WalMart BFL Increases Payouts and Unveils 2009 schedule

Weekend anglers have opportunity to compete for more than $9 million

BENTON, Ky. (Oct. 17, 2008) – 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.

*****from Big John Walker, South Elm-Eugene WalMart*****