Lake Havasu, Ariz. (Nov. 4, 2002) - The Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers will bring postseason activity to Lake Havasu Nov. 12-16 for regional competition.
The top 30 boaters and co-anglers from the Western and Colorado River divisions will descend upon Windsor Park with hopes of securing a berth in the 2003 Wal-Mart BFL All-American championship, where the boater champion will win $100,000 cash and the co-angler champion will win $50,000 cash -- two of the largest cash prizes in competitive bass fishing.
During the regional, a full field of 60 boaters and 60 co-anglers will compete for two days to determine which three will advance to Saturday's final day of competition. On Saturday, the top finishers will start at zero, competing for position and prize money. All three automatically advance to the All-American.
The winning boater will take home a new Ranger boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha as well as a new Chevy truck. The winning co-angler will receive an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger boat.
Anglers who failed to qualify for the regional can still have a shot at the All-American by finishing in the top six at the Chevy Trucks Wild Card, set for Nov. 5-9 on West Point Lake near Lanett, Ala. The 2002 All-American champion, Eddie Waits of Pine Bluff, Ark., earned his All-American berth through Wild Card competition.
Nationwide, the BFL is divided into 26 divisions - each featuring four one-day qualifying tournaments and a two-day Super Tournament. Under the BFL's boater and co-angler format, boaters supply the boats, fish from the front deck and control boat movement throughout the competition. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and are competing against other co-anglers. Two hundred points are awarded to tournament winners, 199 points are presented for second and so on except for the Super Tournament, where the winners earn 300 points, 298 points are given for second place and so on. These points determine angler standings throughout the season. Every angler who receives weight credit earns points.