The 2012 Walmart BFL season continues with five division-ending Super Tournaments on Saturday, Sept. 29-30. The Arkie division finishes on Lake Ouachita, the Bulldog division wraps up on West Point Lake, the Cowboy division holds its final event on Lake of the Pines, the Mississippi division finishes on Pickwick Lake and the South Carolina division closes out on Clarks Hill 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: Saturday, Sept. 29-30, 2012
Where: Arkie Division
Lake Ouachita
Brady Mountain Resort & Marina
4120 Brady Mountain Rd.
Royal, Ark.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The bass-fishing bite on Lake Ouachita is being reported as good right now. Anglers are reporting more success from the east end of the lake, with main lake and secondary points being the most productive areas. Water temperature is hovering in the mid-80 degree range, but the fall patterns will start to emerge as soon as the temperature cools. Popular baits thrown in this event will be drop-shot rigs, topwater baits, crankbaits and soft plastics. The winning angler in this two-day event can expect to bring 33 to 36 pounds to the scales.
Where: Bulldog Division
West Point Lake
Southern Harbor Marina & Resort
1133 County Rd. 294
Lanett, Ala.
Hosted by the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: Fishing on West Point Lake has been tough as of late. The temperatures are dropping, and as the bass move into their fall pattern they are finding extremely low water levels in some areas. The lake is down over 9 feet below normal pool, and water temperature is being reported as 82 degrees, though falling daily. Spinnerbaits, jigs and Rat-L-Traps will all produce for anglers in this event. In this two-day tournament the winning angler is expected to bring 25 to 28 pounds to the stage.
Where: Cowboy Division
Lake of the Pines
Lakeside Park
2669 FM 726
Jefferson, Texas
Hosted by the Longview Convention & Visitors Bureau
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The bass-fishing bite on Lake of the Pines has been very good as of late. Water clarity is being reported as slightly stained and water temperatures are still in the mid- to upper-80s. Anglers in this event will target the shallow cover and grass. Popular baits that will be used by tournament anglers in this event will be Texas-rigged soft plastics, jigs and topwater baits. Thirty-four to 38 pounds is expected to be the winning tournament angler’s final weight in this two-day event.
Where: Mississippi Division
Pickwick Lake
J.P. Coleman State Park
613 County Rd. 321
Iuka, Miss.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The fishing reports coming in from Pickwick Lake over the past few weeks have been spotty. Some anglers are reporting easy, solid limits while others are reporting very tough fishing conditions. Water temperature is holding steady in the mid-80 degree range, but will soon be dropping because of the change in season. The Tennessee Valley Authority will also soon begin their annual draw-down of the lake, which often times prompts bass to enter their fall patterns. Multiple patterns should be in play during this event. Anglers looking to fish shallow will employ swimbaits, spinnerbaits and frogs as tools of choice. The anglers that choose to fish deep will be throwing crankbaits, jigs and soft plastics. The winning angler can expect to bring 33 to 37 pounds to the scales in this two-day tournament.
Where: South Carolina Division
Clarks Hill Lake
Dorn Fishing Facility – Hawe Creek
Off Highway 378
McCormick, S.C.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: Water conditions on Clarks Hill Lake are a little off, but the bass-fishing bite is still being reported as fair. The lake level is down more than 13 feet, with water temperatures in the upper-70 to lower-80 degree range. Anglers in this tournament will be targeting the standing timber and submerged isolated trees and stumps. Crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater baits are all expected to produce for anglers in this event. Thirty to 34 pounds is expected to be the winning weight brought to the scales in this two-day tournament.
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. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. 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.
