2012 Walmart Bass Fishing League Schedule, Entry Dates Announced

[djkimmel]

FLW Outdoors News

2012 Walmart Bass Fishing League Schedule, Entry Dates Announced

MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 25, 2011) – FLW Outdoors announced its 2012 Walmart Bass Fishing League schedule and entry dates Tuesday. With a 2012 schedule comprising 120 regular-season tournaments across 24 divisions, regional competition and one of the longest-running championships in the history of tournament bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American – the BFL is the nation's largest weekend bass-fishing circuit.

Anglers may enter tournaments according to the following schedule:
Dec. 12, 2011 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City and Volunteer divisions
Dec. 13, 2011 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi divisions
Dec. 14, 2011 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Gator and Mountain divisions
Dec. 15, 2011 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie divisions
Dec. 16, 2011 – Ozark, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina divisions

2012 Michigan Division BFL Schedule
St. Clair
6/23/2012
Metro Beach Metropark

Detroit River
7/14/2012
Elizabeth Park Marina

St. Clair
7/28/2012
Metro Beach Metropark

Grand River
8/18/2012
Riverside Park

Detroit River
9/15/2012 - 9/16/2012
Elizabeth Park Marina

Read complete story on GreatLakesBass.com Tournament News.

[Team houston]

I did not see anything about a regional?

[Mark117]

Plan on driving 8-12hrs away??? 

[djkimmel]

I did not see anything about a regional?

Seems like that usually comes out later? If I remember correctly. I know they want to have a regional in Michigan some day. We've talked about it more than once. The weather that time of year is one concern. Local support is another challenge.

[Mark117]

Dan,
I told Anthony Wright and other BFL/REDMAN directors for 20 plus yrs to have a Regional at Detroit river in October and they would have 150+ boats at every event! No one listened.... Now they had a record low of 59 boats at the 2 day event and they were calling boaters for the regional the day before the event started thinking someone from Michigan was going to drive 10 hrs to fish a Regional with no practice? hahahaha! In 20 yrs of fishing Redmans & BFLs they have never held a Regional in Michigan??  Do you really think FLW does not have the money? Local support? I think the Michigan anglers have supported FLW(BFLs) long enough to get ONE regional at the Detroit river in October? Don't ya think??

Its all a joke that Michigan anglers get to drive the longest distance to the Regional. Fish the biggest dumps in October when we have the Greatest bass fishing in the country and Every angler will be jack-in bass for three days!!

Just my 2 cents. Somethings will never change?

[SethV]

The regional location is a big reason why I sat out of the BFL's this year.  Big water was another reason, I just got tired of beating up my equipment for 5 events in a row.  I was pretty loyal to the BFL - fishing every event quite a few years in a row in all 3 states I lived in over the past 7 years.

I am planning next year on fishing the BASS Opens - unless the BFL comes in with a good regional location.

[motocross269]

3 BASS opens will probably not cost much more than 5 BFLs in expenses with alot bigger payouts and alot more days of tournament time...
Never mind the short cut to the classic.....

[Mark117]

Well said SethV and I'm with you Moto on this one. Hello James river, Detroit river, Cayuga? Money well spent.

I bet if you do the math, Michigan boaters spend at least twice the boat gas than any other division of the BFLs. And what is there reward??? To spend more truck gas driving to the Regional 8 or 10 hrs away? hahahaha 

Back in the day(Redmans), I enjoyed fishing out of state to work on my largie game knowing I would have to compete against these same guys at the regional on some river? I would travel and fish 3 divisions of Redman... OH, IL, & MI. Those were the good old days.
Now I Hate crushing big waves, Hate dropping hundreds of dollars on boat gas/repairing boats, & Hate driving 8-12 hrs to fish the Ohio, Mississippi, or Barren river Regional.

[djkimmel]

Nothing is impossible. Anglers got BFL to stop going to Saginaw Bay (I wasn't one of them). Anglers got them to go up north. Anglers got them to go back over to the west side. I think Anglers could get them to have a regional up north.

Contact FLW and tell the head of BFL tournaments that you would be more likely to fish Michigan BFL if they have a regional up north. If enough anglers do that, it is more likely to happen. There has been plenty of discussion about doing this in the past. I've had talks with them about it several times over the years.

[SethV]

Well said SethV and I'm with you Moto on this one. Hello James river, Detroit river, Cayuga? Money well spent.

I don't know how hard it will be to get in the Opens, but I will sign up for all 3 on the first day of registration.

Cayuga was my home water when I lived in NY - I know it well and made 2 BFL Super tx cuts in a row there.  Looking forward to that one.

Of course the Det River is home and that is an easy time of year to find fish.

James river will be the new water.  I am not a tidal expert at all.  The Potomac was on our BFL Northeast schedule, so I have spent some time on Tidal water, but never really figgured out how to "run the tides".  I was always better and finding a good area and just adjusting for water level.

[djkimmel]

That's probably how I would fish tidal water. You should be able to get in.

[motocross269]

Don't get me wrong....I think the BFLs are the best run larger scale tournaments that I have fished....I haven't had any type of issues...

4 LSC/ tournaments makes it tough for the "Non-Big water" guys to compete....But the weights are awesome from those events so what do you do??

Dan is probably spot on with his assessment...The squeeky wheels get the oil....Alot of the guys that do well on LSC/Erie get involved and are heard.....Modrak, Reault, Skip, Cox...Etc Etc....JMHO.....Some of the west side guys made some noise and the GR tourney is back....

I don't see any reason not to have the Regional in this area......BASS had their regional up in Escanaba....Still a long drive but I heard the fishing was awesome.....