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Skeet Reese is ESPY Nominee

July 2, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., was tapped today as one of five nominees for the Best Outdoor Athlete award of the 2008 ESPYs co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour.

Reese was nominated for his achievements in competitive bass fishing over the past year, including winning the 2007 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year crown and scoring one Bassmaster Elite Series victory. As holder of bass fishing’s most prestigious title, Reese has served as an ambassador for the sport, appearing in major sporting venues throughout the year as well as being profiled by major media outlets. Besides being the reigning AOY, Reese has 40 top-10 finishes, including three BASS wins, on his career resume.

“I feel extremely honored to be nominated in the outdoor category,” Reese said. “It’s gratifying to be among such a world-class group of athletes. Would I like to add an ESPY trophy to my mantel? Yes! It’s such a unique award. As an angler, it’s not something you’d ever expect to get. It would be pretty darn cool to win that.”

There is a precedent for professional anglers winning at the ESPYs. Current Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points leader Kevin VanDam (2002) and previous AOY champion Jay Yelas (2003) both took home the ESPY hardware in the outdoors division. Also, Tammy Richardson of Glenwood, Ark., who competes on the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors circuit, in 2006 won what was then called the Best Angler award.

Dean Karnazes, who completed 50 marathons in 50 days, was the winner of the Best Outdoors athlete ESPY in 2007.

The other four 2008 Best Outdoor Athlete nominees are dog musher Lance Mackey, champion of the 2007 and 2008 Iditarod; 50-year-old marathon swimmer Skip Storch, who circled the island of Manhattan in record time in August 2007; mountain climber Army Capt. Scott Smiley, who scaled Mount Rainier in 2007 despite having lost his sight in the war in Iraq; and mountain climber Dave Hahn, who has reached the summit of Mount Everest 10 times, a record among American climbers.

Starting today, fans can cast their votes for their favorites online at http://www.espys.tv and, for the first time, via mobile phone at http://www.espn.mobi. Fan voting will determine the winners in all 37 ESPYs categories except for this year’s three special awards. The balloting will be open until 11:59 p.m. ET July 12. Last year, more than 12.5 million votes were tabulated.

The ESPYs will be televised at 9 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 20 on ESPN and ESPN HD. Hosted by
Justin Timberlake, the 16th annual ESPYs will take place in a new venue, NOKIA Theater L.A.
LIVE, in downtown Los Angeles.

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Dudley Dominates Day 2

June 21, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

David Dudley, FLW Tour Professional Angler 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.
Filed Under: FLW Tour
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Clark On Top At Home

June 21, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Dianna Clark, Women's Bassmaster Tour Professional AnglerA 6-pound, 4-ounce lunker gave Dianna Clark a big push Friday in the Old Hickory Lake event of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors — and to her sagging season.

The Bumpus Mills, Tenn., pro’s two-day total of 26 pounds, 15 ounces, put her almost 7 pounds ahead of Angie Douthit of Clewiston, Fla., who had 20 pounds.

Currently in 57th place in the season’s points race, Clark also stands to gain ground in the circuit’s race to become the first woman to qualify for a Bassmaster Classic, bass fishing’s most prestigious competition. The one pro with the most points at the end of the season will be the 2008 Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year and qualify for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 20-22 on the Red River out of Shreveport/Bossier City, La. The AOY also wins a 2009 Toyota Tundra.

Kim Bain of Alabaster, Ala., was the points leader going into the Tennessee event. She ended Friday in 10th place, a big jump from her previous day’s standing of 32nd. The race will culminate with the WBT Championship, set for Arkansas’ Lake Hamilton on Oct. 23-25,

Closest to the leaders were Cheryl LaLumandier of St. Charles, Mo., with 19-10; first-day leader Janet Parker of Little Elm, Texas, with 19-9; and Bridget Allen of Philadelphia, Pa., who had 17-11.

Clark is a two-time WBT winner and owner of the circuit’s first Toyota Women’s Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year crown. Both her wins and AOY crown came in 2006. But she lined herself up Friday for a third career win and the Tennessee event’s first prize, a $50,000 Triton/Mercury boat rig and $1,000 cash.

Clark said her day Friday on the water was “amazing.”

“So many of those fish that size break off, especially when they get up around the trolling motor,” Clark related. “I said, ‘Oh, it’s a big one, please stay on. After I got it in, I just shook so hard I had to sit down.”

She said she had her limit by 10:15 a.m., all from the same spot.

“I didn’t have a whole lot of bites today, it was a tough day. I pretty much lucked up on that big fish today. There might not be another one tomorrow, but if there is, I’d be as grateful as I was today.”

She declined to share details of how she caught the lunker until after the tournament ends Saturday.

Meanwhile, Douthit is fighting a tooth infection but persevered to second. The Clewiston, Fla., pro, who has a best finish of fourth on Missouri’s Bull Shoals Lake, was throwing soft plastics in an area she found during practice which she has all to herself.

“I know I’m sick but I’m trying to make the best of it,” said Douthit. “I need to go out and make every bite count.”

The field was cut to the top 20 pros to compete in Saturday’s finale, which will be covered by Bassmaster.com with live video and a real-time leaderboard beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT. Following the weigh-in, Bassmaster.com will post final results, stories and photo galleries.

In the co-angler division, Elizabeth Havens of Austin, Texas, had a two-day total of 16-6 to top the list of the 20 co-anglers who made the cut to compete Saturday for the first-place prize of a Skeeter/Yamaha rig valued at $25,000. Havens’ 16 pounds, 6 ounces put her far in front of Stacy Zhelesnik of Hoboken, N.J, who had 13 pounds, 13 ounces, and Petra Ramsey of El Paso, Texas, who had 10 pounds, 10 ounces.

The field will launch Saturday at 5:30 a.m. at Sanders Ferry Park, 100 Sanders Ferry Road in Hendersonville. The finale weigh-in will be begin at 2:30 p.m. at Academy Sports & Outdoors, 2350 Gallatin Pike N. in Madison, Tenn.

All WBT events are free and open to the public.

Sponsors of the Women’s Bassmaster Tour include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Toyota Tundra, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance, Mercury, Skeeter, Yamaha, OPTIMA Batteries, Triton Boats, Legend Boats, MoGills and Mustang.

Local hosts include the Sumner County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Holiday Inn Express of Hendersonville

Stop No. 3
2008 Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors
Old Hickory Lake
Hendersonville, Tenn.
June 19-21, 2008

Field
83 pros, 83 co-anglers/observers
Cut to the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers after Day 2

Saturday Launch
5:30 a.m. CT
Sanders Ferry Park
100 Sanders Ferry Road
Hendersonville, Tenn.

Saturday Weigh-in
2:30 p.m. CT
Academy Sports & Outdoors
2350 Gallatin Pike N.
Madison, Tenn.

About BASS

For 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive web properties in Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.

BASS also offers a wide array of services to its more than 525,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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