WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE REGIONAL PRESENTED BY EVINRUDE SET FOR LAKE WATEREE
Anglers likely to find muddy water
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CAMDEN, S.C. (Oct. 6, 2015) – The Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) is headed to Lake Wateree Oct. 15-17 for one of six BFL regional championships. The three-day tournament, presented by Evinrude, will feature the top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers from each of the North Carolina, Savannah River, Shenandoah and Volunteer divisions.
Anglers will take to the water to compete for the top prize of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard and $20,000 in the Boater Division and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Mercury or Evinrude outboard in the Co-angler division. The top six boaters and co-anglers will also qualify for the 2016 Walmart BFL All-American – one of the longest running championships in competitive bass fishing.
“Lake Wateree is known for its good offshore bite, but fishing that pattern in this tournament will depend on water depth and clarity,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, South Carolina, the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup Champion. “With the recent weather that’s come through I’d imagine the water will be high and extremely muddy, so competitors may have to adjust accordingly.
“If anglers do choose to go out deep, they’ll likely be targeting brush with a Texas-rigged worm or a jig,” continued Gagliardi. “Lake Wateree also has a lot of shallow cover, like bushes and laydowns, where a crankbait, spinnerbait or vibrating jig may come in handy. I could also see flipping jigs to docks being a popular choice in this one as well.”
Gagliardi said anglers would usually be reaching for shad-colored baits, but the dingy water would likely change that.
“If it’s as muddy as I think it will be, white- or chartreuse-colored baits will likely be a better choice,” Gagliardi said.
Gagliardi went on to predict that a three-day catch nearing 48 pounds would likely take top honors at this event.
Anglers will take off from Clear Water Cove Marina located at 2029 Baron Dekalb Road in Camden at 7:30 a.m. EST each day. Weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday will be held at the marina beginning at 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart located at 2240 W. Dekalb St. in Camden at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event on Lake Wateree is being hosted by the City of Camden.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW 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.
