Walmart BFL tournament preview at a glance
The 2012 Walmart BFL season continues with six tournaments on Saturday, March 17. The Bama division continues on Lake Eufaula, the Cowboy division continues its season on Toledo Bend, the LBL division opens on Kentucky/Barkley Lake, the Mountain division opens on Dale Hollow Lake, the Piedmont division opens on Kerr Lake and the South Carolina division continues on Lake Wylie. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing in each event for top awards up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively. Anglers may register online or by calling (270) 252-1000.
When: Saturday, March 17, 2012
Where: Bama Division
Lake Eufaula
Lakepoint Resort State Park
104 Lakepoint Drive
Eufaula, Ala.
To sign up to fish this event, click here.
Notes: The bass on Lake Eufaula are currently in a great pre-spawn pattern. Water temperatures are steady in the mid- to upper-50s, and the water clarity ranges from slightly to moderately stained. The lake level is higher than normal for this time of year, and up over 4 feet. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs are all expected to be used by anglers in this tournament. Fish are being caught along ledges in 6 to 12 feet of water, but are starting to move shallow. Eufaula will be a hot fishing destination this spring, and this should be an extremely competitive tournament.
Where: Cowboy Division
Toledo Bend
San Miguel Park
381 San Miguel Road
Zwolle, La
To sign up to fish this event, click here.
Notes: Toledo Bend Reservoir is seeing extremely warm temperatures for this time of the year. Anglers are catching bass that appear to have already spawned, which can be attributed to lower-than-normal water levels and the mild winter. Some bass remain on beds still, though. Water temperature is around the mid-60 degree range, and up to 70 degrees in the shallow water. Senkos, spinnerbaits, jigs and Carolina rigs will be factors in this tournament.
Where: LBL Division
Kentucky/Barkley lakes
The Moors Resort & Marina
570 Moors Road
Gilbertsville, Ky.
To sign up to fish this event, click here.
Notes: Bass are beginning to move up for the spawn on Kentucky/Barkley lakes, and anglers know this means some of the best fishing of the year. Water temperature is in the mid- to upper-50s and expected to rise with warmer weather being forecast. The bite is being reported as being extremely good right now, with multiple largemouth and smallmouth being caught off of main lake points and the deeper flats and channel banks near the bays and creeks. Jerkbaits, crankbaits and the Alabama rig are some of the baits that will be used by our tournament anglers.
Where: Mountain Division
Dale Hollow Lake
Star Point Resort
4490 Star Point Road
Byrdstown, Tenn.
To sign up to fish this event, click here.
Notes: Bass fishing on Dale Hollow Lake is being reported as fair according to recent angler reports. Water temperature is right around 50 degrees, with the smallmouth bite being hotter than the largemouth bite right now. They are being caught early and late in the day, from 10 to 30 feet of water. Soft plastics, jigs and jerkbaits will be used in this tournament. Angler versatility will be a key to victory in this tournament.
Where: Piedmont Division
Kerr Lake
Nutbush Park
115 Jack Wade Farm Road
Henderson, N.C.
To sign up to fish this event, click here.
Notes: Water temperatures on Kerr Lake are in the lower 50-degree range, and the bass are beginning to move to staging areas for the spawn. Good numbers of fish are being reported with average bass being around 3 to 4 pounds, but up to 5 to 6 pounds. The fish are being caught shallow in 1 to 8 feet of water. Rat-L-Traps, jigs, jerkbaits and soft plastics will be used by anglers in this tournament.
Where: South Carolina Division
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd’s Landing
2990 Old Charlotte Highway
Lake Wylie, S.C.
To sign up to fish this event, click here.
Notes: Fishing on Lake Wylie has been fair recently. The unpredictable weather patterns have put a damper on the largemouth bite, but they are still being found. Water temperature is in the lower 50-degree range, and with warmer weather being forecast the bass are expected to be in pre-spawn mode. Carolina rigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jigs are predicted to be effective for our tournament anglers. With the unusual weather, water clarity is muddy and could have an effect on tournament strategy.
Walmart BFL overview
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.