The PGA-like Society for Fishing Professionals (SFP) announced that it has changed the dates of its first tournament, which will be held on Georgia's Lake Lanier. Originally scheduled for Nov. 14-17, the tournament now will take place Nov. 28-Dec. 1.
SFP president John Uhler explained that he made the change for two reasons. One is that the amateur-level Georgia State Championship (West Point Lake) is being held Nov. 17-18, and many anglers who want to fish the non-pro side of the SFP tournament are fishing that event.
Also, the BASSMASTER Eastern Open is Dec. 6-8 on Florida's St. Johns River. Pros who are fishing that event and who also want to fish the SFP tournament told Uhler that if the Lanier date wasn't closer to the Open date, they would be forced to fish only one of the events.
The reason is that the pros didn't want to drive to Lanier, fish the tournament, drive home and then drive to Florida 2 weeks later, he said.
"Now they can fish (Lanier) on their way to the Open," Uhler noted. "That seems to make it better for everybody."
According to Uhler, top pros who will be fishing the SFP tournament include Mark Menendez (KY), Curt Lytle (VA), Pete Gluszek (MD) and Rick Morris (VA). He said that Kevin Wirth (KY) and others have verbally indicated they will fish it.
Deadline for entries is Nov. 1. For more on the Lanier tournament or the SFP, click here to go to the SFP web site or call (410) 287-3282.
Format Changes
The SFP tournament format is different than FLW and BASSMASTER formats, though it makes use of FLW and Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) methodology.
On the PWT side, weights in SFP tournaments will be calculated using "shared weights," where boaters weigh-in their own catch and non-boaters weigh-in a combination of their weight and their boaters' weight. This takes back-of-the-boat resentment out of a fishing day, Uhler said.
On the FLW side, the first two days of an SFP tournament will be full-field fishing days, with cuts on days 3 and 4. As originally planned, only the Top 20 boaters and non-boaters were to fish on day 3 and all would start from scratch (day 1 and 2 weights are dropped). And on day 4, only the Top 5 boaters (pros) would fish and all would start at zero.
But in response to pro requests, Uhler said the final-day cut will now be to the Top 10, and day 1 and 2 weights will be carried through to days 3 and 4.
2nd Tournament in June?
Though Uhler hopes to have a tournament on the California Delta in April, he said he hasn't hammered out the details for that yet. But he said there definitely will be an SFP tournament on Kentucky and Barkley lakes in June, probably the second week.
"That will be sponsor-paid and you will have to be an SFP member to fish it," he said.
