A whopping $1.25 million purse will be divided among the top 75 finishers in the Pro and Co-angler divisions in the annual Wal-Mart Open at Beaver Lake – $200,000 of which will go to the pro who brings in the heaviest catch in the final round. Even the pro who finishes in 50th place will earn $10,000.
According to Castrol pro Bobby Curtis of Siloam Springs, Ark., the lucrative payday is sure to go to the pro who puts together a reliable largemouth pattern that will hold out for the duration.
“There was a time when you could win a springtime tournament on this lake with a limit of spotted bass, but that’s not the case any more,” Curtis said. “Anglers who aren’t able to pattern the largemouths aren’t even going to be in contention.”
If the weather is favorable, Curtis thinks it could take as much as 26 pounds to make the final cut. With the spawn still weeks away, the local pro said the heavier bass will be staging on rocky main-lake points and along drop-offs in 5 to 7 feet of water.
“Crawfish-pattern crankbaits and chrome/blue Rogues will be the main deals,” Curtis said. “The keys will be covering as much water as possible to locate the good staging areas and catching at least one 4-pound largemouth per day.”
Curtis said he’ll concentrate primarily on rocky points near large spawning flats in major bays. He’s most fond of the midlake area but added that the fishing can be good up the White and War Eagle river arms as well.