Online Fishing Community - Fishing Tournament News

Evinrude 100th Anniversary Tour Mobile Museum

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:31:58 -0500

Ole Evinrude invented the motorized boating industry as we know it today, in 1909, with the creation of the first commercially successful outboard engine. Thanks to constant innovations like the E-TEC®, BRP/Evinrude® is celebrating 100 years of reinventing boating.

Evinrude 100th Anniversary Tour Mobile Museum

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:21:30 -0500

"World's Largest" White Marlin Open Returns to Maryland Waters for 34th Year

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:49:45 -0400

Anglers will converge on the fishing grounds of Ocean City Maryland to compete for millions of dollars in prizes for catching the biggest of the "little marlins."
Sea Colony, Bethany Beach, DE (PRWeb) April 10, 2007 -- Hundreds of anglers will to take to the seas in hopes of pocketing part of the multi-million dollars in prize money available to those landing the largest fish during the 34th annual White Marlin Open, held August 6-10. Nearby Sea Colony accommodations are available through ResortQuest.Started in 1974, and held in Ocean City, Md., The White Marlin Open is the world's largest marlin tournament. Last year, nearly 430 boats competed for a share of the $3.15 million prize pool. The top 2006 tournament check went to angler Jack Hotz, fishing aboard True Grit, when he weighed in an 82-pound white marlin worth $1,552,435.Prize money is also awarded for the heaviest fish in other categories, including blue marlin, tuna, wahoo, shark and dolphin (mahi-mahi). While the prize money is substantial, nearly all of the fish caught are released. According to the tournament's scoring Web site, of the 548 white marlin caught during last year's tournament, just 19, or 3.5 percent, were boated and brought back to the scales.ResortQuest offers vacation rental accommodations at Sea Colony Bethany Beach. "The Premier Family Beach & Tennis Resort Community," located in Bethany Beach, Delaware - conveniently located midway between two of the eligible departure marinas. Sea Colony features a wide variety of amenities including a half mile of private beach, 12 pools (two indoor), fitness centers, year-round security and in-season children's programs. Accommodations in the resort community, available through ResortQuest, range from oceanfront condos to secluded single families homes and start at $137 per night.About ResortQuestResortQuest, one of the nation's leading vacation rental hospitality and resort real estate companies, provides a one-stop resource in North America's premier resort destinations, ResortQuest.com. ResortQuest is the largest marketer and management company of vacation condominiums and leading vacation rentals in the U.S. and Canada, based on a portfolio of nearly 17,000 properties, from Hilton Head rentals to a fort walton beach condos, with a combined real estate value estimated at approximately $7 billion. ResortQuest Real Estate is one of the nation's leading real estate companies focusing exclusively on resort properties, offering superior brokerage services in the country's premier beach, ski and golf destinations. ResortQuest employs more than 4,000 people and is owned and operated by Gaylord Entertainment Co. (NYSE: GET), one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the hospitality and entertainment industries, based in Nashville, Tenn., that also owns and operates Gaylord Hotels and the Grand Ole Opry. For more information, visit ResortQuest.com or GaylordEntertainment.com.

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Sat, 30 Dec 2006 20:31:48 -0500

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Wal-Mart BFL Announces 2007 Schedule Offering $8.8 Million, New Volunteer Division

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 14:55:52 -0500

Benton, Kentucky - FLW Outdoors announced Monday that competitors in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) will compete for $8.8 million in 2007 and the opportunity to participate in three no-entry-fee championships with total payouts exceeding $3 million. Also announced was the introduction of a new Volunteer Division for anglers in eastern Tennessee.

The BFL, the nation's most affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments for bass anglers, is made up of 28 divisions, each with four $45,000 one-day qualifying tournaments and one $67,500 two-day Super Tournament. In the $45,000 qualifying tournaments next season, the winning boater will earn as much as $6,000 in cash, including $5,100 plus a $900 bonus if the winner is the registered original owner of a Ranger boat. First-place co-anglers will earn as much as $3,000 in cash. Top boater payouts in the $67,500 Super Tournaments will be $9,000, which includes $7,650 plus a $1,350 Ranger bonus, while top co-anglers will earn as much as $4,500.

Ranger Boats will award an additional $1,000 to winning boaters if they participate in the Ranger Cup incentive program, or $500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant, at each qualifier and Super Tournament in 2007. If "Powered by Yamaha" guidelines are met, Yamaha will award an additional 50 percent of Ranger Cup winnings.

The highest-finishing Ranger Cup co-angler in each regular-season tournament will receive a custom Ranger jacket. Bombardier will also award a $1,000 bonus to the winning boater in each regular-season tournament if the winner's boat is equipped with an Evinrude E-TEC or Direct Injection outboard that was purchased new from an authorized dealer after Dec. 31, 2005. These bonuses boost the potential top boater award to $7,500 in qualifiers and $10,500 in Super Tournaments.

After four one-day qualifiers and a two-day Super Tournament in a division are complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from the division will advance to a three-day no-entry-fee Regional Championship. Here boaters will compete for a Ranger 519VX powered by Evinrude or Yamaha and a Chevy truck, and co-anglers will compete for a Ranger 519VX powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. The top six boaters and six co-anglers in each of seven Regional Championships will also advance to the $1 million no-entry-fee 2008 All-American championship presented by Chevy. Anglers who enter all five tournaments within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship will be eligible to fish a Chevy Wild Card regional, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American.

Anglers who qualify for the $1 million All-American will fish for as much as $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co- angler Division. Additionally, the winning boater and co-angler from the All-American will advance to the $2 million no-entry-fee Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol. The Forrest Wood Cup will feature pros/ boaters competing against top anglers from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal- Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, TBF (The Bass Federation) and Ranger owners' tournaments for a $1 million first place prize - the biggest award in the history of competitive bass fishing.

"Our company was founded on providing affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments for bass anglers," said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. "These anglers are the heart and soul of FLW Outdoors, and we take great pride in providing them with the best possible tournament options as well as a clear pathway for advancement to the sport's highest levels - namely the Stren Series, Wal-Mart FLW Series and Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Nowhere else do anglers have the opportunity to fish five close-to-home tournaments with a shot at advancing to not just one, but three no-entry-fee championships, including the sport's biggest championship where they could win $1 million cash."

The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from every BFL division in

2007 may also advance to the Stren Series in 2008. All-American champions are eligible to advance directly to the FLW Tour for a shot at top awards of $125,000 to $200,000 in every tournament. Each season the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers from each Stren Series division are eligible to advance to the FLW Series for a shot at top awards of $125,000 in every tournament.

In the BFL's boater and co-angler format, the boater supplies the boat, controls boat movement and competes against other boaters. Co- anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers.

Field sizes will remain the same for 2007, with 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers comprising a full BFL field. Entry fees also remain the same, with boater entry fees of $200 for qualifiers and $300 for Super Tournaments. Co-angler entry fees are $100 for qualifiers and $150 for Super Tournaments. Pretournament meetings for each tournament will be held at the local Wal-Mart store hosting the event.

The complete BFL schedule is posted at FLWOutdoors.com. Anglers fishing the Bulldog, Dixie, Everglades, Louisiana, Savannah River, South Carolina and Volunteer divisions may register Dec. 18. Anglers fishing the Bama, Choo Choo, Cowboy, Gator, Mississippi, Music City and Okie divisions may register Dec. 19. Angler fishing the Arkie, Empire, LBL, Mountain, Ozark, Piedmont and Shenandoah divisions may register Dec. 20. Anglers fishing the Buckeye, Great Lakes, Hoosier, Illini, Michigan, North Carolina and Northeast divisions may register Dec. 21. Registration may be made online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L.

Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners' Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses exceeding $43 million through 247 events in 2007.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

2007 Wal-Mart BFL Payouts

$45,000 Qualifiers: $67,500 Super Tournaments:

Ranger Ranger
Place Boater Bonus Co-angler Place Boater Bonus Co-angler
1 $5100 $900 $3000 1 $7650 $1350 $4500
2 3000 1500 2 4500 2250
3 2000 1000 3 3000 1500
4 1400 700 4 2100 1050
5 1200 600 5 1800 900
6 1100 550 6 1650 825
7 1000 500 7 1500 750
8 900 450 8 1350 675
9 800 400 9 1200 600
10 700 350 10 1050 525
11 630 315 11 950 475
12 580 290 12 870 435
13 560 280 13 840 420
14 530 265 14 800 400
15 500 250 15 750 375
16 480 240 16 720 360
17 460 230 17 690 345
18 440 220 18 660 330
19 420 210 19 630 315
20 400 200 20 600 300
21 390 195 21 590 295
22 380 190 22 570 285
23 370 185 23 560 280
24 360 180 24 540 270
25 350 175 25 530 265
26 340 170 26 510 255
27 330 165 27 500 250
28 320 160 28 480 240
29 310 155 29 460 230
30 300 150 30 450 225
31 290 145 31 430 215
32 280 140 32 420 210
33 270 135 33 400 200
34 260 130 34 390 195
35 250 125 35 370 185
36 240 120 36 360 180
37 230 115 37 340 170
38 220 110 38 330 165
39 210 105 39 310 155
40 200 100 40 300 150
Snickers Snickers
Big Bass Big Bass
1000 500 1500 Day 1 750 Day 1

All awards based on 200-boat fields.

Scott Wins $1 Million Stren Series Championship On Wheeler Lake

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 13:25:26 -0500

Decatur, Alabama - With 11 top-10 finishes dating back to 1995, Ricky D. Scott is no stranger to FLW Outdoors competition. Most of his success, however, has come in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers. Most, that is, until Saturday. That's when the Van Buren, Ark., angler netted a $125,000 victory in the Stren Series Championship on Wheeler Lake and earned a berth into the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug 2-5, 2007, where he will fish for the sport's first $1 million award.

Scott qualified for the Stren Series Championship as the Central Division's No. 15 seed and proceeded to catch five bass weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces Wednesday to finish the opening day of competition in fourth place. He focused his opening-day efforts around barge pilings, where runoff from the day's rain was pouring soybean dust into the lake. His bait of choice was a homemade 3/8-ounce spinnerbait with white blades and a white skirt.

After a cold front swept through the region Wednesday night, bringing bluebird skies and brisk winds to Wheeler Lake, Scott's runoff dried up, so he targeted wood cover in less than a foot of water below Flint Creek on Thursday. He stuck with his spinnerbait, though, and the spot paid off with five bass weighing 8-14 to boost his opening-round total to 23-3 - good enough to advance to the final round of 10 pros as the No. 3 seed.

On Friday, Scott arrived at his fishing hole only to find his wood cover high and dry. Overnight the lake dropped almost 2 feet, so Scott was forced to change locations once again. This time he found an area of stained water adjacent to a shallow mud flat and proceeded to catch the third heaviest limit of the tournament on his trusty homemade spinnerbait. The 16-pound, 2-ounce catch gave him what turned out to be an insurmountable 6-pound, 2-ounce lead heading into the final day of competition.

His four bass, 7-pound, 6-ounce catch Saturday - caught once again on the same homemade spinnerbait, plus one fish on a Lucky Craft Pointer - pushed his final-round total to 23-8 and sealed his victory by a comfortable 4-pound, 4-ounce margin over A&W pro JT Kenney of Daytona Beach, Fla. Kenney finished the final round with 10 bass weighing 19-4 to win $55,000.

"It was tough today," Scott said. "I didn't catch my first keeper until 11:30, and I covered a lot of water. I hit all my spots that produced yesterday and couldn't get anything. I didn't know how it was going to turn out. I've been doing this for a long time, and days like today make it all worthwhile."

Rounding out the top five pros were Kellogg's pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa. (10 bass, 18-1, $38,500); Ott Defoe of Knoxville, Tenn. (10 bass, 15-14, $31,000); and Thanh Le of Las Vegas, Nev. (10 bass, 15-8, $24,000).

Kenney (Northeast Division) and Defoe (Southeast Division) joined Scott (Central Division), Jason Borofka of Salina, Calif., (Western Division), and veteran pro Stacey King of Reeds Spring, Mo., (Midwest Division) as the first five pro qualifiers for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup.

Monte Knight of Quitman, Miss., took top honors and $62,500 in the Co-angler Division Friday with three bass weighing 5-3. He caught two of his bass on a Bill Norman Fat Boy crankbait in chartreuse and black and one bass on a drop-shot rigged Zoom finesse worm in grasshopper color while fishing with veteran pro Stacy King of Reeds Spring, Mo.

"I knew it was going to be tough when I just had two fish," said Knight, who won a Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League tournament in the Mississippi Division earlier this season. "That's why I tied on a drop shot and with 15 minutes left, I caught my last fish."

Rounding out the top five co-anglers were Alan Hench of Lititz, Pa. (three bass, 4-12, $5,500); Thomas Rizzo of Rochester, Pa. (four bass, 4-11, $4,500); Kerry Barnett of Waldron, Ark. (two bass, 2-11, $6,000); and Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss. (two bass, 2-3, $5,500).

Co-angler Bill Gift of Alix, Ark., earned the Evinrude and Stren Co-angler of the Year award as the highest finishing points champion this week. Representing the Central Division, Gift finished in 16th place and received a Ranger 520VX powered by Evinrude as Co-angler of the Year.

Overall, 40 bass weighing 76 pounds, 9 ounces were caught by the 10 pro finalists Saturday. There were five five-bass limits caught and more than 99 percent of the bass were released alive.

Scott earned an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger 519VX equipped with Lowrance electronics, a Minn Kota trolling motor and EverStart batteries plus $50,000 cash. He also received a $25,000 bonus from Ranger Boats and a $10,000 Ranger Cup bonus for a total award of $125,000.

Coverage of the Stren Series Championship will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television program airing Dec. 3. "FLW Outdoors" airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast internationally to approximately 350 million households in Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary, the United Kingdom, among other others, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 servicemembers stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

Bass Retains Lead In $1 Million Stren Series Championship On Wheeler Lake

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 12:33:26 -0500

Decatur, Alabama - After catching an incredible five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces on a mild and calm opening day of the $1 million Stren Series Championship on Wheeler Lake, Southeast Division rookie Sam Bass of Section, Ala., caught just two bass weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday. His two-day total of seven bass weighing 23-12 was enough, however, to keep him at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round of competition.

"That's fishing," said Bass, lamenting his day-two catch. "One day you catch everything, and the next day they humble you."

Bass caught his limit on opening day using a topwater bait in grass on Decatur Flats. On Thursday, however, he switched to a flipping laydowns in Flint Creek in an effort to seek refuge from the wind. "I knew I wouldn't be able to fish the flats, so I had a backup plan," he said. "But apparently, so did a lot of other people."

Bass said he arrived in Flint Creek to find a dozen boats fishing the same areas he was targeting. Like Bass, the boats moved into the area after a cold front moved through overnight, bringing 30 degree temperatures, clear skies and strong winds to the region - conditions that made fishing open water difficult at best.

"I was knocking on wood all day long," Bass said. "I kept thinking, 'All I have to do is catch a limit, and I'll be fishing tomorrow.'"

Fortunately for Bass, conditions were tough on everyone, and he didn't need a limit after all. The 3-pound lead he opened on day one held up.

"There are a lot of good fishermen here, and I really left the door open," Bass said. "I'm fortunate to have finished where I did."

Spiderwire pro Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., held on to his No. 2 spot as well to advance to Friday's final round of 10 pros with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 23 pounds, 8 ounces.

Ricky Scott of Van Buren, Ark. (10 bass, 23-3); Kellogg's pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa. (10 bass, 23-1) and Mark Shepard of Labelle, Fla. (10 bass, 22-3) rounded out the top five pros.

Pros Ott Defoe of Knoxville, Tenn.; Jason Borofka of Salinas, Calif.; Stacey King of Reeds Spring, Mo.; Thanh Le of Las Vegas, Nev.; and JT Kenney of Daytona Beach, Fla., also cleared the top-10 cut weight of 21 pounds, 2 ounces and will continue fishing Friday for a top award of $140,000.

Despite finishing the opening round in seventh and eighth place, respectively, King and Borofka have earned a place in the history books as the first pro qualifiers for the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug 2-5, 2007. Three more pro spots are still up for grabs this week, as the top finishers from each of the Stren Series' five divisions will secure an automatic berth into the world's most lucrative bass tournament for a chance to win the sport's first $1 million award.

"This was a goal of mine at the start of the season," said King, a 12-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier. "I'm also in contention to qualify through the FLW Series, so this takes the pressure off. It's a thrill."

Le earned the day's Snickers Big Bass award of $750 in the Pro Division with a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth that he caught on a Carolina rigged Baby Brush Hog with just seven minutes remaining to fish.

Thomas Szwankowski of Hope, Ark., leads the top 10 co-anglers in their hunt for a $70,000 payday with a two-day catch of nine bass weighing 18-10.

Szwankowski caught five bass weighing 12-7 Wednesday while fishing with Justin Kerr of Simi Valley, Calif., then added another four bass weighing 6-3 to his total Thursday while fishing with Bounty Basics pro Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Marty Sexton of St. Paul, Minn. (10 bass, 16-6); Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss. (10 bass, 16-5); Phillip Hudnall of Newkirk, Okla. (nine bass, 14-13); and Daniel Shuga of Botkins, Ohio (nine bass, 14-9).

Kerry Barnett of Waldron, Ark.; Jason Billmaier of Las Vegas, Nev.; Monte Knight of Quiteman, Miss.; Alan Hench of Lititz, Pa.; and Thomas Rizzo of Rochester, Pa., also cleared the top-10 cut weight of 13 pounds, 8 ounces.

Like King and Borofka, Shuga and Billmaier have also earned a place in the history books as the first co-angler qualifiers for the Forrest Wood Cup. Three more co-angler qualifiers will be determined Friday.

Shuga earned the day's Snickers Big Bass award of $375 in the Co-angler Division with a 4-pound, 4-ounce largemouth.

Overall, 851 bass weighing 1,330 pounds, 4 ounces were caught by 156 pros and 131 co-anglers Thursday. There were 78 five-bass limits caught and more than 99 percent of the bass were released alive.

Anglers will take off from Ingalls Harbor located on Highway 20 W. in Decatur at 7 each morning. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2800 Spring Ave. S.W. in Decatur beginning at 4 p.m. The community is invited to attend the Family Fun Zone Friday and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy. Admission to all activities is free.

Weights will be cleared Friday, and co-angler competition will conclude with the winner determined by the day's heaviest catch. Pro competition will conclude Saturday, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative weight from days three and four.

The winning pro will earn an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger 519VX equipped with Lowrance electronics, a Minn Kota trolling motor and EverStart batteries plus $50,000 cash. If the winner is the original owner of a qualifying Ranger boat powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard that is used during the tournament, he will also receive a $25,000 bonus from Ranger and an additional $25,000 Evinrude/Yamaha bonus for a total award of $140,000. The winning co-angler will receive a fully rigged Ranger 519VX plus $15,000 cash. If the winning co-angler meets Ranger and Evinrude or Yamaha contingency guidelines, he will also receive bonuses totaling $15,000 for a total award of $70,000.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Announces Schedule, UPS Payouts For 2007

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:48:56 -0400

Benton, Kentucky - FLW Outdoors announced Thursday that competitors in the world's most lucrative weekend tournament series - the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia - will fish for a share of $226,500 in every qualifier next season. The 2007 TTT will also pay awards through 30 places in every qualifier compared to 20 places in 2006.

Another change for 2007 allows the entire field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers to compete for two days in every qualifier, with the winners determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from both days.

The regular season will kick off Jan. 6-7 on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas, followed by an April 21-22 event on Lake Livingston in Livingston, Texas. The third and final qualifier will be held May 19-20 on Lake Texoma in Denison, Texas.

Every qualifier offers a top pro award of $65,000, which includes $10,000 cash and a $40,000 Ranger 519VX powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard plus a $15,000 bonus if the winner is the registered original owner of a 2000 or newer Ranger boat. Ranger Boats will award an additional $5,000 bonus if the winner is a Ranger Cup participant. If "Powered by Yamaha" guidelines are met, Yamaha will award an additional $2,500 bonus for a potential top award of $72,500.

The top co-angler award in every qualifier is $44,000, which includes $4,000 cash plus a $40,000 Ranger 519VX powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard if the winner is the registered owner of a 2000 or newer Ranger boat.

Payouts in both the Pro and Co-angler divisions extend through 30th place, which pays a minimum of $450 and $150, respectively, based on a 200-boat field.

The top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers from the year-end standings will advance to the $210,000 no-entry-fee Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper, Texas, Oct. 13-14 for the opportunity to win awards of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively.

"The Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail is the greatest value in bass fishing," said FLW Outdoors President and CEO Charlie Evans. "We're pleased to provide weekend anglers in the Lone Star State and neighboring states the opportunity to fish close to home for incredibly lucrative awards."

Entry fees for 2007 are $450 per event for pros and $150 per event for co-anglers. Ranger, Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members have priority entry into the 2007 Texas Tournament Trail. Entry dates will be released soon.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners' Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses exceeding $43 million through 247 events in 2007.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

2007 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Presented by Abu Garcia Schedule

Jan. 6-7 Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas April 21-22 Lake Livingston Livingston, Texas May 19-20 Lake Texoma Denison, Texas

$210,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship Oct. 13-14 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Jasper, Texas

2007 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Presented by Abu Garcia Payouts

$226,500 Qualifiers
Ranger Ranger
Place Pro Bonus Total Place Co-angler Bonus Total
1 $50,000* $15,000 $65,000 1 $4,000 $40,000** $44,000
2 8,000 5,000 13,000 2 3,000 1,500 4,500
3 6,000 4,000 10,000 3 2,000 1,000 3,000
4 4,300 3,000 7,300 4 1,000 900 1,900
5 3,200 2,500 5,700 5 800 850 1,650
6 2,500 2,000 4,500 6 700 800 1,500
7 2,200 1,800 4,000 7 600 750 1,350
8 1,900 1,600 3,500 8 500 700 1,200
9 1,600 1,400 3,000 9 400 650 1,050
10 1,300 1,200 2,500 10 350 600 950
11-15 1,000 1,100 2,100 11-15 300 500 800
16-20 800 1,000 1,800 16-20 230 350 580
21-25 450 1,000 1,450 21-30 150 200 350
26-30 450 500 950
Ranger Cup - Highest qualified participant: $5,000

* Ranger 519VX powered by Yamaha or Evinrude and $10,000 cash
** Ranger 519VX powered by Yamaha or Evinrude

$210,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship
Ranger Ranger
Place Pro Bonus Total Place Co-angler Bonus Total
1 $55,000* $20,000 $75,000 1 $45,000** $5,000 $50,000
2 6,000 5,000 11,000 2 2,000 2,500 4,500
3 4,500 4,000 8,500 3 1,500 1,500 3,000
4 3,500 3,000 6,500 4 1,250 1,100 2,350
5 2,500 2,250 4,750 5 1,000 900 1,900
6 1,550 1,950 3,500 6 750 800 1,550
7 1,150 1,850 3,000 7 550 750 1,300
8 750 1,750 2,500 8 400 700 1,100
9 600 1,650 2,250 9 300 650 950
10 450 1,550 2,000 10 250 600 850
11-20 400 1,200 1,600 11-20 200 550 750

* Ranger 519VX powered by Yamaha or Evinrude and $15,000 cash
** Ranger 519VX powered by Yamaha or Evinrude and $5,000

North Carolina State Wins Boatus National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:16:08 -0400

North Carolina State left no doubt who was the winner at the inaugural BoatU.S National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship as they dominated the other schools on the final day with a solid five fish limit that weighed 13.57 pounds. The winning team members for North Carolina State were Christopher Craven and Alexander Freeman used a variety of baits while keying on windy rocky and timber filled banks to target aggressive fish. Both anglers said they fished to win today and that without the assistance of their club "The North Carolina Bass Pack" and faculty advisor Jonathan Phillips none of this would have been possible. They also went on to thank Ranger Boats and Ron Enslen for their support. In addition they said a big key to their win was sponsors Secret Weapons Lures and J.B. Custom Rods. The North Carolina State team won $12,000.00 in scholarship funds with the win.

The Eastern Kentucky University team of Michael Blanton and Andrew Luxon took an early lead with a limit that topped the scales at 8.75 pounds but eventually had to settle for 2nd place overall and $6,000.00 in scholarships for their catch. They said they keyed on deeper bite much of the day while fishing several locations to get their limit but never did get that big kicker bite to give them the chance at the win. They thanked FOX College Sports and all the sponsors while on stage while saying this was the best event they had ever fished and they couldn't wait for next year!

Oklahoma State University was the last team to take the stage and after dominating the field the first two days it was apparent the North Carolina State team was worried. The event format had the schools from all over the nation sending in two person teams to compete for two days for an overall cumulative weight. After two days the top 5 schools/teams competed on one final day of the event for the title and scholarships. To add to the excitement on the final day each team competed out of a fully rigged Ranger boat Z-19s, powered by Evinrude outboards and rigged with Garmin electronics, Minn Kota trolling motors and Keelshields.

The Oklahoma State team of James Elam and Brandon Pedigo were confident going into the final round but high winds blew into their key area and with cameras rolling to capture the action they just couldn't get the bites they had hoped to with the waves literally breaking over the bow of their boat on some casts. The end result was a third place finish and $4,000 in scholarship winnings.

Rounding out the top five were two Northwestern State University teams who qualified in 3rd and 5th respectively after two days before settling in at 4th and 5th overall on the final day. Both of these teams had been keying on shallow aggressive fish using lipless crankbaits and other fast moving baits. Both of these were awarded scholarship monies as well for their efforts.

During the event plans were announced for the 2007 championship along with regional events across the nation to support the growth of collegiate bass fishing. In addition in 2007 FOX College sports will be launching an entire television series dedicated to collegiate bass fishing complete with campus visits, behind the scenes stories, tournament action from the event and insight from F.L.W. and B.A.S.S. professionals like Luke Clausen, Jeff Kriet and Kelly Jordon. The show will be hosted by Wade Middleton.

For a full update of the results and pictures go to www.myspace.com/fcsbass

Final Standing

North Carolina State University Christoper Craven- Alexander Freeman 13.57
Eastern Kentucky Michael Blanton-Andrew Luxon 8.75
Oklahoma State University James Elam-Brandon Pedigo 4.66
Northwestern State University Jarred Williams-Ryan Wiggins 3.86
Northwestern State University Kevin Jeane-Jonathan Bennett 3.55

Lake Stillhouse To Host Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:04:00 -0400

Killeen, Texas - The $1 million Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia will stage its season-ending championship on Lake Stillhouse in Killeen Nov. 11-12. Hosted by the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, the no-entry-fee championship will feature the TTT's top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers casting for a share of $210,000.

Trent Huckaby of Fort Stockton, Texas, will lead the pros as the No. 1 seed after scoring two top-10 finishes this season. His first top 10 was a seventh-place showing at the season opener on Lake Amistad Feb. 4-5. He then capped the regular season with a 10th-place finish at the trail's final qualifier May 6-7 on Lake Texoma.

Pete Elliott of Vidor, Texas, will lead the co-angler contingent as the No. 1 seed after opening the season with a ninth-place showing on Lake Amistad.

Anglers will take off at 7 each morning from Stillhouse Hollow Lake Marina located at 4596 Simmons Road in Belton, Texas. Saturday and Sunday's weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2020 Heights Drive in Harker Heights, Texas, beginning at 4 p.m.

The winning pro at the TTT Championship will earn as much as $75,000, which includes a Ranger 519 VX powered by a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $15,000 cash. If the winner meets Ranger Boats contingency guidelines, he will receive an additional $20,000.

The winning co-angler will earn as much as $50,000, which includes a Ranger 519 VX powered by a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $5,000 cash. If the winner meets Ranger Boats contingency guidelines, he will receive an additional $5,000.

Snickers will award $1,000 to the pro or co-angler who catches the heaviest bass during the TTT Championship. Castrol will award a $500 Wal-Mart gift card and $500 of Castrol products to the highest-finishing co-angler wearing a Castrol shirt at the championship.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

TBF National Championship Presented By The National Guard To Be Held On Lake Wylie

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:50:43 -0400

Qualifiers seek advancement to $1 million All-American and $2 million Forrest Wood Cup

BENTON, Ky. (Oct. 24, 2006) - The Bass Federation (TBF) and FLW Outdoors announced Monday that Lake Wylie in Charlotte, N.C., will host the 2007 TBF National Championship presented by the National Guard April 19-21, 2007.

Pros representing six TBF divisions nationwide will compete in the no-entry-fee championship for a "Living the Dream" prize package that includes use of a wrapped Chevy truck and Ranger boat powered by Yamaha, free entry into either the 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Series or the 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Tour, and an automatic berth into the 2007 $1 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League All-American and the 2007 $2 million Forrest Wood Cup.

"This is a chance for TBF anglers to launch a career," said TBF President Robert Cartlidge. "Not only will the winning pro have the option to fish the FLW Tour or FLW Series thanks to the 'Living the Dream' prize package, but he will also have a shot at winning $140,000 in the 2007 All-American and as much as $1 million in the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup. There is no other event that offers so many opportunities for grassroots anglers in our 1,500 clubs nationwide."

Thirty-seven pros and 37 co-anglers have qualified through a series of TBF club, TBF state and TBF divisional tournaments to compete in the TBF National Championship. These anglers will compete in tournament boats supplied by Ranger Boats. The highest finishing boater and co-angler from each of the six TBF divisions after two days of competition will advance to day three. The pro with the heaviest cumulative weight from all three days of competition will be crowned TBF National Champion and will receive the "Living the Dream" prize package. The top six pros and co-anglers will also advance to the 2007 All-American, and the co-angler with the heaviest cumulative weight will advance to the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup.

Lake Wylie will be off limits to championship anglers from April 2 through April 17, 2007. Official practice will be held April 18 with the tournament starting April 19. Anglers will take off from Copperhead Island Boat Launch located at 15200 Soldier Road in Charlotte at 7 each morning and weigh in at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart - Liberty Hall located at 800 Briar Creek Road in Charlotte beginning at 4 each evening. In conjunction with the tournament, TBF and FLW Outdoors will host a three-day sports show and Family Fun Zone at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart - Liberty Hall. Admission to the show is free and doors open at noon on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Coverage of the TBF National Championship presented by the National Guard will be broadcast to more than 80 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television series. "FLW Outdoors" airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast internationally to more than 350 million households in Europe, Africa and Asia, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 servicemembers stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.

TBF is dedicated to the sport of fishing and owned by the 25,000 members it serves. TBF affiliated state federations and their 1,500 member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided the foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 30 years.

For more information about TBF chapters in your area, visit bassfederation.com.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners' Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses exceeding $43 million through 247 events in 2007.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

$1 Million Stren Series Championship Set To Kick Off On Wheeler Lake

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:43:17 -0400

Decatur, Alabama - The $6 million Stren Series is headed to Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., November 1-4 for the $1 million Stren Series Championship, where the winning pro will take home as much as $140,000 in cash and prizes and the winning co-angler will earn as much as $70,000 in cash and prizes.

"A lot of what the fish do at Wheeler will depend on the current conditions," said National Guard pro Jonathan Newton of Rogersville, Ala., who qualified for the championship as the No. 15 seed in the Midwest Division. "Water levels and weather conditions are going to be two big factors. This time of year, fishing is usually pretty tough. A lot of fish will be caught, but they will likely be in the 12- to 14-inch range."

With stable weather and water levels, Newton predicts the bass will be in shallow-water grass beds in 4 to 8 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics will be the choice baits, but they will be fished at a very slow pace.

"I think the key will be fishing a slow presentation," he said. "Pros will need to catch 10 to 12 pounds a day to have a shot at winning."

Anglers will take off from Ingalls Harbor at 7 each morning. Wednesday and Thursday's weigh-ins will also be held at Ingalls Harbor, which is located on Highway 20 W. in Decatur, beginning at 3 p.m. As part of the festivities, Lynn Layton Chevrolet, located at 2416 Highway 31 S. in Decatur, will host Chevy Pro Night on Wednesday, Nov. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2800 Spring Ave. S.W. in Decatur beginning at 4 p.m. The community is invited to attend the Family Fun Zone Friday and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy.

Admission to all activities is free.

Two hundred pros and 200 co-anglers (the top 40 based on points standings from each of the Stren Series' five divisions) will compete for two days on Wheeler Lake to determine the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers who will advance to the final round based on their two-day accumulated weight.

Weights are cleared for the final round and co-angler competition concludes on day three with the winner determined by the day's heaviest catch. Pro competition concludes on day four, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.

The winning pro will earn an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger 519VX equipped with Lowrance electronics, a Minn Kota trolling motor and EverStart batteries plus $50,000 cash. If the winner is the original owner of a qualifying Ranger boat powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard that is used during the tournament, he will also receive a $25,000 bonus from Ranger and an additional $25,000 Evinrude/Yamaha bonus for a total award of $140,000. The winning co-angler will receive a fully rigged Ranger 519VX plus $15,000 cash. If the winning co-angler meets Ranger and Evinrude or Yamaha contingency guidelines, he will also receive bonuses totaling $15,000 for a total award of $70,000.

The Stren Series Championship is being hosted by the Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau. For more information, visit Decaturcvb.org or call (800) 524-6181.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

Monroe Takes Busch Shootout

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:00:19 -0400

GRAPEVINE, Texas - There?s a reason Ish Monroe is building a house in the Lone Star State.

The Hughson, Calif., pro won his first Bassmaster title at the season-opening CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series tournament- the Battle on the Border- on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas, in March.

Monroe ended his season Saturday by winning the Busch Shootout on Grapevine Lake.

The BUSCH Shootout will air Saturday, October 21, on ESPN2 at 10 a.m. ET.? It will reair Oct. 24, Nov. 7, Dec. 8 and Dec. 30.?

??I love Texas,? a delighted Monroe shouted Saturday at the weigh-in at Scott?s Landing Marina after defeating fellow Californian Fred Roumbanis in the final round of the BUSCH Shootout to win the $100,000 top prize.

Monroe, of Hughson, Calif., who is building a house in Del Rio, caught five bass weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces, including one of about 4 pounds. Roumbanis, of Auburn, Calif., had one fish weighing 3-3.

?It got really, really tough,? Roumbanis said. ?My fish left. They weren?t in the same areas. The conditions were right. Everything was right. I think it came down to a lack of knowing the lake.?

That was the second time Monroe and Roumbanis finished 1-2 respectively. In the Battle on the Border, Monroe caught a four-day total of 104-8. Roumbanis was second at 101-13.

Monroe qualified for the BUSCH Shootout with a catch weighing 34-1 on the third day at Amistad. Roumbanis qualified with a weight of 28-1 on the final day at Amistad.

The Shootout featured the 10 anglers who weighed the heaviest single-day catches during 2006 Elite Series and the three anglers who weighed the heaviest one-day bags at the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, the 2006 Federation Nation Championship and the 2005 Open Championship.

After fishing Friday, the four anglers with the heaviest weights qualified to fish Saturday. Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Mo., led the way at 23-4, followed by Monroe at 15-15, Kevin Wirth of Crestwood, Ky., at 15-1 and Roumbanis at 14-12. As the top seed, Brauer fished against Roumbanis Saturday morning while Monroe and Wirth squared off.

Roumbanis, a second-year pro, shocked the crowd assembled for the weigh-in by beating Brauer, 57, the 1998 Bassmaster Classic champion and the 2006 Toyota Horizon Winner. Roumbanis had three fish weighing 5-6. Brauer had two fish weighing 5-1.

Monroe had a five-fish limit weighing 6-4 to beat Wirth, who had one fish weighing 2-14.
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?The key is always make sure you come in with five,? said Monroe, who caught his limit by a dam where the water was flowing, then fished around some docks where he caught a few more fish.
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Monroe went back to the dam Saturday afternoon and never left. The spot had produced a bass of 7-11 for Monroe Friday morning and he hoped to catch a limit, then go for a kicker fish -- a big bass that would boost his weight.

It took him 90 minutes to catch a small keeper bass on a small plastic worm. Then he switched to a Tru Tungsten jig with a grub catching a number of bass.

??That?s a problem that I?ve had for a lot of years. Finishing,? Monroe said. ?It comes to a point where you have to close. You catch five, then you have to go out and catch that kicker fish. I feel that?s going to help my career.?

Click here to download related photos of the BUSCH Shootout.?

BUSCH beer is the ?Official Beer of BASS,? and committed to supporting BASS anglers across the country through its current association with BASS, and its sponsorship of Denny Brauer, 16-time winner of the CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail and 1987 BASS Angler of the Year.?

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years. ?

BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.?

For more information, call BASS Communications at 407-566-2208. To join BASS, visit www.Bassmaster.com/ or call 1-877-BASS-USA.

BASS Announces 2007 Women's Bassmaster Tour Schedule

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:06:36 -0400

Celebration, Florida - The Women's Bassmaster Tour will make its sophomore debut in 2007 with five stand-alone events designed to challenge the very best women anglers from around the world.

In 2007, the Women's Bassmaster Tour will visit well-known and productive fisheries in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Louisiana from February through September. The winner of each WBT event takes home a fully rigged Triton boat valued at $50,000 and the total payout for pros and co-anglers will be more than $640,000 for the season.

"The Women's Bassmaster Tour debut was a banner year and now, we're looking forward to another full-field season of high-stakes competition on some of the best lakes in the country with these anglers," said Deb Wilkinson, Women's Bassmaster Tour tournament manager.

Women kick off the season Feb. 8-10 on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. BASS fans are well-versed on Amistad, as the 2006 CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series season launched there and produced near-record catches. The Elite Series will again be ushered in on Amistad in March 2007.

On March 29-31, women anglers will revisit Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Ark. In 2006, Toyota Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year Dianna Clark won a WBT event there with 29 pounds, 9 ounces, beating her nearest competitor by 10 pounds. This is the only repeat location in the WBT schedule.

On May 3-5, anglers will hit the mid-season when they travel to Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. The Elite Series also will visit Guntersville in 2007 and this popular fishery gave up a winning weight of 59 pounds, 15 ounces to Elite Series angler Rick Clunn when it hosted the 1976 CITGO Bassmaster Classic.

The fourth event puts anglers on Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Ky., on June 14-16. The last BASS event there was won by Morizo Shimizu with 66-9 during the 2006 Elite Series.

Athletes will end the regular season Sept. 20-22 on the Red River in Shreveport, La. The Red River last hosted a large BASS event in 2005, when Sean Hoernke of Texas beat out Elite anglers Gary Klein and Takahiro Omori with 36-2 during a Bassmaster Open.

"I know BASS is putting us on great fisheries in 2007 and I'm excited and ready to get started," said Clark, the reigning women's Toyota Angler of the Year. "To succeed on this tour, you need to stay consistent and focus on catching fish. That is the mission."

Also in 2007, there'll be one additional tournament for the top 12 pros and co-anglers from 2006. The Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship is scheduled for February on Lake Mitchell in Alabama, in conjunction with the 2007 Bassmaster Classic. The anglers will weigh-in on the final day of their three-day tournament at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center before the Classic. The winner receives a Triton boat valued at $50,000 plus $10,000 cash.

Limited registration for the 2007 WBT begins Nov. 19 and general registration opens Dec. 3. Entry fees are $650 for pros and $350 for co-anglers. Interested anglers can visit www.Bassmaster.com for more information or call 1-877-BASS-USA.

2007 Mercury Marine Women's Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats
#1 Feb. 8-10 Lake Amistad Del Rio, Texas

#2 March 29-31 Lake Dardanelle Russellville, Ark.

#3 May 3-5 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala.

#4 June 14-16 Kentucky Lake Gilbertsville, Ky.

#5 Sept. 20-22 Red River Shreveport, La.

2006 Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship
February Lake Mitchell Birmingham, Ala.

Local sponsors include: The Del Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Lake Dardanelle State Park and the Russellville A&P Commission; the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce; Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Marshall County, Ky. and the State of Kentucky; and the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority.

Sponsors of the Women's Bassmaster Tour include Mercury Marine, Triton Boats, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Advance Auto Parts and Plano.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.

BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit www.bassmaster.com.