As many as 200 pros and co-anglers are set to compete Sept. 28-30 in the Costa FLW Series Western Division finale on Clear Lake. The tournament, presented by Evinrude, is the third and final regular-season event of 2017 scheduled in the Western Division. Pros will be casting for a top award of up to $40,000 cash and a new Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.
“Overall, the lake is fishing pretty well,” said pro Roy Hawk of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, who has three top-10 finishes on Clear Lake in FLW Series competition. “It’s still really hot this time of year so weights are typically down, but they’ve started to have some colder temperatures which I think will help a lot of those bigger fish get active. It’s also supposed to warm up gradually as the event nears, which may help the bite as well.
“There will be many different ways to catch fish,” continued Hawk. “Topwater baits, crankbaits, drop-shotting a worm, and flipping a jig will all be popular. Anglers will be able to fish their strengths and dial in on a decent bite. The lake has a ton of bass, so any niche technique can work.”
Hawk said he expects the north end of the lake to be the most popular destination among competitors, but noted that a strong bite can be found just about anywhere on the lake.
“That’s the one thing about Clear Lake – there’s always one little region that’s really kicking out big fish. But even with that, guys catch them everywhere,” said Hawk. “It’s a really healthy fishery.”
Hawk said that a three-day cumulative catch weighing 60 pounds should be enough to take home top honors.
“There’s always a chance that the swimbait bite picks up, and if it does, we’ll see some bigger weights,” said Hawk. “It should be a really fun tournament.”
Anglers will take off from Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina, located at 2755 Mission Rancheria Road in Lakeport at 7 a.m. PDT each day. Weigh-ins will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. each day. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. The event is hosted by the Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina.
In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At the Potomac River, pros will fish for as much as $40,000 and a Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard and an additional $5000 if Ranger Cup qualified.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Nov. 2-4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee and is hosted by the Henry County Tourism Authority.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 258 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
