The Walmart Bass Fishing League is headed to Smith Mountain Lake Oct. 13-15 for one of six Regional Championships. This three-day tournament features the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each of the Buckeye, Northeast, South Carolina and Volunteer Divisions. They will be competing for a Ranger 198VX with a 200-horsepower outboard and a Chevy 1500 Silverado in the boater division and a new Ranger 198VX with a 200- horsepower outboard in the co-angler division.
“The fish are really tough to catch right now, but the last week has been pretty cold, so that should help things,” said Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va. “Once the water cools off, the fish will start biting a little better.
“There will be a good dock bite going on, and of course the shad will be migrating toward the backs of creeks, so that will be a good bite to look for as well,” Dudley added. “There will be some fish caught on a Carolina rig, but again, the dominant pattern will be skipping docks. I would say 12.5 to 13.5 pounds per day will win the tournament; it’s a beautiful, mountainous lake, and these guys are coming in at the right time.”
Takeoffs will be at the Parkway Marina located at 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway in Huddleston at 7:30 a.m. each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-in will be at the marina beginning at 3:30 p.m., and Saturday’s final weigh-in is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Walmart located at 1126 East Lynchburg Salem Turnpike in Bedford. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship tournament is being hosted by the Bedford Welcome Center.
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 have now qualified for this regional and are competing to finish in the top six, qualifying them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors is the best in fishing, on and off the water. Anglers worldwide can compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge.By: Julie Huber,
