The 2013 Walmart BFL season continues with five tournaments on Saturday, Feb. 23. The Bulldog division opens on Lake Lanier, the Cowboy division continues on Toledo Bend Reservoir, the Mississippi division opens on Ross Barnett, the Music City division kicks off on Lake Guntersville and the North Carolina division opens on Lake Norman. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing in each event for top awards up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively.
When: Saturday, Feb. 23
Where: Bulldog Division
Lake Lanier
Laurel Park
3100 Old Cleveland Highway
Gainesville, Ga.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: Lake Lanier is down seven feet and temperatures are currently hovering around the 50-degree mark. Recent rains have raised the lake levels and stained the creeks while the main lake remains clear. Reports indicate scattered baitfish and fishing patterns that are constantly changing throughout the day. The largemouth bite is picking up and is expected to improve as the weather continues to warm. Anglers will need to stay flexible throughout the day to search for the best bite. Crankbaits, jerkbaits and jigs are all expected to be productive.
Where: Cowboy Division
Toledo Bend Reservoir
San Miguel Park
381 San Miguel Road
Zwolle, La.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: The conditions on Toledo Bend are shaping up to provide a great tournament. Lake level is up and close to full pool and the hydrilla in the lake is very full and healthy. Reaction-style baits, crankbaits and jigs will be the standards as fisherman try to entice the plentiful largemouths that inhabit the lake. Reports indicate that all major feeder creeks have stained water conditions in the upper portions but clearing as you get closer to the main lake. Afternoon water temperatures have been approaching the 60s in the sun-exposed coves, and the bass should be starting to move shallow as the days progress.
Where: Mississippi Division
Ross Barnett
Tommy’s Trading Post
4238 Highway 43 N.
Brandon, Miss.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: This 33,000-acre reservoir has started its seasonal springtime warm-up, and anglers should expect to be looking for bass holding on the shallow structure such as rip-rap banks, stump flats, lily pad stems and other vegetation. The stained and shallow waters of Ross Barnett will be targets for spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics. With an average depth of about 5 feet, this impoundment can become extremely difficult to fish with heavy rain or wind. Plenty of cover and structure will offer the tournament fisherman plenty of opportunities.
Where: Music City Division
Lake Guntersville
Lake Guntersville State Park
7966 Alabama Highway 227
Guntersville, Ala.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: During Guntersville’s first BFL tournament of the season the big bass record was broken with a 13-pound, 1-ounce fish. The fishing remains solid on the lake right now and reports show improvement with every passing week. The water temperature is in the mid 50-degree range and the bass are in still in pre-spawn mode and clinging to vegetation and deeper structure just outside of spawning areas. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and the Alabama rig are all expected to be used heavily throughout the day. Guntersville’s large population of giant bass creates the opportunity for 30-pound stringers to appear at the weigh-in.
Where: North Carolina Division
Lake Norman
Midway Marina
8693 Highway 150 E.
Terrell, N.C.
To sign up and fish this event, click here.
Notes: While Lake Norman is known for its extravagant homes and 520 beautiful miles of shoreline, it is also known for being packed full of bass. Reports indicate that water levels have remained slightly above target range and are just a few feet below full summertime pool. This has allowed the largemouth bass to once again inhabit their favorite shallow cover, such as boat docks, creeks, banks and shallow points. Bass are hitting topwater, jerkbaits and crankbaits in the muddier water, while other tactics such as drop-shotting and Alabama rigs should be popular in the deeper, clear portions of the lake. The best time to fish has been around mid-day after the water has had a chance to warm.
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 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27-29 on Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. 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 anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 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 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
