The 2012 Walmart BFL season continues with seven division-ending Super Tournaments scheduled for Sept. 15-16. The Buckeye division holds its final tournament of the season on Indian Lake, the Choo Choo division wraps up on Lake Guntersville, the Gator division finishes on Lake Okeechobee, the Michigan division closes out on the Detroit River, the LBL division has its final event on Lake Barkley, the Northeast division closes on Lake Champlain and the Okie division finishes on Grand Lake. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing in each event for top awards up to $11,000 and $4,500 respectively.
When: Sept. 15-16, 2012
Where: Buckeye Division
Indian Lake
Indian Lake State Park – Moundwood Ramp
12774 State Route 235 North
Lakeview, Ohio
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The bass bite on Indian Lake is being reported as good right now as the bass start to enter their fall patterns. Water temperature is being reported at 78 degrees, and the lake level is 14 inches below normal pool. Anglers should target the many drop offs and deep channel bends. Popular baits thrown in this event will be crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and buzzbaits. The winning angler can expect to bring 20 to 24 pounds to the scales over this two-day event.
Where: Choo Choo Division
Lake Guntersville
Val-Monte Lakeside Resort & Marina
7000 Val-Monte Drive
Guntersville, Ala.
Hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: Lake Guntersville is very hot right now and should only get better over the next few weeks. Water temperature is hovering in the upper-70 to lower-80 degree range, and water clarity is clear. Anglers in this event will be targeting the milfoil and grasslines, and the topwater bite will play a factor. Frogs, buzzbaits and the Umbrella Rig will all play a role for anglers in this tournament. Thirty pounds is expected to be the winning weight for this two-day tournament.
Where: Gator Division
Lake Okeechobee
C. Scott Driver Park
10100 West Highway 78
Okeechobee, Fla.
Hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourism Council
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The largemouth factory that is Lake Okeechobee continues to be great to anglers, and the bite is hot. The water level has been steadily rising because of rain received from Hurricane Isaac and is now over 14 feet above sea level. The early morning bite is very good, but tends to slow once the sun comes out. Popular baits thrown by tournament anglers in this event will be spinnerbaits, topwater baits and soft plastics. The winning angler should bring 48 to 55 pounds – the norm for Okeechobee – to the scales in this two-day tournament.
Where: Michigan Division
Detroit River
Elizabeth Park Marina
200 Grosse Ile Parkway
Trenton, Mich.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: This Detroit River event offers anglers multiple opportunities to boat some big bass. After takeoff, anglers can choose to stay and fish in the river, run north into Lake St. Clair or run south and fish Lake Erie. Smallmouth bass will be the dominant species in this event, although some nice largemouth should be weighed in. Tubes, drop-shot rigs and crankbaits will all be thrown by tournament anglers in this event. In this two-day tournament, the winning angler can expect a final weight nearing 45 pounds.
Where: LBL Division
Lake Barkley
Kuttawa/Lyon County Boat Ramp
1061 Kentucky 295 South
Kuttawa, Ky.
Hosted by the Lake Barkley Tourist Commission
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: Fishing is being reported as good right now on Lake Barkley. Large stringers are being reported as coming out of the grass and hydrilla, while the ledge fishing has been inconsistent. Big fish can be found on the ledges, but current and feeding patterns make it unpredictable right now. Frogs, Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits will all be thrown by tournament anglers in this event. The tournament champion can expect to bring 32 to 37 pounds to the scales in this two day event.
Where: Northeast Division
Lake Champlain
Dock Street Landing
5 Dock St.
Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The water is very low on Lake Champlain, and it seems to have slowed the hot summer bite a bit. Smallmouth are still being reported found deep, while the largemouth have scattered over the last month. As the seasons change, the bass could begin to enter their fall patterns at any time, and anglers must adjust accordingly. Crankbaits, jigs and drop-shot rigs will all catch fish for tournament anglers in this event. Forty to 44 pounds is expected to be the winning tournament weight in this two day tournament.
Where: Okie Division
Grand Lake
Grove City Ramp
1007 North 16th St. West
Grove, Okla.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The bass fishing bite on Grand Lake is being reported as excellent. The largemouth had started to enter into their fall patterns over the last week, however 100-degree weather forecast for the next few days should scramble the patterns. Anglers will find quality fish both deep and shallow. Popular baits thrown in this event will be crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater baits. For this two-day event, 30 pounds is being predicted as the winning weight.
Walmart BFL overview
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 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 presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
