MOBILE, Ala. – The Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Gulf Coast Division will stage its fifth and final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament, on the Mobile Delta Oct. 4-5. As many as 400 anglers are expected to compete in the event for as much as $70,950 in cash. These anglers are also expected to have a significant economic impact on the local economy.
“With an estimated economic impact of $2.3 million, the Mobile area stands to greatly benefit from the Gulf Coast Division Super Tournament,” said Danny Corte, president of the Mobile Area Sports Commission. “The BFL presents an incredible opportunity for weekend anglers to enjoy the excitement of competitive bass fishing, and we are proud to stage this two-day event in our area.”
Barnett Lawley, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, concurred and said: “As host of the 2003 BFL All-American on the Mobile Delta this past summer, we know firsthand how lucrative these tournaments can be for our local economy. We are excited to host another multi-day BFL event and look forward to more events like these in the future.”
In addition to a top boater award of $9,600 cash and a top co-angler award of $4,800 cash, Gulf Coast anglers fishing the Super Tournament in Mobile will vie for valuable points that determine final standings. Three hundred points will be awarded for a win, 299 points for second, 298 for third, and so on. This is the last chance for anglers to earn points toward regional qualification.
Following the tournament, the top 30 pros and 30 co-anglers are eligible to compete in the Red River Regional Oct. 21-25 in Natchitoches, La. At the regional, qualifiers will compete against top anglers from the Arkie, Bama and Cowboy divisions for one of six slots in the 2004 BFL All-American. With a top boater award of $100,000 cash, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in competitive bass fishing.
Super Tournament anglers will take off from Chocolotta Ramp in Mobile at 7 a.m. each morning. Weigh-ins will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the ramp and at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Wal-Mart located at 27520 Highway 98 in Daphne. Anglers will compete for two days with the winner determined by the heaviest two-day weight. The BFL features a boater/co-angler format in which the boater supplies the boat, fishes from the front deck against other boaters and controls boat movement. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and compete against other co-anglers.
The BFL comprises 24 divisions nationwide, each featuring five regular-season events that lead to one of six regionals. Anglers who enter all five regular-season events in a division but do not advance to a regional may enter the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for a shot at qualifying for the All-American. The All-American field comprises 84 competitors – six boaters and six co-anglers from six regionals plus six boaters and six co-anglers from the Wild Card.
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. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the EverStart Series and ultimately the Wal-Mart FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament series. Each year the top 30 boaters and co-anglers from each BFL division are eligible to advance to the EverStart Series, and All-American champions are eligible for Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition. The top 15 pros and co-anglers from the Central, Eastern and Northern divisions of the EverStart Series (top 10 from the Western Division) are eligible to advance to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Former BFL anglers 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.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please explore FLWOutdoors.com.
FLW Outdoors and the Wal-Mart FLW Tour are named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.