Top anglers look to hook $100,000 on Mobile Delta

Boaters head out onto the open waters of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Photo by Gary Mortenson.

April 1, 2003 • MLF • Archives

MOBILE, Ala. – Ninety competitors from 26 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League divisions will descend upon the Mobile-Tensaw Delta May 28-31 for the 21st annual BFL All-American – one of the most lucrative championship tournaments in professional bass fishing – it was jointly announced Tuesday by FLW Outdoors, the Mobile Area Sports Commission, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Following an official practice day, the elite field will compete for a top boater award of $100,000 cash and a top co-angler award of $50,000 cash. Mobile-area businesses will also benefit financially from the lucrative tournament, as the influx of competitors and their families, sponsors, spectators, and staff will produce a sizable economic impact for the Mobile area. Nationwide television exposure on the Outdoor Life Network, which reaches 55 million subscribers, and the Wal-Mart Television Network, which airs to a potential audience of 100 million Wal-Mart shoppers each week, will also provide invaluable exposure for Mobile’s outstanding fisheries.

“The Mobile area will feel the economic impact of the All-American for years to come,” said Danny Corte, president of the Mobile Area Sports Commission. “An event of this magnitude really puts the Mobile-Tensaw Delta on the map as a prime fishing destination, as many of these anglers will be coming back to fish here again in the future.”

“The All-American carries with it a lot of prestige, and we in Alabama are proud to be associated with such a significant event,” said Barnett Lawley, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “The exposure that the Mobile area and the state of Alabama will receive as a result of this tournament will pay dividends well into the future.”

In addition to hosting the All-American, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta will also welcome hundreds of BFL competitors Oct. 4-5 when it hosts the Gulf Coast Division’s two-day Super Tournament, the final regular-season event of 2003.

The All-American kicks off May 28 with an official practice day, followed by two days of competition in which the full field competes for the highest two-day accumulated weight. Co-angler competition concludes May 30 and the top 10 boaters advance to the final round May 31 where they compete for one day for position and prize money. Takeoffs start at 7 a.m. daily at Chocolotta Ramp on the Mobile Causeway, and weigh-ins start at 3 p.m. daily at the Mobile Convention Center. There is no admission fee to the weigh-ins, and the public is invited to attend.

All-American qualifiers earned their spot by finishing in the top six in one of six regionals or in the Chevy Trucks Wild Card tournament. Additionally, three boaters and three co-angler advanced through the Lake Havasu Regional to yield a field of 45 boaters and 45 co-anglers.

Each of the BFL’s 26 divisions hosted five regular-season tournaments. The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers following these events advanced to regional competition. Anglers who entered all five regular-season tournaments but did not qualify for the regional were eligible to compete in the Chevy Trucks Wild Card.

Because BFL competitors are weekend anglers and not pros, the All-American and its lucrative cash awards present a unique opportunity for qualifiers looking to launch a professional bass-fishing career. Former All-American contenders who have become fishing superstars on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour include Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt, Chevy pro Tommy Biffle and four-time FLW Tour champion David Fritts.

Notable contenders at this year’s All-American include Tony Christian of Hull, Ga., who won the Lake Gaston regional after dominating the Savannah River Division all season. Christian claimed five BFL victories in 2002, including a victory in the lone Bulldog Division event he entered. Christian added EverStart Series tournaments to his slate in 2003 and claimed a victory in only his second event.

After a two-year absence, perennial contender Curtis Samo of Creston, Ill., returns to the All-American thanks to his second-place finish in the Kentucky Lake Regional. Samo slipped into the regional by finishing 30th in final Great Lakes Division points standings, and will be fishing in his fifth All-American.

Brothers Jimmy and Jackie Davis of Willard, Mo., will also be competing in the All-American after finishing first and second, respectively, in the Lake Hamilton Regional. Jimmy was the 2002 Ozark Division points leader with Jackie not far behind in fourth place. The brothers are making their first trip to the All-American.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses.