WALMART FLW TOUR REGULAR-SEASON FINALE SET FOR POTOMAC RIVER
[print_link]
MARBURY, Md. (June 15, 2015) – The sixth and final regular-season tournament of the 20th anniversary season of the Walmart FLW Tour, the most competitive Tour in professional bass-fishing, kicks off June 25-28 with the Walmart FLW Tour at the Potomac River presented by Ranger Boats. Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, the tournament will feature 148 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
One angler who is really looking forward to the final stop of the season is Walmart pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Virginia. The 2003 Forrest Wood Cup champion has finished in 3rd– and 7th-place in the FLW Tour’s last two visits to the tidal fishery, and looks to be well on his way to qualifying for the 17th Forrest Wood Cup appearance of his career.
“The key to winning this tournament will be getting a couple of the right bites every day,” said Dudley, a three-time Angler of the Year winner. “The Potomac doesn’t have 8- or 10-pounders like Chickamauga or Okeechobee, but there are some solid 5-pounders and getting those fish in the boat will be crucial in this event.
“Despite being a river, the Potomac fishes very similarly to Lake Okeechobee,” Dudley continued. “There will be six or seven good areas that hold a lot of grass, and competitors are going to be ganged up in those areas. You just have to put your blinders on and work your way in to get amongst the other boats.”
Dudley said that the Potomac was currently fishing “a little off,” so he expects the weights to be slightly lower than when the FLW Tour last visited in 2012.
“We’re going to have to work hard to catch a five-bass limit there,” Dudley said. “There are three main patterns that most of the anglers will be fishing – flipping, frogging and fishing a ChatterBait. That is how this tournament will be won.”
Dudley said that a 15-pound limit on the Potomac River is solid, but predicted that the leader would need to average 18½ pounds each day.
“I’m going to say that the winner of this event will have a four-day cumulative total of 74 pounds.”
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2015 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 20-23 on Lake Ouachita and is hosted by Visit Hot Springs. The Forrest Wood Cup Champion could win as much as $500,000 – professional bass-fishing’s richest prize.
Anglers will take off from Smallwood State Park located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury at 6:30 a.m. EDT each day of competition. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the State Park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at Walmart, located at 40 Drury Drive in La Plata, Maryland, beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Walmart in La Plata prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a Ranger boat simulator, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. Pros Rich Dalbey and Todd Hollowell’s “Hooked on Helping” foundation will be hosting a food drive to benefit a local food bank. FLW fans who donate five or more cans of food will be entered to win a $50 Walmart gift card.
Coverage of the Potomac River tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) November 2 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. EDT when Season 20 of “FLW” returns this fall. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
