MONETA, Va. – The FLW Bass Fishing League is headed to Smith Mountain Lake April 10 for the first of five stops in the Shenandoah Division. As many as 400 boaters and co-anglers will compete for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000, respectively.
“Literally this tournament will take place four, five days before the spawn goes into full motion,” said Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., who grew up on Smith Mountain Lake and is the FLW Outdoors all-time leading money-winner. “Most of the fish caught will be smallmouths with a few largemouths making their way to stage.
“The largemouths will be suspended under docks, preparing for the spawn, and anglers will want to skip jigs and shaky heads in those areas. The smallmouths will be found in the lower end of the lake; they tend to spawn first and will be in shallower water around stumps.
“This is going to be a good tournament, and it will probably take 18 to 20 pounds to win. Typically this lake is a lot clearer than it is right now, but due to the rain and snow that we got over the winter, anglers are going to see some staining. Anglers will want to look in the muddier sections of the lake first to see if they have any luck. I believe this tournament is going to be won in the mud.”
Takeoff and weigh-in will be at Parkway Marina located at 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway in Huddleston, Va. Takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m., while weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, offering even bigger prizes to those who qualify for regional championships 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, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.