Multiple Patterns in Play for Tournament Anglers
The fourth tournament of the 20th anniversary season of the Walmart FLW Tour, the most competitive Tour in professional bass-fishing, kicks off May 14-17 with the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Eufaula presented by Quaker State. Hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, the tournament will feature 153 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
“Lake Eufaula has been fishing really well over the past few years and I expect this tournament to be a great event,” said Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Alabama, an eight-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier. “There will be many different ways to catch bass at Eufaula this time of year.
“I really believe that targeting the early morning shad spawn and then a few good deep spots as the day progresses will be a combination that could end up winning,” Canterbury continued. “I think swimjigs and swimbaits will be good early and crankbaits will work well later in the day.”
Fellow Quaker State team angler Matt Arey of Shelby, North Carolina, who just won the $125,000 top prize at Beaver Lake in April, agreed with Canterbury.
“I think this tournament will most likely be won out deep, offshore, but the opportunity will be there for shallow-water anglers,” Arey said. “The fish are going to be schooling and finding spots to feed throughout the summer, so if you can find them and stay ahead of them you are going to do well.
“Shallow anglers are going to be using frogs and pitching Texas-rigged soft plastics in the grass, matted vegetation and around docks,” Arey continued. “Offshore anglers are going to be using swimbaits, deep-diving crankbaits and big magnum soft plastics and big worms. A big spoon will also be a good option offshore.”
Arey and Canterbury also had very similar winning four-day cumulative weight predictions.
“I feel like if somebody can catch 18 pounds a day, they are going to have as good of a chance as anybody to win,” Arey said.
“I have not been there since the last Tour event was held there in 2013, but I have fished the lake many times over the years,” Canterbury said. “It’s early now, but I suspect the winner will bring more than 70 pounds to the scale.”
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 20-23 on Lake Ouachita and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs. The Forrest Wood Cup Champion could win as much as $500,000 – professional bass-fishing’s richest prize.
Anglers will take off from the Lakepoint Resort State Park Marina located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula at 6:30 a.m. each day of competition. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at Lakepoint Resort State Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at Walmart, located at 3176 S. Eufaula Ave., in Eufaula beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Walmart prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a Ranger boat simulator, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Lake Eufaula tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) October 19 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. ET. when Season 20 of “FLW” returns this fall. The Emmy-nominated "FLW" television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
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: Joe Opager, Director of Public Relations
