2003 Wal-Mart BFL schedule released
FLW Outdoors announced today tournament dates and locations for the upcoming 2003 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League season. Included in the schedule are dates and tournament locations, including Super Tournaments, for all 24 BFL divisions as well as regionals and the All-American championship. West Coast anglers will note that the EverStart Series’ new Western Division, which offers an impressive $168,950 payout in each of four qualifying events, has replaced the BFL’s Colorado River and Western divisions.
Entries for the 2003 season will be accepted by division beginning Jan. 21, 2003. The following dates reflect when anglers in indicated divisions can begin registering:
Jan. 21 – Bulldog, Gator, Gulf Coast, Louisiana, Mississippi and Savannah River;
Jan. 22 – Arkie, Carolina, Choo Choo, Cowboy, Mountain and Music City;
Jan. 23 – Bama, LBL, Okie, Ozark, Piedmont and Shenandoah; and
Jan. 24 – Buckeye, Great Lakes, Hoosier, Illini, Michigan and Northeast.
Tournament entry deadlines, including deadlines for those meeting priority-entry requirements, will soon be posted on this Web site within the various divisions’ schedule pages.
The complete set of rules governing Wal-Mart BFL tournaments and participation will be posted to the Web site later this week.
Priority entry
A boater whose entry is received in-house at FLW Outdoors by the priority entry deadline and provides a co-angler (whose entry is received in-house at FLW Outdoors by the priority entry deadline) will receive entry priority and, if accepted into the tournament, will be drawn with a co-angler. A co-angler whose entry is received in-house at FLW Outdoors by the priority entry deadline with a boater (whose entry is received in-house at FLW Outdoors by the priority entry deadline) will receive entry priority. All others will be taken in order of entry (first-come, first-served). Each tournament will have a total field of 400 contestants (unless state law mandates a smaller number of contestants). Entries received after the field has filled will be placed on a waiting list. Those placed on the waiting list who do not fish the tournament will have their entry returned and will maintain Wild Card eligibility. A completed entry form and the entry fee must be postmarked no later than the published entry deadline for each tournament. Late entries will be accepted except for tournaments with a full field. Late entries must be accompanied by a $25.00 non-refundable service charge and submitted no later than 7:00 p.m. local time (time at the tournament site) the day before the tournament. Entry fees may be transferred or refunded provided FLW Outdoors is notified by 5:00 p.m. Central time Tuesday, prior to Saturday’s tournament (FLW Outdoors business hours are 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central time); entry fees will not be transferred or refunded after Tuesday. There will be a $10.00 service charge for each refund of an entry fee.
Wild Card eligibility
Contestants who pay an entry fee, prior to the tournament, in all five tournaments in a division and do not qualify for regional competition in any division will automatically qualify for the Wild Card Regional Tournament. Entry fees cannot be transferred or refunded to maintain eligibility (except for those on a waiting list).
2003 BFL schedule, by division
Event date – Tournament site
ARKIE
Feb 22 – Ouachita/Mountain Harbor Marina
Mar 22 – Hamilton/Fish Hatchery
May 3 – Greers Ferry/Lacey’s Marina
Jun 7 – Arkansas River, Pine Bluff/Reg Park
*Sep 27-28 – Beaver/Prairie Creek Marina
BAMA
Mar 22 – Martin/Wind Creek State Park
Apr 12 – West Point/Southern Harbor
Apr 26 – Guntersville/Guntersville State Park
Jun 28 – Eufaula/Lake Point Resort State Park
*Sep 27-28 – Guntersville/Guntersville State Park
BUCKEYE
May 10 – Grand/St. Mary’s East Bank Marina
Jun 7 – Erie/Sandusky Boat Launch
Jul 19 – Ohio River/Maysville River Park
Aug 16 – Ohio River/Tanners Creek
*Sep 13-14 – Erie/Sandusky Boat Launch
BULLDOG
Feb 22 – Seminole/Jack Wingate’s
Apr 12 – Sinclair/Little River Park
May 10 – Oconee/Sugar Creek Marina
Jun 14 – West Point/Southern Harbor
*Sep 20-21 – Eufaula/Lake Point Resort State Park
CAROLINA
Mar 1 – Murray/P&L Landing
Mar 22 – Wateree/Clear Water Cove
Apr 12 – Hartwell/Seneca Marina
May 10 – Santee Cooper/John C. Land III
*Sep 20-21 – Wylie/Buster Boyd Landing
CHOO CHOO
Mar 8 – Guntersville/Guntersville State Park
Apr 5 – Wheeler/Joe Wheeler State Park
May 17 – Weiss/Weiss Lake Landing
Jun 14 – Neely Henry/Willow Point
*Sep 6-7 – Guntersville/Guntersville State Park
COWBOY
Feb 22 – Sam Rayburn/Twin Dikes Marina
Mar 29 – Toledo Bend/Cypress Bend Park
Apr 26 – Livingston/Waterwood Marina
Jun 28 – Toledo Bend/Frontier Park
*Sep 20-21 – Sam Rayburn/Twin Dikes Marina
GATOR
Feb 8 – Okeechobee/Okee-Tantie
Mar 1 – Harris Chain/Venetian Gardens
Mar 15 – Okeechobee/Roland Martin’s Marina
Apr 5 – Okeechobee/Roland Martin’s Marina
*Oct 4-5 – Okeechobee/Okee-Tantie
GREAT LAKES
May 17 – Mississippi River/Clinton Park
Jun 21 – LaCrosse/Bob’s Bait & Tackle
Jul 12 – Winneconne/Wolf River Chain
Aug 2 – Mississippi River/Prairie Du Chien
*Sep 6-7 – Mississippi River/Treasure Island
GULF COAST
Feb 8 – Tennasaw River/Live Oak Landing
Mar 1 – Pearl River/Rigolets Bait & Tackle
Mar 22 – Bay of St. Louis/Casino Magic Marin
May 10 – Tennasaw River/Live Oak Landing
*Oct 4-5 – Mobile Delta/Chocolotta Ramp
HOOSIER
Apr 26 – Ohio River/Tanners Creek
Jun 21 – Ohio River, Madison/Madison Boat Ramp
Jul 19 – Ohio River, Rocky Point/Rocky Pt. Marina
Aug 23 – Monroe/Cutright Marina
*Sep 20-21 – Patoka/Newton Stewart South Marina
ILLINI
Apr 26 – Rend/Wayne Fitzgerald State Park
May 17 – Shelbyville/Eagle Creek State Park
Jun 14 – Ohio River/Lusk Creek Marina
Jul 19 – Shelbyville/9th Street Ramp
*Sep 13-14 – Ohio River/Paducah
LBL
Mar 15 – Ky/Barkley/Ky Dam State Park
Apr 12 – Ky/Barkley/Lake Barkley State Park
Jun 21 – Ky/Barkley/Lake Barkley State Park
Jul 19 – Ky/Barkley/Ky Dam State Park
*Oct 4-5 – Ky/Barkley/Paris Landing State Park
LOUISIANA
Feb 8 – Bayou Black/Bayou Black Marina
Mar 1 – Toledo Bend/Cypress Bend
Apr 5 – Bayou Segnette/Bayou Segnette St. Park
Jun 14 – Red River/Morgan’s Landing
*Sep 13-14 – Atchafalaya Basin/Belle River Landing
MICHIGAN
Jun 28 – St. Clair/Metro Beach
Jul 12 – Detroit River/Elizabeth Park
Aug 2 – Grand River/Riverside Park
Aug 23 – Detroit River/Elizabeth Park
*Sep 27-28 – Detroit River/Elizabeth Park
MISSISSIPPI
Feb 15 – Ross Barnett/Tommy’s Landing
Mar 22 – Pickwick/Pickwick State Park
May 17 – Columbus Pool/Columbus Marina
Jun 21 – Ferguson/Washington Street Ramp
*Sep 6-7 – Ross Barnett/Tommy’s Landing
MOUNTAIN
Mar 15 – Cumberland/Conley Bottom Resort
Apr 12 – Dale Hollow/Star Point Resort
Jun 7 – Barren River/Barren River State Park
Jun 21 – Douglas/Douglas Dam Ramp
*Sep 27-28 – Cherokee/Hamblin County Park
MUSIC CITY
Mar 8 – Percy Priest/Fate Sanders Marina
Apr 5 – Center Hill/Floating Mill Recreation
May 3 – Old Hickory/Bull Creek Ramp
Jun 28 – Ky/Barkley/Paris Landing State Park
*Sep 20-21 – Old Hickory/Bull Creek Ramp
NORTHEAST
Jun 7 – Potomac River/Smallwood State Park
Jul 12 – Champlain/Plattsburgh/Mooney Bay
Aug 2 – Cayuga/Cayuga State Park
Sep 6 – 1000 Islands/French Creek Marina
*Sep 20-21 – Cayuga/Cayuga State Park
OKIE
Mar 22 – Grand/Red 11 Port
Apr 12 – Eufaula/Eufaula Cove
Jun 14 – Keystone/New Manford City Ramp
Jul 12 – Kerr/Battlefield Park
*Sep 6-7 – Grand/Red 11 Port
OZARK
Mar 15 – Grand/Red 11 Port
Apr 12 – Lake of the Ozarks/Millstone
May 10 – Table Rock/Port of Kimberling
Jun 28 – Truman/Bucksaw Marina
*Sep 13-14 – Table Rock/Kimberling City Inn
PIEDMONT
Mar 15 – Gaston/Eaton’s Ferry Marina
May 3 – Kerr/Satterwhite Point Marina
Jun 28 – Kerr/Satterwhite Point Marina
Jul 19 – Neuse River/Bridge Point Marina
*Oct 4-5 – Kerr/Satterwhite Point Marina
SAVANNAH RIVER
Feb 15 – Keowee/South Cove County Park
Mar 15 – Russell/Hwy. 72 Elbert Ramp
Apr 5 – Hartwell/Seneca Marina
May 3 – Clark Hill/Raysville Marina
*Sep 27-28 – Clark Hill/Raysville Marina
SHENANDOAH
Mar 29 – Smith Mountain/Waterwheel Marina
Apr 26 – Potomac River/Leesylvania State Park
Jun 7 – Kerr/North Bend Park
Jul 26 – James River/Osborne Landing
*Sep 27-28 – Potomac River/Leesylvania State Park
*Super Tournaments
Post-season schedule
BFL ALL-AMERICAN
May 28-31 – Mobile Delta
• Mobile, AL
REGIONALS
Lake Chautauqua • Jamestown, NY
Oct 7-11
Off Limits Midnight 9-28-03
Host: Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau
Marina: Long Point State Park
Divisions: Buckeye, Michigan, Northeast, Shenandoah
Lake Eufaula • Eufaula, AL
Oct 7-11
Off Limits Midnight 9-28-03
Host: Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce & Alabama State Parks
Marina: Lake Point Resort State Park
Divisions:Louisiana, Mississippi, Music City, Savannah River
Beaver Lake • Rogers, AR
Oct 14-18
Off Limits Midnight 10-05-03
Host: Rogers Advertising & Promotion Commission
Marina: Prairie Creek Marina
Divisions:Great Lakes, LBL, Okie, Ozark
Old Hickory Lake • Gallatin, TN
Oct 14-18
Off Limits Midnight 10-05-03
Host: Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Marina: Bull Creek Ramp
Divisions:Bulldog, Carolina, Hoosier, Illini
Clark Hill • Thomson, GA
Oct 21-25
Off Limits Midnight 10-12-03
Host: Thomson McGuffie Tourism Bureau
Marina: Mistletoe State Park
Divisions:Choo Choo, Gator, Mountain, Piedmont
Red River • Natchitoches, LA
Oct 21-25
Off Limits Midnight 10-12-03
Host: City of Natchitoches
Marina: Morgan’s Landing
Divisions:Arkie, Bama, Cowboy, Gulf Coast
Chevy Trucks Wild Card • TBA
Nov 4-8
Off Limits Midnight 10-26-03