The Michigan Division of the $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League will start the 2004 season on Lake St. Clair near Mount Clemens June 26 with a $32,850 event. The tournament, which is the first of five regular-season Michigan Division events, will feature as many as 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers competing for their share of the prize money as well as points that will count toward postseason competition.
Anglers will take off from Metro Beach in Mount Clemens at 7 a.m. Weigh-in will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. The community is encouraged to attend the takeoff and weigh-in.
The winning boater will earn as much as $5,000 cash based on a full field, and if the winner is a participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, he will receive another $1,000 from Ranger Boats and $500 from Yamaha if his boat is powered by Yamaha. (Ranger will award $500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant if not the winner, and Yamaha will kick in $250 if the boat is powered by Yamaha.) If the winning boater uses only Garmin electronics during the event and at least one product is a qualifying unit, Garmin will award him another $1,000. Bombardier will award $1,000 to the winning boater if the winner’s boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude Direct Injection outboard. That’s a potential top award of $8,000 for anglers who meet contingency guidelines.
The winning co-angler will earn as much as $2,500 cash. The angler who catches the biggest bass of the day in the Boater Division will earn as much as $1,000, and the co-angler big-bass winner will earn as much as $500.
The top 30 Michigan Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kentucky Lake Regional presented by Yamaha Oct. 12-16 in Gilbertsville, Ky., where they will compete against anglers from the Choo Choo, Great Lakes and Hoosier divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American championship event. The top six finishers from six regionals and the Chevy Trucks Wild Card will advance to the All-American. With $100,000 going to the winning boater and $50,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in competitive bass fishing.
The BFL comprises 24 nationwide divisions, each featuring four one-day events and one two-day Super Tournament en route to postseason regional competition. Any angler who competes in all five events within a division but does not advance to regional competition is eligible to compete in the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for an All-American berth. Like regionals, the top six anglers from the Wild Card will advance to the All-American for a total field of 42 boaters and 42 co-anglers.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 for third, and so on, except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings.
The Michigan Division’s second stop will be July 10 on the Detroit River in Trenton, followed by an event Aug. 7 on the Grand River in West Olive. The fourth Michigan Division tournament will also be held on the Detroit River in Trenton Aug. 21, as will the two-day Super Tournament Sept. 18-19. For more information about the BFL or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000. If the June 26 tournament is not yet full, entries will also be accepted at tournament registration June 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 28804 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville. Entry fees are $150 for boaters and $75 for co-anglers. A $25 late fee also applies to entries taken on site along with a $25 membership fee for anglers who are not yet members of FLW Outdoors.
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 10 pros and co-anglers from each division of the EverStart Series 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, Ranger pro Tommy Biffle and four-time FLW Tour champion David Fritts.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
FLW Outdoors is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.
