WHAT: The 2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) season will continue with six two-day BFL Super Tournaments on Saturday, September 19, as the Arkie division heads to Lake Hamilton, the Buckeye division competes on Indian Lake, the Michigan division stops at the Detroit River, the Mississippi division tackles Pickwick Lake, the Northeast division fishes Chesapeake Bay, and the Ozark division takes on Lake of the Ozarks. 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 19-20
Arkie Division
Lake Hamilton
AGFC Hulsey Hatchery Access
350 Fish Hatchery Road
Hot Springs, Ark.
NOTES: Lake Hamilton is expected to fish well this tournament. Competitors in the event will likely be seen targeting bass using a topwater bait on the main lake or flipping jigs to docks. Other anglers may choose to focus on flipping and pitching jigs in various pockets around the lake or fishing shallow cover using Carolina-rigged worms. A two-day total of 10 bass nearing 22 pounds should take top honors at this event.
Buckeye Division
Indian Lake
Indian Lake State Park
12774 State Route 235 N.
Lakeview, Ohio
NOTES: Indian Lake never disappoints as a bass fishery this time of year. Recent winners of BFL events on Indian Lake have found success targeting grass flats using finesse techniques. Anglers have also done well by fishing drops in 1- to 6-foot depths by dragging jigs along the bottom of the lake. Texas-rigged worms in darker colors may also be popular in this tournament. A two-day total of 10 bass in the 16-pound range should be able to win this event.
Michigan Division
Detroit River
Elizabeth Park Marina
200 Grosse Ile Parkway
Trenton, Mich.
NOTES: The bass fishing on the Detroit River is expected to be excellent for this tournament. Fans following the action will likely see anglers targeting bass near offshore structure, isolated rocks and drop offs. Recent winners of BFL tournaments on the Detroit River have found success using drop shot-rigged creature baits and finesse worms. A two-day cumulative of 10 bass totaling 39 pounds should tip the scales in the winner’s favor.
Mississippi Division
Pickwick Lake
J.P. Coleman State Park
613 County Road 321
Iuka, Miss.
NOTES: Pickwick Lake is an exciting destination for bass anglers this time of year. Previous winners of BFL events on Pickwick Lake have found success using Carolina-rigged worms and creature baits in grass. Anglers competing in this tournament may also prefer to focus on mid-lake ledges using green-pumpkin-colored jigs and crankbaits. A two-day catch of 10 bass nearing 32 pounds is expected to take top honors at this competition.
Northeast Division
Chesapeake Bay
Anchor Marina
36 Iroquois Drive
North East, Md.
NOTES: The Chesapeake Bay is expected to have ideal conditions for bass fishing at this tournament. Competitors in this event will likely be seen fishing grass using a buzzbait or frog. Local fishing reports indicate bass are actively biting jigs early in the morning in thick grass. Rocks and submerged wood are also firing with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs. A two-day cumulative total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds will likely be needed to win this tournament.
Ozark Division
Lake of the Ozarks
Public Beach #2
711 Public Beach Road
Osage Beach, Mo.
NOTES: The bass fishing on the Lake of the Ozarks is expected to be top notch at this point in the season. Fans following the tournament will likely see anglers skipping jigs under boat docks and around brush in clear water. Anglers who choose to go into murkier water may be seen targeting bass using dark-colored worms on shaky-head rigs. A two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds will likely be needed to win this showdown.
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
