09-28-2012, 04:10 PM
MORRISTOWN, Tenn. The Walmart Bass Fishing League is headed to Cherokee Lake Oct. 4-6 for one of six regional championships. This three-day tournament features the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each of the Hoosier, Illini, Music City and Piedmont divisions.
Anglers will be competing for a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy 1500 Silverado in the Boater Division and a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard in the Co-angler division. Anglers in both divisions are also competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest running championships in all of competitive bass fishing - the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy.
"Cherokee Lake is a fun place to fish," said Walmart pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn. "It's a highland reservoir where the water level fluctuates 60 feet each year. Right now they're draining it down preparing for winter, so it could be tough to keep up with the fish.
"The lake is pretty much all red clay mud and rocks," Strader continued. "There may be some wood structure that gets fished too, but the lake is going to be pretty low. I think this tournament will be won on the lower end of the lake. The angler that can put the right pattern together and find the right rocks to fish is going to win this event."
Strader recommended throwing crankbaits, buzzbaits and topwater lures - standard fall baits. He also recommended a relative newcomer to the bass fishing world.
"The lake is absolutely loaded with shad," he said. "I'd also be looking real hard at throwing a Tennessee rig, our version of the umbrella rig with only three hooks. It's done real well in the past here on Cherokee, and I would definitely have it in my boat.
"The fish are really conditioned to the fluctuating water levels," Strader continued. "When the water drops, the bass know that winter is coming and really start to feed. I think it's going to take between 45 to 50 pounds to win this event, unless that Tennessee rig turns on. If that happens, we could see some big weights at the scales."
Anglers will take off from the Hamblin County Boat Dock at Cherokee Park located at 3045 Cherokee Park Rd. in Morristown, Tenn., at 7:30 a.m. daily. Thursday and Friday's weigh-ins will be also be held at Hamblin County Boat Dock at Cherokee Park beginning at 3:30 p.m. Sunday's final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart located at 475 Davy Crockett Parkway in Morristown beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event is being hosted by the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing - the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry's premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport's richest payday and most coveted championship trophy - the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water," through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world's richest fantasy sports game - FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
www.FLWOutdoors.com
Media Contact<br />
Chad Gay, Director of Public Relations, (270) 703-3346 or cgay@flwoutdoors.com<br />
Julie Huber, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1810 (w), (612) 812-9512 (m) or julie.huber@jacobs-mgmt.com<br />
Joe Opager, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1989 (w), (218) 434-0748 (m) or joe.opager@jacobs-mgmt.com
Anglers will be competing for a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy 1500 Silverado in the Boater Division and a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard in the Co-angler division. Anglers in both divisions are also competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest running championships in all of competitive bass fishing - the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy.
"Cherokee Lake is a fun place to fish," said Walmart pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn. "It's a highland reservoir where the water level fluctuates 60 feet each year. Right now they're draining it down preparing for winter, so it could be tough to keep up with the fish.
"The lake is pretty much all red clay mud and rocks," Strader continued. "There may be some wood structure that gets fished too, but the lake is going to be pretty low. I think this tournament will be won on the lower end of the lake. The angler that can put the right pattern together and find the right rocks to fish is going to win this event."
Strader recommended throwing crankbaits, buzzbaits and topwater lures - standard fall baits. He also recommended a relative newcomer to the bass fishing world.
"The lake is absolutely loaded with shad," he said. "I'd also be looking real hard at throwing a Tennessee rig, our version of the umbrella rig with only three hooks. It's done real well in the past here on Cherokee, and I would definitely have it in my boat.
"The fish are really conditioned to the fluctuating water levels," Strader continued. "When the water drops, the bass know that winter is coming and really start to feed. I think it's going to take between 45 to 50 pounds to win this event, unless that Tennessee rig turns on. If that happens, we could see some big weights at the scales."
Anglers will take off from the Hamblin County Boat Dock at Cherokee Park located at 3045 Cherokee Park Rd. in Morristown, Tenn., at 7:30 a.m. daily. Thursday and Friday's weigh-ins will be also be held at Hamblin County Boat Dock at Cherokee Park beginning at 3:30 p.m. Sunday's final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart located at 475 Davy Crockett Parkway in Morristown beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event is being hosted by the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing - the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry's premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport's richest payday and most coveted championship trophy - the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the "Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water," through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world's richest fantasy sports game - FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
www.FLWOutdoors.com
Media Contact<br />
Chad Gay, Director of Public Relations, (270) 703-3346 or cgay@flwoutdoors.com<br />
Julie Huber, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1810 (w), (612) 812-9512 (m) or julie.huber@jacobs-mgmt.com<br />
Joe Opager, Communications Specialist, (612) 337-1989 (w), (218) 434-0748 (m) or joe.opager@jacobs-mgmt.com