Wirth Goes Wire-to-Wire
June 30, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., tried a new strategy that made him uncomfortable throughout the Tennessee Triumph presented by Longhorn on Old Hickory Lake, but the decision and his execution helped him take home the trophy Saturday at the ninth 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series event.
The Elite Series veteran and former Kentucky Derby jockey led from start to finish to claim the $100,000 first-place prize and valuable points toward the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. With a four-day weight of 55 pounds, 10 ounces, Wirth, 45, sealed his first BASS win in 14 years and the first wire-to-wire victory of the 2008 Elite season.
Wirth also rallied to 30th in the AOY standings – the top 36 in the standings will qualify for the Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La. The winner of the AOY will receive $250,000 and the points will also determine the brunt of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic qualifiers.
Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas, who is in second place in the AOY title race, finished 10th with and 42-14. He closed the gap between himself and leader Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., by three more points, now just 12 behind with only two events remaining in the Trail to the Trophy.
Fishing fans can catch all of the action from the Tennessee Triumph on The Bassmasters on Saturday, July 5, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
After a disappointing Day 3, Bill Lowen of North Bend, Ohio, rebounded on Day 4 with the Berkley Big Bag of the Day at 14-9 for 50-5 overall. Wirth’s 17-2 catch Thursday won the Berkley Big Bag of the tournament.
Randy Howell of Springville, Ala., held firm in third place with 12-15 for 50 pounds, 0 ounces overall, and he took home the bonus for the Purolator Big Bass of the Tournament for his Day 2 catch of 6-6. Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu, Ariz., was fourth with 48-12, and in a tie for fifth place with 48-10 were 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, and four-time Bassmaster Classic champ Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo. Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., who finished seventh with 47-11, weighed one Sunday at 5-8, good for the $1,000 premium for the Purolator Big Bass of the Day.
Wirth said Sunday that on the third day of practice he didn’t like what he was doing, because it went against the grain of how he was accustomed to fishing, but he said he put one rod in his hand and said to himself, “I’m going fishing.”
“I can’t hardly hold my emotions here, you know, because it’s been a long, hard grind,” Wirth said on the weigh-in stage as he fought off tears. “There’s been many a day when you think, man, this is not the right thing to be doing. And right now, this makes it all worth it. Dreams can come true, if you have a dream and stick with it, go get it.”
Wirth’s two biggest fish Sunday came on a buzzbait he hadn’t used the rest of the week. He fished shallow through the competition, mainly flipping a Berkley Power Hog creature bait in green pumpkin.
“I noticed the water come up with a lot of cloud cover, we had some rain last night, so the water was pretty dark,” Wirth said of Sunday’s conditions that led to his using the buzzbait. “I noticed the fish were roaming around and weren’t getting up on the targets. As soon as I pulled in my area I saw a couple flicker up on top, so it had come to me this morning before take-off and I reached in the lock box and tied one on, and it paid off.”
In the Advance Auto Parts Rookie of the Year race, Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., continues to lead with 1,836 points. He is 409 points ahead of second-place Wade Grooms of Bonneau, S.C.
Mike McClelland of Bella Vista, Ark., leads the Berkley Heavyweight Award race with 307 pounds, 4 ounces through nine events.
Up next is the July 31-Aug. 3 Empire Chase on Lake Erie and the Niagara River out of Buffalo, the 10th event of 11 Elite Series tournaments in the Trail to the Trophy.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.
The local sponsor of the Tennessee Triumph is the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Berkley, Lowrance, Mercury, Purolator, Skeeter, Yamaha, Evan Williams Bourbon, Longhorn, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Costa Del Mar, MotorGuide and Ramada Worldwide.
Dudley Dials-In For Win
June 23, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Team Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., caught a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 11 ounces to win $125,000 in the $1 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour event presented by BP on Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes. Dudley topped his closest rival, Team National Guard pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., by 1 pound, 4 ounces to earn the win and 200 points toward qualifying for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup in Columbia, S.C., where the winner will earn as much as $1 million – the biggest award in bass fishing – Aug. 14-17.“This win means a lot because I won it in a way that I used to think was my biggest weakness, which is deep cranking,” said Dudley, who is fourth on professional bass fishing’s all-time money winning list with more than $2.5 million. “In the past two years, I’ve learned a ton about deep cranking and deep-water fishing, and it has become an obsession with me.”
Dudley said he relied on the baits that had produced for him on his key spot during the previous three days of competition – a 10-inch green-pumpkin Berkley PowerWorm and a deep-diving custom-painted blueback herring-colored crankbait.
Dudley focused his efforts on the final day of competition on a ledge on the upper end of Fort Loudoun Lake that had current sweeping across it. The ledge featured a clean bottom with large rocks on it, and Dudley said he caught seven to 10 keepers off of the ledge Sunday.
“Everything I weighed in came off of that ledge,” Dudley said. “I moved around and let it rest up and fished around and went back and fished it again and then let it rest some more.”
Even though Dudley had fished the ledge with crankbaits previously in the week, he returned to it Sunday and fished it slowly to maximize his catch. Dudley said he fished the PowerWorm slowly and methodically to catch his winning limit.
“When the crankbait bite is on, it means there’s a lot of competition between the fish and you get a quicker bite,” Dudley said. “But as the week went on, I had to go to the dragging-type baits because there weren’t as many fish on it, so there wasn’t a competitive mood, so I had to talk them into biting with slow baits.”
Dudleyopened the tournament Thursday in second place with five bass weighing 20-02. He moved to first place Friday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces to advance into the final round of 10 pros with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 14 ounces. On Saturday, weights were cleared, and Dudley caught five bass weighing 14-9 to advance to the final day of competition in second place. Dudley added another five bass weighing 15-02 to his final-round total Sunday.
Martin caught a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 28-7 to claim second place and $50,000.
“I caught some fish shallow earlier during the week, but then the water started fluctuating a lot,” Martin said. “When that happened, I pretty much lost confidence in it.”
Martin said he caught some big fish shallow on the first morning of competition on a Spro Little John crankbait and some fish deep on deep-diving crankbaits. Martin focused his efforts on the final two days of competition on a point on the main river he found during practice, and managed to catch his limits despite losing a few fish. The river point would produce quick smallmouth catches for Martin, and then he would relocate to look for bigger largemouth.
“I fished the smallmouth spot until about 10 a.m. this morning, and then I was through with the smallmouth hole,” Martin said. “I had three fish off of it and then went looking for largemouth. About 2 p.m., I hit a school of largemouth on a deep-diving plug and caught five in a row and basically came in after that.”
Martin said the key to his crankbait success during the week was his setup – a 7-foot, 8-inch Kistler Magnesium rod, Abu Garcia Revo reel and 10-pound-test fluorocarbon line. Martin claimed that setup let him make accurate casts at “crazy long” distances.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were Art Ferguson of St. Clair Shores, Mich. (nine bass, 26-13, $40,000); Brandon Coulter of Knoxville (nine bass, 25 pounds, 11 ounces, $30,000); Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., (10 bass, 21 pounds, 10 ounces, $20,000); Team Prilosec OTC pro Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., (10 bass, 21 pounds, 6 ounces, $19,000); Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C., (10 bass, 19 pounds, 15 ounces, $18,000); Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn. (10 bass, 18 pounds, 12 ounces, $17,000); Jerry Green of Del Rio, Texas (eight bass, 16 pounds, 05 ounces, $16,000) and Team National Guard pro Ramie Colson of Cadiz, Ky., (seven bass, 10 pounds, 6 ounces, $15,000).
Overall there were 47 bass weighing 117 pounds, 5 ounces caught in the Pro Division Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
Tournament pros aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, which offers $7.3 million in cash and prizes, FLW Outdoors® presents anyone with the opportunity to land the catch of a lifetime. Players in the lucrative new fantasy sports league can become virtual pros by signing up for Player’s Advantage, which provides exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and receive a complimentary $15 Wal-Mart gift card.
On Saturday, Barry Isbell of Trussville, Ala., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 with three bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Team Berkley co-angler Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., in second place with five bass weighing 9-04 worth $10,000.
Isbell opened the tournament in 19th place Thursday with four bass weighing 7-11 while fishing with pro Danny Correia of Marlborough, Mass. On Friday he jumped into fifth place on the strength of a five-bass catch weighing 10-06 while fishing with Greg Bohannan of Rogers, Ark. He wrapped up his win while fishing with Green.
“This is awesome,” said Isbell, who earned his first win on the FLW Tour. “I’ve been working on it a long time. It really, really feels good to achieve it. These guys are tough out here.”
Isbell said a drop-shot rig tipped with a Purple Winnie-colored Jackall Cross Tail Shad sealed the deal for him on the final day of competition. Isbell rigged his drop-shot with 20-pound braided line and an 8-pound-test leader.
“Jerry had an awesome spot on the river that was a 100-yard stretch that we were fishing,” Isbell said. “They didn’t seem to want his Carolina rig today, and I just pitched over there with the drop-shot right on the rock pile and caught the big one. They just wanted something finessy.
“Actually, I went to go net a fish for Jerry, and when I got back to my rod, the big one was on it,” Isbell added. “That’s kind of how my day went. It was one of those golden days. I couldn’t do any wrong.”
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Jim Campbell of Maryville, Tenn. (three bass, 6-15, $9,000); Shawn Carnahan of Chandler, Ariz. (four bass, 6-07, $8,000); Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio (two bass, 3-15, $7,000); Dennis Price Jr. of Tinley Park, Ill. (two bass, 3-00, $6,000); Brian Gage of Gray, Tenn. (two bass, 2-03, $5,000); Kyle Lane of Clarkrange, Tenn. (zero bass, 0-00, $4,000); Doug Weiser of Springdale, Ark. (zero bass, 0-00, $3,000) and Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala. (zero bass, 0-00, $2,000).
Overall there were 21 bass weighing 41 pounds, 5 ounces caught in the Co-angler Division Saturday. The catch included one five-bass limit.
Coverage of the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Aug. 10 and 17 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
The next $1.5 million FLW Tour stop, the Chevy Open, will be held on the Detroit River in Detroit, Mich., July 10-13.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Ferguson Fishes To Day-3 Lead
June 22, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Pro Art Ferguson of St. Clair Shores, Mich., caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to capture the lead in a top-10 field that includes some of the greatest anglers in the world. Ferguson now holds a 4-pound, 9-ounce edge over his closest competitor, Team Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., heading into the final day of competition in the $1 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes. If he holds on for the win, Ferguson will pocket $100,000.
Ferguson gives the credit for his lead to his day two co-angler, Grant Holderman of Augusta, Kansas.
“I was scrambling at about 12:30,” said Ferguson, who has won more than $356,000 in FLW Outdoors events. “I had fished my areas where I thought they were and they weren’t there. Now I’m really freaking out. I was just getting ready to get out of there and Grant puts out a long cast out behind the boat, and now it’s history.
“My areas were like 20 yards on either side of that spot,” Ferguson added. “It turns out I was around them, but just a cast away. I just want him to know how much I appreciate him for putting me on those fish.”
Ferguson said his bait of choice on the third day of competition was a 5/8-ounce green pumpkin football-head jig. Ferguson said his fish are coming in an area about 12 feet deep where the rock is just a little different composition than the surrounding areas.
“I think they’re eating a lot of shad in these areas, and I think maybe something a little bit different coming at them, like a crawdad coming through there all of a sudden is freaking them out,” Ferguson said. “It kind of looks like a bluegill, too.
“I guarantee you I’m doing the same thing tomorrow,” Ferguson added.
Dudley caught five fish weighing 14 pounds, 9 ounces to advance to the final day of competition as the No. 2 seed.
“Art was a showoff today,” joked Dudley, who is fourth on professional bass fishing’s all-time money winning list with more than $2.4 million. “I got to my spot and I knew on my first 10 casts something wasn’t right.
“I caught a few keepers other places, but I had to work,” Dudley added.
Dudley said he relied on the bait that had produced for him on his key spot the previous two days — a 10-inch green pumpkin Berkley PowerWorm. He also employed a deep-diving custom-painted blueback herring-colored crankbait.
Rounding out the top 10 pros are Team National Guard pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla. (five bass, 13-10); Team Prilosec pro Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn. (five bass, 11-05); Brandon Coulter of Knoxville (four bass, 8-09); Jerry Green of Del Rio, Texas (five bass, 8-07); Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. (five bass, 8-04); Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C. (five bass, 7-13); Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn. (five bass, 7-08) and Team National Guard pro Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky. (two bass, 2-08).
Overall there were 46 bass weighing 101 pounds, 11 ounces caught in the Pro Division Saturday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
Tournament pros aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, which offers $7.3 million in cash and prizes, FLW Outdoors® presents anyone with the opportunity to land the catch of a lifetime. Players in the lucrative new fantasy sports league can become virtual pros by signing up for Player’s Advantage, which provides exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and receive a complimentary $15 Wal-Mart gift card.
Barry Isbell of Trussville, Ala., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday with three bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Team Berkley co-angler Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., in second place with five bass weighing 9-4 worth $10,000.
Isbell opened the tournament in 19th place Thursday with four bass weighing 7-11 while fishing with pro Danny Correia of Marlborough, Mass. On Friday he jumped into fifth place on the strength of a five-bass catch weighing 10-06 while fishing with Greg Bohannan of Rogers, Ark. He wrapped up his win while fishing with Green.
“This is awesome,” said Isbell, who earned his first win on the FLW Tour. “I’ve been working on it a long time. It really, really feels good to achieve it. These guys are tough out here.”
Isbell said a drop-shot rig tipped with a Purple Winnie-colored Jackall Cross Tail Shad sealed the deal for him on the final day of competition. Isbell rigged his drop-shot rig with 20-pound braided line and an eight-pound-test leader.
“Jerry had an awesome spot on the river that was a 100-yard stretch that we were fishing,” Isbell said. “They didn’t seem to want his Carolina rig today, and I just pitched over there with the drop shot right on the rock pile and caught the big one. They just wanted something finessy.
“Actually, I went to go net a fish for Jerry and when I got back to my rod, the big one was on it,” Isbell added. “That’s kind of how my day went. It was one of those golden days. I couldn’t do any wrong.”
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Jim Campbell of Maryville, Tenn. (three bass, 6-15, $9,000); Shawn Carnahan of Chandler, Ariz. (four bass, 6-07, $8,000); Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio (two bass, 3-15, $7,000); Dennis Price Jr. of Tinley Park, Ill. (two bass, 3-00, $6,000); Brian Gage of Gray, Tenn. (two bass, 2-03, $5,000); Kyle Lane of Clarkrange, Tenn. (zero bass, 0-00, $4,000); Doug Weiser of Springdale, Ark. (zero bass, 0-00, $3,000) and Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala. (zero bass, 0-00, $2,000).
Overall there were 21 bass weighing 41 pounds, 5 ounces caught in the Co-angler Division Saturday. The catch included one five-bass limit.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 Sunday morning from the Tellico Recreational Area Ramp located at the intersection of Highways 321 and 444 east of Lenoir City, Tenn., followed by a 4 p.m. weigh-in at the Knoxville Convention Center located at 701 Henley St. in Knoxville.
Prior to the final day weigh-in, FLW Outdoors will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Knoxville Convention Center from noon to 6 p.m. The Family Fun Zone is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers and review the latest products from Berkley, Lowrance, Ranger, Evinrude, Yamaha and other manufacturers while children are treated to fishing themed games and rides like the Ranger Boat simulator. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone Sunday will also receive a free rod and reel combo while supplies last, and one lucky member of the audience will win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in on Sunday. Admission is free and you must be present to win.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes Thursday and Friday for 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared Saturday, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in with the winner determined by the day’s heaviest catch. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from Saturday and Sunday.
Coverage of the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Aug. 10 and 17 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Dudley Dominates Day 2
June 21, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Team Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces Friday to capture the lead in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s $1 million event on Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 35-14. He now holds a 2-pound lead in the tournament featuring 200 pros and 200 co-anglers representing 35 states, Mexico, Australia and Japan.
“I’m sticking with the same pattern,” said Dudley, who has won more than $2,184,000 in FLW Outdoors events. “I’m fishing ledges out deep. I was able to catch them again today.”
Dudley moved around a bit during the day, chasing fish as they switched depths with the current. Dudley said his five keepers were the only fish he caught, electing to save his fish for the final two days of competition. Dudley said his fish, caught on a 10-inch Berkley PowerWorm, came early in the day in 10 to 15 feet of water.
“I had a lot of spectators following me today and they have been very nice by staying off of the spots I’m fishing when I leave them, and that means a lot to me,” Dudley said.
Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn., advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33-14.
“It was slow at the start,” Coulter said. “I had three squeakers, just 14 inch fish, at 11:45. With just four hours to fish, I was pretty stressed. And then at about the 50th place I stopped, I ran into some five pounders. I caught two of those and then culled out the 14-inchers and stopped fishing at 1 p.m.”
Coulter said he ran around the lake a lot during the day to try to find bigger fish.
“On this lake, local knowledge definitely helps,” Coulter said. “Typically there’s a good bite somewhere on the lake. You’ve just got to keep moving around and find it.”
Coulter said he caught some of his fish on a bait he calls the Callie jig — a football-head jig he and his daughter Callie tie together.
Rounding out the top five pros who will continue competition Saturday and Sunday are Team National Guard pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla. (10 bass, 32-07); Art Ferguson of St. Clair Shores, Mich. (10 bass, 32-05); and Jerry Green of Del Rio, Texas (10 bass, 31-05).
Also clearing the top-10 cut weight of 26 pounds, 15 ounces and adding to this already power-packed top-10 field are Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C.; Team National Guard pro Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky.; Team Prilosec pro Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn.; Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn.; and Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C.
Aaron Hastings of Middletown, Md., and Bob Blosser of Lodi, Wisc., split the day’s $750 Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a pair of 5-pound, 11-ounce bass. Stacey King of Reeds Spring, Mo., won an extra $1,000 for having the biggest bass of the tournament, a 5-pound, 15-ounce largemouth caught during the first day of competition.
Overall there were 663 bass weighing 1,360 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 182 pros Friday. The catch included 77 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award. The top 40 pros after three $1 million qualifiers and three $1.5 million opens will advance to the Forrest Wood Cup.
Tournament pros aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, which offers $7.3 million in cash and prizes, FLW Outdoors® presents anyone with the opportunity to land the catch of a lifetime. Players in the lucrative new fantasy sports league can become virtual pros by signing up for Player’s Advantage, which provides exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and receive a complimentary $15 Wal-Mart gift card.
Dennis Price Jr. of Tinley Park, Ill., leads the Co-angler Division with an opening-round total of seven bass weighing 20 pounds, 4 ounces, followed by Shawn Carnahan of Chandler, Ariz., in second place with 10 bass weighing 19-11.
“I wasn’t on fish like I was yesterday, but I got two of them for about seven pounds, including a 4 ½-pound smallmouth, so it was a good day,” said Price. “I caught the smallmouth on a Lucky Craft Sammy and the other fish came on a Fluke.
“This is only my second tournament, so I’m a little nervous going into tomorrow, but my confidence is at an all-time high and I’m ready for it,” Price added.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kyle Lane of Clarkrange, Tenn. (eight bass, 18-03); Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio (nine bass, 18-03) and Barry Isbell of Trussville, Ala. (nine bass, 18-01).
Also clearing the top-10 cut weight of 15 pounds, 6 ounces in the Co-angler Division are Doug Weiser of Springdale, Ark.; Team Berkley co-angler Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark.; Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala.; Jim Campbell of Maryville, Tenn.; and Brian Gage of Gray, Tenn.
Brad Denton of Knoxville earned $500 for the day’s Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught while fishing with pro Hastings.
Overall there were 339 bass weighing 615 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 146 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 14 five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday from the Tellico Recreational Area Ramp located at the intersection of Highways 321 and 444 east of Lenoir City, Tenn. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Knoxville Convention Center located at 701 Henley St. in Knoxville beginning at 4 p.m.
Prior to the weigh-ins, FLW Outdoors will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Knoxville Convention Center from noon to 6 p.m. each day. The Family Fun Zone is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers and review the latest products from Berkley, Lowrance, Ranger, Evinrude, Yamaha and other manufacturers while children are treated to fishing themed games and rides like the Ranger Boat simulator. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone Sunday will also receive a free rod and reel combo while supplies last, and one lucky member of the audience will win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in on Sunday. Admission is free and you must be present to win.
In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes Thursday and Friday for 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared Saturday, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in with the winner determined by the day’s heaviest catch. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from Saturday and Sunday.
Coverage of the Fort Loudoun-Tellico Lakes tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Aug. 10 and 17 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
