Walmart BFL Tournament Preview
Arkie, LBL, Music City, Okie, Savannah River and Volunteer division events set for March 14
The 2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League season will continue with six tournaments on Saturday, March 14.. The Arkie Division will take on Greers Ferry Lake, the LBL Division opens their season on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes, the Music City Division heads to Dale Hollow Lake, the Okie Division begins their season on Grand Lake, the Savannah River Division competes on Lake Russell, and the Volunteer Division starts their season on Lake Cherokee. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day events.
When: Saturday, March 14, 2015
Arkie Division
Greers Ferry Lake
Devil’s Fork
73 Devil’s Fork Road
Greers Ferry, Ark.
Notes: The bass fishing on Greers Ferry Lake is expected to be good. According to recent reports, competitors can expect to find fish in pre-spawn patterns. Bass may be found residing in channel swings near deep water and main-lake points. Crankbaits, football-head jigs and jerkbaits will be baits favored by anglers. The winner of this tournament will likely need a five-bass limit weighing more than 15 pounds.
LBL Division
Kentucky/Barkley Lakes
Kentucky Dam Marina
466 Marina Drive
Gilbertsville, Ky.
Notes: Kentucky and Barkley lakes can be tricky bodies of water to figure out this time of year. However, if anglers can piece together a productive pattern there is a possibility to produce big weights. Bass will still be in their pre-spawning phase. Crankbaits, jigs and swimbaits are commonly used tournament baits during this season. Winning weights this time of year have ranged from 15 to nearly 30 pounds, but based on current conditions is expected to be right around 22 pounds.
Music City Division
Dale Hollow Lake
Star Point Resort
4490 Star Point Road
Byrdstown, Tenn.
Notes: Anglers will need to dial in the pre-spawn bass bite in order to find success this time of year. Fish will likely be focused around channel swings or along the bank. Alabama rigs and jerkbaits are often primary lures used by tournament anglers to catch suspended fish. Anglers who catch upwards of 20 pounds will be battling for the top spot in this tournament.
Okie Division
Grand Lake
Grove City Ramp
1007 North 16th St. W.
Grove, Okla.
Notes: Fishing on Grand Lake should be good this time of year. Fish should be in pre-spawn patterns and concentrated on main lake points and creek mouths. Popular baits will include spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Alabama rigs. The winner will likely need a five-bass limit weighing near 20 pounds.
Savannah River Division
Lake Russell
Richard B. Russell State Park
2650 Russell State Park Road
Elberton, Ga.
Notes: Lake Russell often produces good weights this time of year. Anglers can expect to catch bass in deep brush piles using jigs early in the day. As the water warms up, bass can be found using moving baits on main-lake points. Winning weights during this time of year have ranged from 15 to 20 pounds.
Volunteer Division
Lake Cherokee
Hamblen County Dock, Cherokee Park
3045 Cherokee Park Road
Morristown, Tenn.
Notes: Lake Cherokee in the spring will present an unfamiliar challenge for the Volunteer Division anglers. With a wide range of structure available, anglers could find bass anywhere from up shallow against the bank to deep timber. Jigs and crankbaits are baits favored by tournament anglers. The winning limit will likely weigh upwards of 15 pounds.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 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. The 2015 BFL All-American is being held June 18-20 on Kentucky Lake in Buchanan, Tennessee. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW 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.