LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – As dawn broke over Lake Havasu early Wednesday, it was hard not to get the sense that a new chapter in the sport of professional bass fishing was about to be written.
As each of the 390 FLW Series competitors prepared to depart Lake Havasu State Park at 7:30 a.m. Mountain time to compete in the first-ever Wal-Mart FLW Series Western Division event, the sound of boat motors and typical pre-takeoff chatter was suddenly obscured by a deafening roar. As the anglers glanced up into the rain-soaked skies to see what the buzz was all about, a Black Hawk helicopter came roaring across the landscape, hovered briefly and then began circling the awed competitors.
Although the anglers didn’t know it at the time, nor the enthusiastic spectators for that matter, the Black Hawk helicopter was an unexpected tribute from the Arizona National Guard – a key component of the Army National Guard that is currently throwing its immense sponsorship weight behind the Western Division for the 2007 season and beyond.
Throw in the fact that Western Division anglers will be competing for a combined $10 million over the course of the season, a total purse of $1 million in this tournament alone, top awards of $125,000 in the Pro Division and $25,000 in the Co-angler Division for each of the four regular-season events, and it becomes apparent that the buzz surrounding the Lake Havasu tourney is about much more than simply rotating chopper blades.
Tourney format, history
After last season’s successful launch of the FLW Series, one of the most popular bass-fishing circuits in the FLW Outdoors arsenal has now split into two distinct divisions – the National Guard Western Division and the BP Eastern Division – with each sporting four regular-season events throughout the 2007 season. In the Western Division alone, which now boasts the most lucrative total purse in the history of bass fishing in the Western United States, anglers will be competing from at least 15 states, including a budding international field of competitors hailing from Japan, Mexico and Australia.
Per tournament rules, the entire Lake Havasu field will compete in each of the first three days of tournament action slated to run from Jan. 31 through Feb. 3. Top prize in the Co-angler Division will be awarded to the angler who nets the heaviest accumulated three-day total weight. On day four, the pro field will be whittled down to the top 10 anglers based on overall weight during the first three days of competition. During the final day of competition, the pro winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.
Although the prize money allocated for the eventual champion is impressive, there should be plenty of spoils remaining for the rest of the field, including a minimum $10,000 cash prize through 50th place and a guaranteed $2,000 minimum payout through 75th place in the Pro Division alone. In addition, all anglers in the tournament will be competing for valuable points standings in the hope of qualifying for the BP East-National Guard West Fishoff and a shot at advancing to the $2 million, 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million.
FLW Series Western action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. at Lake Havasu State Park, located at 699 London Bridge Road in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:35 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 49 degrees
Expected high temperature: 62 degrees
Water temperature: 46-54 degrees
Wind: WNW at 10 mph
Maximum humidity: 43 percent
Day’s outlook: scattered showers