WHAT: The 2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) season will continue with six two-day BFL Super Tournaments on Saturday, September 12, as the Bama division heads to Lake Mitchell, the Cowboy division competes on Toledo Bend Lake, the Great Lakes division stops at the Mississippi River, the Hoosier division tackles the Ohio River, the Mountain division fishes the Barren River, and the North Carolina division takes on Lake Norman. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be casting for top prizes of up to $11,000 and $4,500 in the two-day events.
WHEN: Saturday-Sunday, September 12-13
Bama Division
Lake Mitchell
Higgins Ferry Park
11161 County Road 28
Clanton, Ala.
NOTES: Lake Mitchell never disappoints as a bass fishery this time of year. Competitors on Lake Mitchell will likely be seen targeting bass in the back of feeder creeks using soft plastics to imitate shad or a craw in isolated grass mats. Other anglers may choose to focus on flipping and pitching in current breaks near Lay Lake dam. A two-day total of 10 bass nearing 25 pounds should take top honors at this event.
Cowboy Division
Toledo Bend Lake
Cypress Bend Park
3462 Cypress Bend Drive
Many, La.
NOTES: Toledo Bend Lake is expected to fish well this tournament. Recent local reports indicate the water is murky and the temperature is hovering around 90 degrees. Anglers have been catching bass consistently on redbug- and plum-colored soft plastics and various topwater baits. Competitors may also be seen dragging a Texas-rigged worm in deep water. A two-day total of 10 bass in the 30-pound range will likely be needed to win this tournament.
Great Lakes Division
Mississippi River
West Copeland & Clinton Ramp
Clinton Street
La Crosse, Wis.
NOTES: The Mississippi River is an exciting destination for bass anglers this time of year. Fans following the tournament will likely see anglers targeting bass with swimjigs near weed lines and in current breaks. Recent winners of BFL tournaments on the Mississippi River have found success targeting points with jigs in the morning and flipping grass in the afternoon. Frog fishing is also expected to be a top pattern. A two-day cumulative of 10 bass totaling 31 pounds should tip the scales in the winner’s favor.
Hoosier Division
Ohio River
Lawrenceburg City Ramp
Tanner’s Creek Drive
Lawrenceburg, Ind.
NOTES: The bass fishing on the Ohio River is expected to be excellent for this tournament. Previous winners of BFL events on the Ohio River have found success focusing on banks using spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Anglers competing in this tournament may also prefer to flip tubes to laydowns or target shallow isolated wood using spinnerbaits. A two-day catch of 10 bass nearing 16 pounds is expected to take top honors at this competition.
Mountain Division
Barren River
Port Oliver Recreation Area & Ramp
4200 Barren River Dam Road
Scottsville, Ky.
NOTES: The bass fishing on the Barren River is expected to be top-notch at this point in the season. Fans following the tournament will likely see anglers targeting chunk rock and large pieces of timber in shallow water with jigs. Anglers who choose to go into deeper water may be seen targeting bass on flats and points using a variety of baits including worms, swimbaits, spoons and crankbaits. A two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30 pounds will likely be needed to win this two-day showdown.
North Carolina Division
Lake Norman
Pinnacle Access Area
Highway 150
Mooresville, N.C.
NOTES: Lake Norman is the perfect setting for a competitive bass-fishing tournament this time of year. A popular pattern at this event will mostly likely be targeting docks using worms and jigs. Other anglers may also be seen dialing in on bass near sea walls and rock banks in the morning using natural- or shad-colored buzzbaits and topwater baits. A 20-pound, two-day catch of 10 bass will likely be needed to win this competition.
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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
