Cross Lake to host BFL All-American
Top weekend anglers competing for $130,000, spot in Forrest Wood Cup
SHREVEPORT, La. – One of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing, the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy will visit Cross Lake in Shreveport, La., May 19-21. Hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier City Regional Sports Authority, the tournament will feature the top 49 boaters and top 49 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 in the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart on Lake Ouachita, Aug. 11-14.
“Cross Lake is very fishable right now,” said Troy Morrow of Toccoa, Ga., who is the reigning BFL All-American Champion. “The lake is pretty shallow with lots of docks. It also has a lot of cypress trees and some nice grassy areas, so there will be several patterns that could win the tournament.
“Anglers are going to have to be very patient and fish each area diligently,” added Morrow. “There is not going to be one area that an angler can survive on all three days. Fishing patterns is what’s going to win the tournament.
“The toughest part of this tournament is going to be the slot limit. It could get a little tricky,” continued Morrow. “You can keep anything 12 to 13 inches or over 17 inches. Anglers are really going to have to be careful with their measurements. I think it is going to take two limits of overs in order to win the event. Three days of mixed bags won’t cut it. I would use crankbaits and Senkos around docks and in wooded areas and frogs in the grassy areas.”
Morrow, who qualified for his third BFL All-American, has opted not to fish at Cross Lake this year. Instead he will compete in the Walmart FLW Tour on the Red River presented by OFF! that will take place May 19-22.
Anglers will take off from the American Legion Hall located at 5315 South Lakeshore Drive in Shreveport at 7 a.m. daily. Weigh-ins all three days will be at the Shreveport Convention Center located at 400 Caddo St. in Shreveport. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be at 4 p.m., and Saturday’s final weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. prior to the day-three weigh-in of the FLW Tour.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Shreveport Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The first 300 kids 14 and under on Sunday will receive a free rod and reel combo compliments of KTBS 3. Fans can also register to win a Can-Am ATV courtesy of Kiss Country 93.7 and 99X which will be given away on Sunday following the final weigh-in of the FLW Tour event. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the BFL All-American tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors,” will air Sept. 4 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, offering bigger prizes to those who qualify for regional championships and those who make it to the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW Outdoors on Facebook at Facebook.com/BassFishingLeague and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.
About FLW Outdoors
FLW Outdoors is the largest tournament-fishing organization in the world, offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing at FantasyFishing.com, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge.