GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – National Guard FLW College Fishing is headed to Kentucky-Barkley lakes May 15 for the last of four stops in the Central Division series. However, the tournament remains in question due to this week’s closure of the fishery to recreational boating.
FLW Outdoors is in contact with the U.S. Coast Guard Ohio Valley Sector office and will provide updates on the CF tournament scheduled for May 15 as soon as a decision is made on when the waters will be reopened to recreational boating traffic.
Forty collegiate teams will compete for a top award of $10,000 to be split evenly between the school and bass fishing club.
“Right now, it’s a big unknown because we’ve got unbelievable conditions with the rain they’ve seen in Nashville,” said FLW Tour pro Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky. “We’ve still got 10 days or so to go, and if we don’t get any more rain, it could be a good tournament.”
Morehead said college students would be wise to spend the majority of the tournament flipping. He said in instances where water levels rise as quickly as they have, fish don’t always move up with it. But if water levels continue to rise until the tournament, anglers will be able to find some fish shallow.
“You’ve really got to work for the fish right now,” Morehead said. “Local knowledge will really come into play in this tournament because you’ve got to know where the old brush line is. It’s just a big `What if?’ You’ve just got to keep watching the lake level and see what it’s doing.”
Anglers will take off from Moors Resort and Marina located at 570 Moors Rd. in Gilbertsville, Ky., at 6:30 a.m. Weigh-in will be held at Moors Resort and Marina beginning at 1:30 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
A complete list of registered College Fishing teams competing in the tournament is available online.
The top five teams from each tournament will qualify for the regional championship where the first-place team wins $25,000 cash for their school and a Ranger 177TR bass boat for their fishing club. The top five teams from each regional advance to the national championship where the first-place team wins $50,000 for their school and $25,000 cash and a Ranger 177TR bass boat for their fishing club.
FLW Outdoors provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.
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.