JASPER, Ala. – Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League anglers who missed their shot at qualifying for the 2005 All-American will have one last chance Oct. 29-30 at the Chevy Trucks Wild Card on Alabama’s Lewis Smith Lake. The competition is open to any angler who entered all five events within a BFL division but did not advance to postseason regional competition. The Wild Card, like the six regionals, will send six boaters and six co-anglers to the 2005 All-American, where they will compete for top awards of $100,000 and $50,000, respectively.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 26-28, are optional practice days, with competition beginning Friday, Oct. 29. Anglers will take off Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29 and 30, at 7 a.m. from the Lewis Smith Dam Ramp, located at 640 Powerhouse Road in Jasper. Both weigh-ins will also be held there beginning at 3 p.m.
Registration will be held Thursday, Oct. 28, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Community Health System Building in Jasper, followed by the pretournament meeting at 7 p.m. The off-limits period begins at midnight Oct. 17 and extends through safe daylight the morning of Oct. 26.
Each of the BFL’s 24 nationwide divisions features five regular-season events in which anglers accumulate points based on their order of finish. The top 30 boaters and 30 co-anglers in each division then advance to one of six regionals, where they compete for an All-American berth. The six regionals and the Wild Card will send a total of 84 competitors to the All-American.
The All-American is one of the most lucrative and historic events in competitive bass fishing. The first All-American was held in 1983, and past winners include fishing superstars Rick Clunn and Clark Wendlandt. The 2002 All-American winner, Eddie Waits of Pine Bluff, Ark., advanced to the competition via the Chevy Trucks Wild Card. The All-American provides the everyday angler a chance to win some of the sport’s most lucrative awards.
Under the BFL’s boater and co-angler format, boaters supply the boats, fish from the front deck and control boat movement throughout the competition. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and are competing against other co-anglers.
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 the All-American champions are eligible for Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition. The top 10 pros and co-anglers from each division of the EverStart Series are eligible to advance to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour.
For more information about the BFL, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.