BFL All-American Features Nation’s Best Weekend Anglers on Potomac River
OutdoorHub 05.03.12
One of the longest running championships in all of competitive bass fishing, the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, will visit the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md., May 15-19.
Hosted by National Harbor, the tournament will feature the top 49 boaters and top 49 co-anglers from across the country casting for top awards of up to $130,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division plus the opportunity to compete in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart on Lake Lanier Aug. 11-14.
“Fishing is going to be on fire,” said Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., who won last weekend’s FLW Tour event on Beaver Lake. “You can pick your power strength and do well. If you’re a flipper, topwater angler or like throwing chatterbaits, it doesn’t matter; the bass are going to be biting.
“The key to winning is going to be finding and landing those 5-pounders,” Dudley continued. “The Potomac is going to be like Okeechobee. Everyone is going to catch a limit, but getting the 5-pounders is what’s going to make the difference. You’re going to need 18 pounds a day to win.
“As long as the wind doesn’t pick up, the river is going to be on fire. It’s going to be good times.”
Twenty-year-old Jacob Wheeler won the BFL All-American in 2011 and will be fishing in the FLW Tour Major that will coincide with this year’s championship. Currently he is ranked 18th on the FLW Tour and knows the meaning of what winning the All-American is all about.
“Winning the BFL All-American was truly a stepping stone in my professional career,” said the Indianapolis, Ind., angler. “Winning that event is the main reason I got the opportunity to fish the FLW Tour this year. It gave me the exposure and financial opportunity I needed to take the next step in my career. Winning this event is an angler’s one shot at making it professionally.
“Winning the BFL All-American really gave me confidence in my fishing,” Wheeler continued. “To be successful you need to fish your own strengths, and that’s what makes you dangerous. Winning the All-American gave me that confidence.”
According to Wheeler, anglers are going to have to know how to read the tide. Dudley couldn’t agree more. He said understanding tides is what fishing the Potomac is all about.
Anglers will take off from the National Harbor Marina located at 137 National Plaza in Oxon Hill, Md., at 8 a.m. each morning. Weigh-ins will also be at the National Harbor Marina beginning daily at 5:30 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at National Harbor Marina on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. where they can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the BFL All-American will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs May 6 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. “FLW” is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, offering bigger prizes to those who qualify for regional championships and those who make it to the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the FLW Tour.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
