Fishing League is headed to Smith Mountain Lake March 12 for the first of five stops in the Piedmont Division. As many as 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards up to $9,500 and $3,000, respectively.

“This tournament won’t be a numbers game,” said Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va. “A limit is going to be tough to catch, but there are some nice quality fish out there. It will take about 22 pounds to win and 12 pounds to get a check.

“The jerkbait bite will be really strong and you will also see some shallow cranking,” Dudley went on to say. “Midlake is going to be the best area to fish and will probably be where the tournament is won.”

Takeoffs and weigh-ins will be at Parkway Marina located at 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway in Huddleston. Takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. while weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, offering bigger prizes to those who qualify for regional championships and those who make it to one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.