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LAKE RUSSELL TO HOST WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE SAVANNAH RIVER DIVISION TOURNAMENT

ELBERTON, Ga. -(FishNLand.com) – The Savannah River Division of the $8 million Walmart Bass Fishing League® will visit Lake Russell in Elberton, Ga., May 9 for the fourth of five regular-season events. As many as 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers are expected to compete in the tournament, which will award as much as $45,000 in cash, including a top award of $6,000 in the Boater Division.

If the winner is a participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, he or she will receive a $2,000 bonus from Ranger Boats. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $1,000 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant. That’s a potential top award of $8,000 for anglers who meet contingency guidelines.

Bombardier will award $1,000 to the winning boater if the winner’s boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude E-TEC or Direct Injection outboard.

The winning co-angler will earn as much as $3,000 cash.

Big Bass awards of up to $1,000 and $500, respectively, will also be awarded in the Boater and Co-angler Divisions.

Anglers may register for the tournament online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Onsite registration will be held May 8 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Walmart store located at 955 Elbert St. Extension in Elberton. Entry fees are $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers.

Richard B. Russell State Park in Elberton will host the takeoff and weigh-in at 6:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.

The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American will advance to the no-entry-fee $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. Plus, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series™ for 2010 while All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour®.

The final Savannah River Division tournament will be the two-day Super Tournament held on Clarks Hill Lake in Appling, Ga., Sept. 26-27.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in the Savannah River Division will advance to the Lake Norman Regional Championship in Lake Norman, N.C., Oct. 22-24 and will compete against anglers from the Mountain, South Carolina and Volunteer divisions for an All-American berth.

In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.

Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.

About
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

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.

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Help California’s Rarest Trout
Paiute cutthroat trout are the rarest of native California trout.

California -(FishNLand.com)- Paiute cutthroat trout are the rarest of native California trout. The current range of this rare endemic fish is but a scant nine miles of creeks in Alpine County.

Like many of the other eleven remaining native California trout, Paiute are in trouble. In CalTrout’s recent report, SOS: California’s Native Fish Crisis, Paiute were given a score of “2″. This means they’re vulnerable to extinction within the next 100 years in their native range without substantial intervention.

Fortunately, the California Department of Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service are considering proposals to restore the Paiute Cutthroat trout to the remaining eleven miles of its historic range.

The agencies are considering three alternatives: the status quo of fishery management; the removal of invasive species with rotenone, a naturally-derived piscicide; and the physical removal of invasive species through electro fishing, gill netting and seining.

Because the first alternative would limit the genetic integrity and habitat connectivity/availability for the Paiute and would likely result in the eventual extirpation of the species, CalTrout cannot recommend it.

Because most data show that physical removal methods are labor intensive, costly, and ineffective, CalTrout cannot recommend the third alternative.

CalTrout therefore feels strongly that rotenone treatment (Alternative 2) gives the Paiute the best chance at full recovery.

Rotenone occurs naturally in the roots and stems of several plants. Research shows that its environmental impacts are minimal and it is harmless to humans when applied properly.

This option would most thoroughly remove the introduced species that threaten the long-term survival of Paiute.

Please click on the Logo below to let DFG know you support Alternative 2.

But hurry, the May 4th comment deadline is fast approaching.

Filed under: Conservation News, Politics of Fishing by FishNLand No Comments »

GREERS FERRY TO HOST WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE ARKIE DIVISION TOURNAMENT
The Arkie Division of the $8 million Walmart Bass Fishing League® will visit Greers Ferry in Greers Ferry, Ark., May 9 for the third of five regular-season events.

Greers Ferry, Arkansas

GREERS FERRY, Ark.-(FishNLand.com)– The Arkie Division of the $8 million Walmart Bass Fishing League® will visit Greers Ferry in Greers Ferry, Ark., May 9 for the third of five regular-season events. As many as 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers are expected to compete in the tournament, which will award as much as $45,000 in cash, including a top award of $6,000 in the Boater Division.

If the winner is a participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, he or she will receive a $2,000 bonus from Ranger Boats. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $1,000 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant. That’s a potential top award of $8,000 for anglers who meet contingency guidelines.

Bombardier will award $1,000 to the winning boater if the winner’s boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude E-TEC or Direct Injection outboard.

The winning co-angler will earn as much as $3,000 cash.

Big Bass awards of up to $1,000 and $500, respectively, will also be awarded in the Boater and Co-angler Divisions.

Anglers may register for the tournament online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Onsite registration will be held May 8 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Walmart store located at 1500 Highway 25B N. in Heber Springs, Ark. Entry fees are $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers.

Dam Site Park Marina in Heber Springs will host the takeoff and weigh-in at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.

The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American will advance to the no-entry-fee $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. Plus, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series™ for 2010 while All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour®.

The next Arkie Division tournament will be held on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark., June 13.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in the Arkie Division will advance to the Kentucky/Barkley Lakes Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 15-17 and will compete against anglers from the Buckeye, Hoosier and Mississippi divisions for an All-American berth.

In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour – bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.

Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.

About

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

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.

Filed under: Fishing Events, Fishing Tournament News by FishNLand No Comments »