TABLE ROCK LAKE TO HOST COSTA FLW SERIES TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY POWER-POLE
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BRANSON, Mo. (April 30, 2019) – Table Rock Lake and the city of Branson are set to host a field of 260 bass anglers May 9-11 for the Costa Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Series Central Division tournament on Table Rock Lake presented by Power-Pole. The three-day tournament, hosted by Explore Branson, will feature top regional bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize package of up to $92,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard in the pro division.
“It’s going to be one of those tournaments where everyone has a good time – they’re going to catch a lot of fish,” said FLW Tour pro Jeremy Lawyer of Sarcoxie, Missouri, who finished in third place when the FLW Series visited Table Rock Lake in 2018. “The weights may not be especially heavy because the fish are moving and it’s hard to keep them kind of hemmed up in the Ozarks around the spawn. But as far as everybody catching limits, we’ll see all three species play. It’s just going to be a fun, fun tournament.”
Lawyer went on to say it will be a “full-blown” spawn and postspawn bass event.
“I think you’ll see anglers catch 20 pounds one day, and then 12 the next,” said Lawyer. “I think a lot of the bigger fish have probably already spawned, so they’re going to be in that funk, and you can’t target 20 pounds a day sight-fishing. I think guys are going to find enough fish to really be strong one of the three days and make the cut, but by the last day, they may run out of sight-fish.
“The most productive areas will probably be in the cleanest water down-lake – you’ll be able to see what’s going on so much better,” continued Lawyer. “We’ve been getting some rain, and if the water level gets up and in the bushes, the rivers could really play. As far as the numbers of fish, though, they’re going to be strong throughout the entire lake.”
Lawyer said fans should expect to see a good topwater bite and a wide assortment of lures being thrown. He mentioned Carolina-, shaky-head-, Ned- and split-shot-rigs, as well as football-head jigs as popular choices.
Lawyer went on to say that he expects that an angler who can average 16 to 17 pounds a day (48 to 51 pounds total) should be in a good position to win.
Anglers will take off from Table Rock State Park Marina located at 380 State Park Marina Road in Branson at 6 a.m. CDT each day of competition. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the state park beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Bass Pro Shops located at 1 Bass Pro Drive in Branson, and will begin at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
In Costa FLW Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At Table Rock Lake, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $92,000 including a brand new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a brand new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard, and $5,000 if Ranger Cup qualified.
The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Costa FLW Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagra