Coming Up in Walmart BFL Competition: Advisory for Wednesday, May 29, 2013
OutdoorHub 05.29.13
WHAT: The 2013 Walmart BFL season continues with five tournaments on Saturday, June 8. The Choo Choo division holds its fourth event of the season on Lake Guntersville, the Hoosier division continues on Lake Patoka, the Music City division competes on Old Hickory Lake, the Piedmont division continues on Badin Lake and the Volunteer division will fish on Lake Cherokee. 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, June 8, 2013
WHERE: Choo Choo Division
Lake Guntersville
Civitan Park
1130 Sunset Drive
Guntersville, Ala.
NOTES: As has become the norm over the past few years, the fishing on Lake Guntersville remains hot and continues to showcase one of the best bass-fishing destinations in the country. Water temperatures are in the upper 70s, and water clarity is stained. Anglers are reporting catching a lot of fish in the shallow grass, but the bigger stringers are coming from the deep ledges. Popular baits thrown in this event will be crankbaits, swimbaits and jigs trailered with creature baits. Many competitors in this event predict that the winning weight could eclipse the 30-pound mark.
WHERE: Hoosier Division
Lake Patoka
Newton-Stewart South Ramp
3084 North Dillard Road
Birdseye, Ind.
NOTES: The bite is being reported as tough right now on Lake Patoka, the second-largest reservoir in Indiana, as the bass have begun spawning. Water temperatures are in the lower- to mid-60-degree range, and most of the larger females have moved or are moving to the beds. Anglers are reporting the most success fishing reaction baits in the shallow coves. Popular spring baits including jigs, spinnerbaits and soft plastics will all produce for anglers in this tournament. The winning angler can expect to bring around 15 to 17 pounds to the scales.
WHERE: Music City Division
Old Hickory Lake
Bulls Creek Access (Flipper’s)
200 Odoms Bend Road
Gallatin, Tenn.
NOTES: The bass at Old Hickory Lake can be found in all three phases of the spawn right now. Most of the bass are moving to the beds, but some anglers are reporting catching bass that have already spawned. With water temperatures in the lower 60s, tournament competitors will be able to fish to their strengths. Crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics will all be popular baits used in this event. Fourteen to 16 pounds is expected to be the winning weight in this tournament.
WHERE: Piedmont Division
Badin Lake
Alcoa Landing
293 Highway 740
Badin, N.C.
NOTES: Fishing on Badin Lake is being reported as good right now. Water temperatures are hovering in the mid-60s, and water clarity is being reported at 2 to 3 feet. Most of the bass have spawned, but anglers may find a few stragglers still on the beds. Anglers will target the shallow grass beds early, and then move to the deeper main-lake points as the day progresses. Popular baits thrown in this event will be topwater baits, crankbaits, Chatterbaits and Texas- and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. The winning competitor can expect to bring a stringer of 16 to 18 pounds to the scales.
WHERE: Volunteer Division
Lake Cherokee
Hamblin County Dock, Cherokee Park
3045 Cherokee Park Road
Morristown, Tenn.
NOTES: The bass bite on Lake Cherokee is being reported as good right now. With water temperatures in the upper 60-degree range and clarity being reported as stained, most of the bass have already spawned. The bite had been tough over the past few weeks due to the dramatic fluctuation in water depths, but should return to normal as the elevation stabilizes. Anglers are reporting nice stringers coming from the bay area shorelines as well as areas near Poor Valley and Caney Creeks. Crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits will be the most popular baits thrown in this event, and the winning weight is expected to be right around 16 to 18 pounds.
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.
