PLATTSBURGH -- The Empire Division of the $8.8 million Walmart Bass Fishing League is holding its final regular-season event on Lake Champlain this weekend. As many as 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers are competing in the tournament, which will award as much as $67,500 in cash, including a top award of $9,000 in the Boater Division.

The two-day Super Tournament starts with the full field competing today and continues with the top 20 percent of the field competing Sunday. Winners will be determined by the heaviest two-day catch.

If the winner is a participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, he will receive a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats and $500 from Yamaha if his boat is powered by Yamaha. Ranger will award $500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant if not the winner, and Yamaha will kick in $250 if the boat is powered by Yamaha.

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. That's a potential top award of $11,000 for anglers who meet contingency guidelines.

The winning co-angler will earn as much as $4,500 cash.

Snickers Big Bass awards of up to $1,500 and $750, respectively, will also be awarded in the Boater and Co-angler Divisions.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday from Plattsburgh Boat Basin located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh. Saturday's and Sunday's weigh-ins will be held at Plattsburgh Boat Basin at 3 p.m.

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.