ROGERS — In the fishing business, Christmas rides in on the blooms of spring, not the snowflakes of winter.
Tackle manufacturers and retailers are as busy in April as a department store is on Black Friday. When the Walmart FLW Tour bass tournament rolls into town, business booms even more.
Fast Facts
FLW Fishing
• Fishing begins Thursday in the Walmart FLW Tour bass tournament at Beaver Lake and concludes Sunday.
• Take-off is at 7 a.m. each day. Weigh-ins on Thursday and Friday begin at 3 p.m. at Prairie Creek park. Weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday start at 4 p.m. at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.
• About 175 pro division anglers and 175 co-anglers will compete. Co-anglers fish from the back of the pro’s boat. Entry fee in the pro division is $4,000. Co-angler entry fee is $700. First place in the pro division receives $100,000, or $125,000 if the pro drives a Ranger boat. Co-angler top prize is $20,000.
• Beaver Lake is the fourth stop this season for FLW anglers.
• “FLW” stands for Forrest L. Wood, founder of Ranger boats. Ranger is a major tournament sponsor.
• Only the three species of black bass — smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass — may be weighed. Smallmouth and largemouth bass must be 15 inches or longer. Spotted bass must be 12 inches or longer.
• The FLW expo will be from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the John Q. Hammons Center. Pro angler Rich Dalby will sponsor a food drive for the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. Everyone who donates five cans of food will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Walmart gift card.
• A free concert by country star Rodney Atkins is at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Hammons Center.
Source: Staff Report
In Aaron Jolliff's world, FLW week is the holiday season at his fishing store, Hook, Line & Sinker in Rogers.
"This is the big time of year. When your business revolves around fishing, you're already busy in the spring. The FLW is the icing on the cake," Jolliff said.
A parade of FLW anglers walked through his front door on Saturday afternoon, the day before the fishermen were allowed to hit Beaver Lake on Sunday. The reservoir was off limits to FLW contestants most of March. They were allowed on the water Sunday through Tuesday to fish and form a game plan for catching bass and maybe a chance at the $125,000 first place pro-division prize.
Fishing begins at 7 a.m. Thursday out of Prairie Creek park on Beaver Lake. The tournament concludes Sunday afternoon.
FLW anglers carry most of what they need with them, Jolliff said, but most pick up last-minute items.
"We try to take care of them any way we can," Jolliff said. Custom-painted lures are big among these pro bass anglers and Jolliff carries those.
"What we sell depends a lot on what the hot thing is at the time. They come prepared, but they all need at least a few things."
Spinner baits are hot at Beaver Lake in April. A lot of the ones Jolliff is selling this week are made down the road at War Eagle Custom Lures of Rogers. During FLW week, owner Keith Brashers sometimes makes two or three trips a day to Hook, Line & Sinker to deliver more spinner baits.
War Eagle makes a variety of lures, but spinner baits are a top springtime seller nationwide. The Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake makes things even busier.
Each spinner bait is made by hand. On a recent Thursday morning, Brashers and four employees had their fingers to the grindstone assembling spinner baits.
"This time of year we're at full capacity," Brashers said. "It's spring and all the tackle stores are ordering."
War Eagle Custom Lures is a wholesale company, so FLW anglers buy War Eagle products from retail stores such as Hook, Line & Sinker.
Timing of this year's FLW event, Thursday through Sunday, couldn't be better for the bottom line at both businesses. Spinner baits sales are good during April no matter what the lake level. Brashers hopes for rain when FLW week is near.
"If the lake comes up and gets into the bushes, spinner baits are the deal," Brashers said two weeks ago. His wish came true with recent showers and an increase in the lake level.
Brashers does more than sell lures to assist visiting FLW anglers. Two of the pros, Luke Claussen and Andy Morgan, stay at Brashers' home during the tournament.
Bob Carnes, owner of Arkie Lures in Springdale, gets more excited about how Northwest Arkansas as a community benefits from the FLW fishing contest. Lake-area businesses, such as motels, restaurants and any retailer that sells gasoline, see a spike in business.
Activities for kids during FLW week get the younger generation excited about fishing, Carnes said. Later in life, these young anglers may buy tackle that Arkie and War Eagle companies make here in Northwest Arkansas. They may buy the products from independent businessmen like Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker.
Having the lures, gasoline and supplies they need lets the FLW anglers focus on the fish.
Outdoors on 04/09/2014