Fishing by the Rules: Sport fishermen embrace sustainable techniques
Unlike commercial fishing, the major player in depleted fish populations, sport fishing makes up less than 12 percent of the global harvest. And though they are equipped with the latest tools and technology to increase their haul, today’s sport fisherman embodies a surprising combination of conservation and conquest.
With one eye on environmental responsibility and the other on sportsmanship, most sport fishers have adopted a plethora of sustainable fishing techniques. From reduced-impact gear like lead-free lures to biodegradable bait and hooks, recreational fishermen now have ample opportunities to land their next big catch while preserving big game fish populations for future anglers.
An ardent proponent of aquatic habitat conservation, the International Game Fish Association supports fishermen with guidelines that promote ethical sport fishing practices, including instructions for the best catch-and-release tactics.
“Releasing fish is important, but more important is the way fish are caught and released. Using circle hooks with bait and fish-friendly handling practices that minimize slime loss and damage to the fish help ensure that released fish have the chance to reproduce, and perhaps be caught again,” says Jason Schratwieser, Conservation Director for IFGA.
“In my experience, 90 percent of sport fishermen follow the rules,” says Captain Lee A. Campbell of the Panama Big Game Fishing Club in Boca Chica, Panama, where sport fishing is a huge draw for serious marine fishermen. In order for the region to maintain its status as a sport fishing hotspot, Panama players like Campbell stress the importance of sustainability.
“Panama is lucky to have a great population of fish, and we want it to stay that way,” says Campbell. “If sustainable practices are followed and commercial fishing is banned, Panama could remain one of the best sport fishing destinations in the world. It’s too late for many fishing destinations which have already depleted their fish, but for Panama there’s still time.”
Amble Resorts, an environmentally responsible real estate development company, supports sustainable sport fishing for their new Panama eco resort, The Resort at Isla Palenque. Amble President Ben Loomis notes, “Done correctly, sport fishing is very sustainable. Certainly catch-and-release fishing has a limited impact. But even if we’re catching several tuna or Wahoo and taking them back home to share, our impact is nothing compared to commercial fishermen.”
Loomis concludes, “Isla Palenque is a great jumping-off point for sport fishing throughout Panama’s Gulf of Chiriqui, and we want to protect that. We’re less than two hours from famous sites like Hannibal Bank, and we’ve got a number of other great locations within 45 minutes, like Ladrones or Islas Secas. With sustainable practices, this will remain a fishing paradise for a long time.”
Source: Amble Resorts
Hot Springs to Host BFL All-American and Walmart FLW Tour Event on Same Weekend
All-American Returns to Hot Springs in 2010 for Fifth Time in 11 Years
FLW Outdoors and the Hot Springs Convention and Visitor’s Bureau announced that the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy will return to Hot Springs and visit DeGray Lake. The prestigious championship, which annually shines an international media spotlight on the nation’s best weekend anglers, will be held May 27-29, 2010, making its fifth return to Hot Springs since 2000.
Lake Ouachita will host a Walmart FLW Tour event the same weekend, marking the first time the BFL All-American and a tour event will coincide with one another. The tour event will be held Thursday, May 27 to Sunday, May 30, 2010.
Hot Springs has hosted a number of record-setting FLW Outdoors tournaments, including the historic 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where Team Folgers pro Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark., became the sport’s first $1 million winner. The event drew a then-record crowd of more than 60,000 fans to Summit Arena and the Hot Springs Convention Center over the course of four days. Hot Springs also hosted the 2005 Forrest Wood Cup and the 2008, 2004, 2001 and 2000 All-American championships, each of which set fan attendance records.
“We have a superb track record of successful events with FLW Outdoors and we look forward to having another one in 2010,” said Steve Arrison, chief executive officer for the Hot Springs Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “This is a bass-fishing town, and we are honored to once again play host to one of the sport’s premier events. Based on the high-quality, family-friendly events that FLW Outdoors always provides, and the tremendous response we’ve seen in the past, the 2010 All-American should be another record breaker.”
The All-American, in conjunction with the Walmart FLW Tour qualifying event, will feature its traditional Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show at the Hot Springs Convention Center with daily giveaways for children and adults alike. The Family Fun Zone will be open Thursday through Sunday and the daily weigh-ins will be held in Summit Arena for each tournament. Admission and all activities are free.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Hot Springs,” said Charlie Evans, FLW Outdoors president and CEO. “The record attendance we’ve had during previous tournaments in the city speaks volumes about the enthusiasm for bass fishing that fans have throughout the entire state of Arkansas.”
Coverage of the All-American will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.
Because BFL competitors are weekend anglers, the All-American and its lucrative cash awards and international media exposure present a unique opportunity for qualifiers who will be fishing for top awards of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Additionally, the winning boater and winning co-angler will advance to the Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol in Atlanta Aug. 5-8, 2010.
Each year more than 33,000 BFL anglers and 20,000 TBF anglers nationwide compete in the hope of becoming one of just 54 boaters and 54 co-anglers who qualify for the BFL All-American.
As the nation’s leading weekend tournament circuit, the Walmart Bass Fishing League, with divisions nationwide, is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. The BFL also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series(TM), Walmart(TM) FLW Series and ultimately the FLW Tour.
Source: FLW Outdoors
Martin wins Walmart FLW Tour event on Lake Champlain
Wendlandt Wins Record Third Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year Title
National Guard pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., caught a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 4 ounces to win $125,000 in the Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Folgers on Lake Champlain. Martin topped his closest rival, Team Chevy pro Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., by 2 pounds, 11 ounces to earn the win and 200 points toward qualifying for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they could win as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.
Martin received news Wednesday that his grandmother had passed away, and he said he had a hard time deciding whether to fish the tournament or attend the funeral.
“I have such a peace about this win,” said Martin, who passed the $1 million mark in career earnings with the victory. “If I could keep this confidence and peace the rest of my life, I think I could win every tournament.
“All of my family is in Oklahoma right now waiting for me to get there,” Martin added. “They delayed the services for me so I could attend. What better way to honor her and acknowledge the pain and suffering that my family is enduring right now than to give them a win in memory of my grandmother?”
Martin said he relied on a variety of baits throughout the tournament –a shad-colored Lucky Craft Big Daddy Strike 3 and a Strike King Series 5 crankbait on 12-pound-test Trilene 100% Flourocarbon as well as a green pumpkin Berkley Chigger Craw paired with a 3/8-ounce weight on 15-pound-test Trilene 100% Flourocarbon. Martin said he occasionally threw a brown and green-pumpkin jig with a Chigger Craw trailer. Martin said his key depths were between four and eight feet of water. Martin said he targeted scattered rock piles and milfoil.
“In practice the Chigger Craw in the grass worked really, really good,” Martin said. “The first two days of the tournament I pretty much split my catches on the Chigger Craw and the crankbait. Today I pretty much caught all of my fish on a crankbait. I started noticing bigger bites on the crankbait. I didn’t get as many bites, but when I did, they were those 3- to 3 1/2-pounders.”
Martin said he targeted post-spawn fish that had moved into open water. Martin said he fished mid-lake near CaryBay.
“I cruised around the flats looking for milfoil,” Martin said. “I think those fish were out there feeding on perch and baitfish in the area and getting ready for the summer pattern. Covering water was really important.”
Martin opened the tournament Thursday in fifth place with five bass weighing 19-2. He slipped to ninth place Friday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces to advance into the final round of 10 pros with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 13 ounces. On Saturday, weights were cleared, and Martin caught five bass weighing 18-8 to advance to the final day of competition in first place. Martin added another five bass weighing 17-12 to his final-round total Sunday.
Gagliardi caught a final-round total of nine bass weighing 33-9 to claim second place and $50,000.
“I thought I could catch fish, but my sights were set on (the Forrest Wood Cup),” said Gagliardi, who also passed the $1 million mark in career earnings at the Lake Champlain event. “My goal when I came up here, especially after the egg I laid at KentuckyLake, was to not lay another one and make the cut. That was my goal from the beginning.
“I had a decent practice,” Gagliardi added. “I wouldn’t say it was a great practice by any stretch. That happens a lot with me. A lot of times I catch more fish than I think I’m catching in practice.”
Gagliardi said he caught 15 keepers Sunday and his largest three bass fell for a Lucky Craft Sammy.
“Bringing in only four fish yesterday . . . that’s a no-brainer,” Gagliardi said. “I lost a 5-pounder yesterday that I saw and another I didn’t see. I didn’t hardly ever catch a fish out of my spot that wasn’t over three pounds. I just needed one more.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were Mark Hardin of Jasper, Ga (10 bass, 33-3, $40,000); Team Chevy pro Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore. (10 bass, 31-13, $30,000); Kyle Mabrey of McCalla, Ala. (10 bass, 29-6, $20,000); Team Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa. (10 bass, 29-4, $19,000); Team Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas (10 bass, 28-7, $18,000); Team M&M’s/Snickers pro Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala. (10 bass, 27-14, $17,000); Mike Hawkes of Sabinal, Texas (10 bass, 27-9, $16,000) and Team Chevy pro Luke Clausen of Gainesville, Ga. (nine bass, 20-2, $15,000).
Overall there were 50 bass weighing 163 pounds, 9 ounces caught in the Pro Division Sunday. The catch included 10 five-bass limits.
Team Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, claimed a record third Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title Sunday. The Angler of the Year title annually goes to the FLW Tour Pro Division angler who has the highest year-end point total in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season. Wendlandt earned $25,000 and a Ranger 198VX powered by a 200-horsepower Yamaha outboard for the title in a race that went down to the last day of the regular season. Wendlandt also received an additional $25,000 from Ranger Boats as the Ranger Cup pro who accumulated the most points during the season.
Matt Greenblatt of Tequesta, Fla., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces followed by Team National Guard co-angler Justin Lucas of Folsom, Calif., in second place with five bass weighing 12-14 worth $9,733.
This is my first win and it feels really, really good,” said Greenblatt, who is fishing in his third year on the FLW Tour. “I’ve accomplished it from the back of the boat. Now comes the front of the boat.”
Greenblatt said he caught his bass Saturday on a Texas-rigged weightless 5-inch Yamamoto Senko laminate color that is half green pumpkin and half watermelon. Greenblatt had been throwing a drop-shot rig tipped with a Baby Bass-colored Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm the previous two days of competition. Greenblatt said he used Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon line in 6-pound-test for smallmouth and 10- to 12-pound-test for largemouth.
“We were in some heavy weeds and rigging it weightless let it fall nice and slow,” Greenblatt said. “We were in a pocket, so the wind wasn’t affecting us that much. The fish wanted a slow fall. So I had to fish it on a slack line to allow it to fall because if I had a tight line, the wind would grab it and the Senko would ski across the top of the grass and ruin the drop. They were just grabbing it on the edge of the weeds and not shy about it.”
Greenblatt opened the tournament in 10th place Thursday with five bass weighing 15-11 while fishing with Rich Lowitzki of St. Charles, Ill. On Friday he jumped into seventh place on the strength of a five-bass catch weighing 13-7 while fishing with Thanh Le of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. He wrapped up his win while fishing with Mabrey.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Jason Ober of Johnstown, Pa. (five bass, 10-1, $7,300); Team PTSI co-angler Spencer Shuffield of Bismarck, Ark. (five bass, 8-7, $4,867); Jim Sweeney of West Dover, Vt. (four bass, 7-14, $3,893); Brandon Hunter of Benton, Ky. (four bass, 7-12, $3,407); Lynn Baciuska, Jr. of Afton, N.Y. (three bass, 7-9, $2,920); Shane Lehew of Charlotte, N.C. (five bass, 5-12, $2,433); James Schneider of Watervliet, N.Y. (three bass, 4-12, $1,947); and Keith Honeycutt of Temple, Texas (three bass, 3-2, $1,460).
Dearal Rodgers of Camden, S.C., was awarded the Castrol Co-Angler of the Year title Saturday. The Co-Angler of the Year title annually goes to the FLW Tour Co-Angler Division angler who has the highest year-end point total in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season. Rodgers received a $1,000 Walmart gift card and a year’s supply of Castrol motor oil.
“I’ve learned a lot and met a lot of great people since I started doing this in 2006,” said Rodgers. “It’s like I went to school and got a college degree in bass fishing.
“I traveled and roomed with (fellow pro) Clay Dyer this year, and being around him allowed me to have a good attitude,” Rodgers added. “You know, this is a dream of a lot of people . . . to be outside having fun like this. I’m blessed.”
Coverage of the tournament, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh, will be broadcast on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors,” will air Nov. 1 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.
The FLW Tour will award more than $8 million cash to the world’s top bass anglers in 2009. Regular season competition includes three qualifiers and three opens. Each event takes anglers a step closer to the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol.
Source: FLWOutdoors.com
2010 Walmart FLW Tour Schedule Announced
Schedule Culminates with Georgia Hosting Forrest Wood Cup
At the final Walmart FLW Tour stop for 2009 in Plattsburgh, N.Y., FLW Outdoors announced the 2010 Walmart FLW Tour schedule that is highlighted by the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Aug. 5-8. The 2010 schedule features world-famous fisheries, including three return visits from 2009, which will provide exciting and competitive tournaments.
“We are very excited about the 2010 Walmart FLW Tour schedule,” said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “This schedule will have FLW Outdoors visiting some of the best fisheries in the country and giving our anglers the chance to compete on these waters at the optimal time.”
The first cast for the FLW Tour will take place on the Red River in Shreveport, La., Feb. 11-14. The FLW Tour will visit Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., March 4-7, for a second time in as many years. Marking its fourth consecutive stop in Charlotte, Lake Norman will host the third event on the FLW Tour, March 25-28.
The fourth stop on the FLW Tour will be Lake Chickamauga in Chattanooga, Tenn., April 15-18. This qualifying event will follow the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship event on Ft. Loudoun/Tellico lakes in Knoxville, Tenn. from April 10-12.
The fifth stop on the FLW Tour will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark., May 27-30, marking the first FLW Tour event on Lake Ouachita since the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup, where Team Folgers pro Scott Suggs earned the sport’s first $1 million prize. The final qualifying event will be in Huntsville, Ala., returning for a second consecutive season, on Lake Guntersville from June 24-27.
The full 2010 Walmart FLW Tour schedule is listed below.
2010 Walmart FLW Tour Schedule
Date Fishery Location
Feb. 11-14 Red River Shreveport, La.
March 4-7 Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo.
March 25-28 Lake Norman Charlotte, N.C.
April 15-18 Lake Chickamauga Chattanooga, Tenn.
May 27-30 Lake Ouachita Hot Springs, Ark.
June 24-27 Lake Guntersville Huntsville, Ala.
Aug. 5-8 Lake Lanier Atlanta, Ga.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports. Sign up for Player’s Advantage to get your edge and win.
Source: FLW Outdoors
Williams Wins Walmart FLW Tour Event on Kentucky Barkley Lakes
Team Land O’Lakes pro Keith Williams of Conway, Ark., caught a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds even to win $125,000 in the FLW Tour event presented by Pringles on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes. Williams topped his closest rival, David Young of Mayfield, Ky., by 2 pounds, 6 ounces to earn the win and 200 points toward qualifying for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol and BP, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they could win as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.
“I’ve had so many ups and downs – mostly downs,” said Williams, who has won more than $439,000 in FLW Outdoors events. “I’ve had some bad years. My first three years were really good, but after that I had a bad dry spell without any good finishes. I had considered not doing it any more. I had considered quitting and Land O’Lakes kept me in it.”
Williams said his first fish of the day, a 9-pound, 1-ounce largemouth, was the fish that sealed the victory.
“I knew right then I had a chance to win if I could just settle down and catch a decent limit,” Williams said. “I’m not really sure what time I caught it. After I caught it, everything was just a blur. I made myself get off the trolling motor and slow way down, because I was shaking. I knew I was going to mess up if I started fishing too fast.”
Williams said he focused on a grassy area with shell spots and rocky spots in a road bed that he said runs through Kentucky Lake for five or six miles. Williams said he alternated between a 10 1/2-inch plum-colored Zoom Ole Monster worm, a 3/4-ounce Strike King football-head jig and a Zoom Brush Hog fished on 20-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. His Texas-rigged worm rig consisted of a 5/16-ounce Tru-Tungsten weight and a 5/0 hook.
“Seventy percent of my fish came on the initial fall after I’d make a long cast,” Williams said. “They were really boat shy.”
Williams said his hot spot was in the New Johnsonville area and was about 45 miles from Kenlake Marina and about 75 miles from the Kentucky Dam Marina.
“In the morning, especially on cloudy days, they were way on top of the road bed and I was keeping my boat deep and making really long casts to keep from spooking them, and I was throwing shallow – maybe even eight feet,” Williams said. “Sometimes my boat was sitting 25 or even 30 feet deep.
“I knew there was acres and acres and acres of grass there,” Williams added. “That’s the only reason I fished this area. I knew that the grass was the deal and I knew a lot of the guys wouldn’t know about it, because the lake’s been up this year and it hasn’t grown up to the top.”
Williams opened the tournament Thursday in fifth place with five bass weighing 21-12. He slipped to seventh place Friday with a five-bass catch weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces to advance into the final round of 10 pros with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 40 pounds, 10 ounces. On Saturday, weights were cleared, and Williams caught five bass weighing 17-3 to advance to the final day of competition in fourth place. Williams added another five bass weighing 24-3 to his final-round total Sunday.
Young caught a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 39-10 to claim second place and $50,000.
“I had a seven (pounder) at the boat that the hook broke off,” said Young, who has posted 27 FLW Outdoors top-10s on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes. “I had another seven (pounder) at the boat that came off. I had a six get off. I had two fives get off. I had six more fish on that were huge that we never saw. I should have weighed in 30 pounds today.”
Young said he caught the majority of his fish Sunday on a spoon and a chartreuse and white Norman DD-22 deep-diving crankbait.
“My first and second fish of the day came on my first two casts,” Young said. “And they were big ones. It was unbelievable.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were Team Chevy pro Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark. (10 bass, 33-11, $40,000); Mark Rose of Marion, Ark. (10 bass, 32-11, $30,000); Travis Fox of Springdale, Ark. (10 bass, 31-1, $20,000); Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla. (10 bass, 30-9, $19,000); Team PTSI pro Ron Shuffield of Bismarck, Ark. (eight bass, 30-4, $18,000); Team Land O’Lakes pro Ott Defoe of Knoxville, Tenn. (10 bass, 28-9, $17,000); Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo. (10 bass, 25-13, $16,000) and Kenneth Woods of Hazard, Ky. (eight bass, 21-2, $15,000).
Overall there were 48 bass weighing 162 pounds, 12 ounces caught in the Pro Division Sunday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.
Brandon Hunter of Benton, Ky., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday in front of his hometown crowd with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces followed by Frank Divis, Sr. of Fayetteville, Ark., in second place with five bass weighing 18-0 worth $10,000.
Hunter opened the tournament in eleventh place Thursday with five bass weighing 16-4 while fishing with Team Pop-Tarts pro Greg Bohannan of Rogers, Ark. On Friday he advanced to seventh place with a five-bass catch weighing 14-8 while fishing with Tom Mann Jr. of Buford, Ga. He wrapped up his win while fishing with Land O’Lakes pro Keith Williams of Conway, Ark.
“We got to do what I love to do, and that’s fish a big worm on this lake,” said Hunter, who is fishing in his second season of FLW Tour competition. “I live on the north end of the lake and I got to see water I’ve never seen before. It’s a lot different. The quality of fish is so much better down there.”
Hunter said he had a limit by 10:30 and caught a total of six keepers throughout the course of the day. Hunter’s rig consisted of a 5/16-ounce bullet weight and a plum-colored Berkley PowerWorm Texas rigged on 12-pound Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon.
“It’s tough to make a living as a co-angler, but this is just a learning experience for me,” said Hunter. “If you catch them, that’s just a bonus. It’s awesome to be able to win one of these.
“I really thought I’d have to cull another fish and catch another 3- or 4-pounder to get it done, but it turns out I didn’t,” Hunter added.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio (five bass, 12-12, $7,500); Scott Gibson of Wiggins, Miss. (five bass, 12-10, $5,000); Mark Horton of Nicholasville, Ky. (five bass, 11-10, $4,000); Chuck Lee of South Bend, Ind. (five bass, 10-5, $3,500); Shawn Murphy of Nicholasville, Ky. (three bass, 10-3, $3,000); Larry Carter of Little Rock, Ark. (four bass, 10-0, $2,500); Rodney Brown of Eddyville, Ky. (one bass, 3-10, $2,000) and Matt Hoffman of Cold Spring, Ky. (zero bass, 0-0, $1,500).
Overall there were 38 bass weighing 108 pounds, 13 ounces caught in the Co-angler Division Saturday. The catch included six five-bass limits.
Coverage of the Kentucky/Barkley Lakes tournament, hosted by the Marshall County Tourist Commission and the Murray Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors,” will air Aug. 2 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.
The FLW Tour will award more than $8 million cash to the world’s top bass anglers in 2009. Regular season competition includes three qualifiers and three opens. Each event takes anglers a step closer to the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa. The prestigious championship and outdoor show hosted by Visit Pittsburgh will feature 77 pros, 77 co-anglers and bass fishing’s largest cash award – a potential $1 million first-place prize for the winning pro.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.
For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
Source: FLW Outdoorsc