10-21-2008, 11:10 AM
BENTON, Kentucky - FLW Outdoors announced that competitors in the Walmart Bass Fishing League will compete for increased payouts while trying to grab their share of more than $9 million in prize money available in 2009. BFL competitors also have the opportunity to participate in three no-entry-fee championships with total payouts of $3.6 million.
The BFL, the nation's most affordable, close-to-home weekend tournament circuit for bass anglers, is made up of 28 divisions, each with four $47,000 one-day qualifying tournaments and one $69,500 two-day Super Tournament. In the $47,000 qualifying tournaments, the winning boater earns as much as $8,000 in cash, including a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus. First-place co-anglers earn as much as $3,000 in cash. Top boater payouts in the $69,500 Super Tournaments are $11,000, including a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus, while top co-angler payouts are $4,500. If the winning boater in any tournament is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $1,000 to the highest finishing Ranger Cup angler in the Boater Division.
After four one-day qualifiers and a two-day Super Tournament in a division are complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from the division advance to a three-day no-entry-fee Regional Championship. Here boaters compete for a Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha and a Chevy truck, and co-anglers compete for a Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. The top six boaters and six co-anglers in each of seven Regional Championships advance to the $1 million no-entry-fee 2010 BFL All-American Championship presented by Chevy. Anglers who enter all five tournaments within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to fish a Chevy Wild Card regional, which also sends six boaters and six co-anglers to the BFL All-American. The 2009 BFL All-American Championship will be held on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., from May 28-30, 2009.
Anglers who qualify for the $1 million BFL All-American will fish for as much as $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Additionally, the winning boater and co-angler from the BFL All-American advance to the $2.5 million no-entry-fee 2010 Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol, where pros compete for a top award of $1 million - the biggest award in the sport of competitive bass fishing.
"The anglers who participate in Walmart BFL tournaments represent the best of what FLW Outdoors believes in," said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. "These anglers have a great opportunity to participate in affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments. We strive to offer them an exceptional tournament experience and the opportunity to advance to the sport's highest levels; mainly the Stren Series, Walmart FLW Series and Walmart FLW Tour. This is the only tournament trail that allows anglers to advance to three no-entry-fee championships, one of them being the sport's biggest, the Forrest Wood Cup, where they could win as much as $1 million."
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from every BFL division in 2009 may advance to the Stren Series in 2010. BFL All-American champions are eligible to advance directly to the FLW Tour for a shot at top awards of $125,000 to $200,000 in every tournament. Each season top anglers from each Stren Series division are eligible to advance to the FLW Series and the FLW Tour.
In the BFL's boater and co-angler format, the boater supplies the boat, controls boat movement and competes against other boaters. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers.
Field sizes will remain the same for 2009, with 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers comprising a full BFL field. Entry fees also remain the same, with boater entry fees of $200 for qualifiers and $300 for Super Tournaments. Co-angler entry fees are $100 for qualifiers and $150 for Super Tournaments. Pretournament meetings for each tournament will be held at the local Walmart store hosting the event.
The first BFL tournament of 2009 is in the Gator Division on the Kissimmee River in Lake Wales, Fla., on Jan. 24. For the complete BFL schedule, payout tables and registration information, please visit FLWOutdoors.com.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits. FLW Outdoors also took fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player's Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Media Contact
Jeff McCoy (612) 337-1945, (612) 360-1375 (cell) or jeff.mccoy@jacobs-mgmt.com
The BFL, the nation's most affordable, close-to-home weekend tournament circuit for bass anglers, is made up of 28 divisions, each with four $47,000 one-day qualifying tournaments and one $69,500 two-day Super Tournament. In the $47,000 qualifying tournaments, the winning boater earns as much as $8,000 in cash, including a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus. First-place co-anglers earn as much as $3,000 in cash. Top boater payouts in the $69,500 Super Tournaments are $11,000, including a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus, while top co-angler payouts are $4,500. If the winning boater in any tournament is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $1,000 to the highest finishing Ranger Cup angler in the Boater Division.
After four one-day qualifiers and a two-day Super Tournament in a division are complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from the division advance to a three-day no-entry-fee Regional Championship. Here boaters compete for a Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha and a Chevy truck, and co-anglers compete for a Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. The top six boaters and six co-anglers in each of seven Regional Championships advance to the $1 million no-entry-fee 2010 BFL All-American Championship presented by Chevy. Anglers who enter all five tournaments within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to fish a Chevy Wild Card regional, which also sends six boaters and six co-anglers to the BFL All-American. The 2009 BFL All-American Championship will be held on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., from May 28-30, 2009.
Anglers who qualify for the $1 million BFL All-American will fish for as much as $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Additionally, the winning boater and co-angler from the BFL All-American advance to the $2.5 million no-entry-fee 2010 Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol, where pros compete for a top award of $1 million - the biggest award in the sport of competitive bass fishing.
"The anglers who participate in Walmart BFL tournaments represent the best of what FLW Outdoors believes in," said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. "These anglers have a great opportunity to participate in affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments. We strive to offer them an exceptional tournament experience and the opportunity to advance to the sport's highest levels; mainly the Stren Series, Walmart FLW Series and Walmart FLW Tour. This is the only tournament trail that allows anglers to advance to three no-entry-fee championships, one of them being the sport's biggest, the Forrest Wood Cup, where they could win as much as $1 million."
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from every BFL division in 2009 may advance to the Stren Series in 2010. BFL All-American champions are eligible to advance directly to the FLW Tour for a shot at top awards of $125,000 to $200,000 in every tournament. Each season top anglers from each Stren Series division are eligible to advance to the FLW Series and the FLW Tour.
In the BFL's boater and co-angler format, the boater supplies the boat, controls boat movement and competes against other boaters. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers.
Field sizes will remain the same for 2009, with 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers comprising a full BFL field. Entry fees also remain the same, with boater entry fees of $200 for qualifiers and $300 for Super Tournaments. Co-angler entry fees are $100 for qualifiers and $150 for Super Tournaments. Pretournament meetings for each tournament will be held at the local Walmart store hosting the event.
The first BFL tournament of 2009 is in the Gator Division on the Kissimmee River in Lake Wales, Fla., on Jan. 24. For the complete BFL schedule, payout tables and registration information, please visit FLWOutdoors.com.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits. FLW Outdoors also took fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player's Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Media Contact
Jeff McCoy (612) 337-1945, (612) 360-1375 (cell) or jeff.mccoy@jacobs-mgmt.com