> What: Southwestern FLW Series
> Where: Sam Rayburn Reservoir
> When: Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 15-17)
> At stake: Top prize (including Ranger/Evinrude boat package) could reach $99,000
> Expected field size: 220 boats
> What they’re saying: “The water is warming up, the weather has been mild and I’ve seen this before – the lake is setting up,” said FLW Tour pro Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas. “We’re starting to see some big weights in the local events, and I think we could be hitting this tournament at just the right time. This is going to be a really fun event. I normally would never say this, but I don’t think that 20 pounds a day is going to cut it in this one. There are so many big fish in Sam Rayburn that no lead is safe. A 33- or 34-pound limit is absolutely possible, especially the way the lake is setting up right now.
“You’re going to be able to catch them a lot of different ways. The fish are staging all over the lake – in the grass and offshore. I don’t think you can win this tournament fishing just one way. I think you’re going to have to mix it up. The lake is getting better and better every year, and this year is no different. The key will be finding an area or fish that you have to yourself, and then managing those fish over the three days of competition. We’re going to have to figure out how to catch some big ones – I think it will take 70 pounds to win this event.”
> Last FLW Series at Rayburn: Feb. 23-25, 2017
> Winner: Todd Castledine (66-11)
> Click here to read about Castledine's Winning Pattern.
Some of the information above was taken from an FLW press release.
