Arkie Division to kick off season on Lake Ouachita

Slow bite will take perseverance

MOUNT IDA, Ark. – The FLW Bass Fishing League is headed to Lake Ouachita Feb. 20 for the first of five stops in the Arkie Division series. As many as 400 pro and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000, respectively.

“Right now the lake’s kind of tough,” said Team Folgers pro Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark. “The water levels have fluctuated a lot more this time of year than normal. Normally this time of year we’re fishing outside grass lines at 25 or 26 feet, but so far it’s been 13 to 16.”

Suggs said he expects fish to be caught on a lipless crankbait or a deep-diving crankbait with bites coming few and far between. Suggs said the key to the tournament will be perseverance.

“Whatever choice you make, you’ve got to do it and devote your day to it,” Suggs said.

Anglers will take off from Mountain Harbor Marina located at 34 Marina Drive in Mount Ida, Ark., at 7 a.m. Weigh-in will be held at Mountain Harbor Marina beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The Lake Ouachita BFL tournament is being hosted by the Hot Springs Convention Center and Bureau.

Bass Fishing League competition is a 24-division league circuit devoted to weekend anglers, that offers even bigger prizes to qualifiers of the regional championship and those who make it to one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the American Fishing Series or even the FLW Tour.

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse this site or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.