DeGray Lake set to host BFL All-American

Weekend anglers from across nation to compete for championship title, Forrest Wood Cup berth

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The BFL All-American presented by Chevy will take place on DeGray Lake in Hot Springs, Ark., May 27-29. The All-American is one of the longest-running championships in the history of competitive bass fishing. Hosted by the Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, the tournament will feature the top 55 boaters and top 55 co-anglers from across the country casting for top awards of up to $130,000 in the Boater Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division plus the opportunity to compete at the Aug. 5-8 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier.

Don and Kevin Brown, father and son, from Malvern, Ark., are two of the top weekend anglers that qualified for the All-American competition. Don has fished the lake for over 40 years and raised Kevin, along with several of his friends, on DeGray. He feels fortunate to be able to fish in a tournament of this caliber next to his son.

“We are both very competitive,” said Don Brown, who claims to be his own worst enemy. “I struggle to keep up with the younger kids, or maybe I’m just too stubborn – I don’t know. Kevin has some really good instincts when it comes to fishing this lake; he knows when to move, where I sometimes decide to wait it out.

“Nobody’s on fish right now, and conditions are going to change between now and when the tournament starts. The fish are going to start coming off beds and will be in transition by tournament time. The angler that can find the places where the fish are hanging up will be the one that wins this thing.

“But I tell you, there is going to be some good competition, and local advantage, I’m sure, will come into play; Keith Green (of Arkadelphia, Ark.) and Chris Darby (of Mount Ida, Ark.) will both be tough to beat.”

Anglers will take off from Spillway Ramp located at 284 Skyline Drive in Arkadelphia at 7 a.m. each day. Weigh-ins all three days will be at the Summit Arena located at 134 Commerce Blvd. in Hot Springs, Ark. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be at 4 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. prior to the final weigh-in for the FLW Tour Chevy Open on Lake Ouachita.

Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday prior to the final weigh-in from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a Can-Am ATV, and rod and reel combos will be given to the first 300 kids under 14 in attendance Saturday. The FLW Outdoors Expo includes Ranger boat simulators as well as the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and to learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, additional information and to register for the ATV, visit FLWOutdoors.com/chevyopen.

Coverage of the BFL All-American tournament will be broadcast in high definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors” will air Nov. 28 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.

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.