Third Major of Walmart FLW Tour Season Set for Beaver Lake
OutdoorHub 04.17.12
The Walmart FLW Tour on Beaver Lake presented by Straight Talk will visit Rogers, Ark., April 26-29 for the third major of its 17th season. Hosted by the Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau, the tournament will feature a full field of the world’s best bass pros and co-anglers casting for top awards up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.
Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., has 25 top-10 finishes and one win on his FLW fishing resume. Canterbury offered some insight into the Beaver Lake event and hinted that it might be a tough one.
“I think there’s going to be a lot going on,” Canterbury said. “There will be some sight fishing for fish left on the beds, and there should be a shad spawn starting. It will be a spawn and post-spawn bite. It could be a tough tournament; It will be about normal for Beaver Lake.”
Canterbury said he thinks 12 pounds a day would be a solid weight for most anglers during the event. He thinks the fish will be moving off of beds and starting to scatter out across Beaver, which could present a challenge for some anglers.
“I don’t expect them to be grouped up real big unless you find a shad spawn happening,” Canterbury said.
Canterbury predicted a solid topwater bait and said any walking bait, such as a Zara Spook or Jackall Mud Sucker, will be productive. He also said finesse fishing with shaky-head rigs could play a major factor during the tournament.
“It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how it plays out,” Canterbury said.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Duluth/Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 9-12 on Lake Lanier and anglers could win as much as $500,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors.
Anglers will take off from Prairie Creek Park located at 9300 N. Park Rd. in Rogers at 6:30 a.m. each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at Prairie Creek Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the John Q. Hammons Center located at 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy. in Rogers beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the John Q. Hammons Center on Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. On Sunday the first 300 children 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a free rod and reel combo courtesy of US94 KAMO-FM Country. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a Can-Am ATV courtesy of KNWA. The ATV giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win
As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, select FLW Tour anglers will be working in conjunction with Project Footsteps, an organization whose mission is to inspire, empower and prepare young people and communities to be agents of change and social leaders in action. The anglers will assist in a “Get Power” Retreat where anglers will help assist children to campaign and organize themselves to take the lead to rid their communities and schools of bullying. The retreat will be April 25 from 8 a.m. to noon at Crossroads Extended Day School located at 2922 S. First St. in Rogers.
Coverage of the Beaver Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs June 3 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. “FLW” is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
