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STAGE SET FOR BASS FISHING'S
BIGGEST WEEK
$500,000 on the line in Birmingham
during $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (July 19, 2006) - They've
driven thousands of miles, spent weeks studying lake maps and
water conditions, and made countless casts in preparation for
this moment. Now 48 of the world's top professional anglers are
headed to Birmingham where they will square off in head-to-head
competition on Login Martin Lake Aug. 2-5 for a shot at winning
$500,000 in their sport's crowning event - the $1.5 million Wal-Mart
FLW Tour Championship and Outdoor Show presented by Castrol.
Anglers from 28 states and Japan qualified for
the championship after competing in six qualifying events stretching
from Lake Okeechobee in Florida to Lake Champlain in New York.
These qualifiers are seeded according to their Land O'Lakes Angler
of the Year rankings and No. 1 will compete against No. 48, No.
2 against No. 47, No. 3 against No. 46, etc. This bracket-style
competition has produced some exciting matches that will likely
lead to some nail-biting finishes as Arkansas legends Larry Nixon
(No. 8) and George Cochran (No 41) face off in the opening round
alongside Gain Rookie of the Year Gabe Bolivar (No. 7) and veteran
Gary Yamamoto (No. 42) among others. The complete championship
field and head-to-head pairings are posted at FLWOutdoors.com.
Championship contenders will take off from Pell
City Lakeside Park, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell
City at 7 a.m. each day, and daily weigh-ins will be held at
5 p.m. in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena.
The outdoor show featuring more than 140 exhibits; fishing seminars
by Hank Parker, Forrest L. Wood and other bass-fishing legends;
and free daily giveaways runs 2 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3, noon
to 9 p.m. Aug. 4 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 5. Aug. 2 is free
FLW Outdoors hat day. Aug. 3 is free Stren fishing line day.
Aug. 4 is free Berkley tackle day, and Aug. 5 is free rod and
reel and free Fujifilm camera day. Daily giveaways are for children
12 and under accompanied by an adult.
One lucky fan attending the final weigh-in Aug.
5 will also win a new Ranger Z20 Comanche bass boat powered by
Yamaha. Three qualifiers will be drawn for the boat giveaway
during each day's 5 p.m. weigh-in, with the final three qualifiers
and the eventual winner drawn Aug. 5. Fans must be present to
qualify and win. Admission is free, and entry forms will be available
at the outdoor show.
The week's festivities also include a taping of
"The Best Dam Sports Show Period" in the BJCC Arena
Friday at 1 p.m. and a free concert presented by Chevy featuring
country artist Craig Morgan at 4 p.m. Saturday in the BJCC Arena.
Following the two-day opening round, 24 pros advance
to the semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight.
Head-to-head competition continues in the one-day semifinal round,
after which 12 pros advance to the final round. The 12 finalists
start from zero and compete for one day to determine the winner
of the sport's biggest award - $500,000 cash. Even the pro who
finishes 48th earns $15,000 just for qualifying.
Forty-eight co-anglers, who are paired with the
pros and fish from the back deck, will compete for two days,
after which the top 24 co-anglers based on accumulated weight
advance to the third and final day of co-angler competition.
Weights are cleared for the co-angler final round, and the winner
takes home $25,000.
In addition to the tournament festivities, professional
anglers will visit approximately 200 patients ranging in age
from 5- to 18-years-old at Children's Hospital in Birmingham
on Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. Aside from signing autographs and providing
a needed break for the children, the anglers hope to cultivate
an appreciation of the environment by teaching about the conservation
of fish habitat and being respectful of nature. The anglers will
also take this opportunity to explain why more than 50 million
people pick up their rods and wet a line each year - because
fishing is a fun, wholesome activity the entire family can enjoy.
Another event coinciding with the 2006 FLW Tour
Championship is the National Guard Junior World Championship
- a one-day, youth-oriented fishing championship held July 31.
The event, in which youths qualify through TBF (The Bass Federation)
state programs, is designed to highlight some of the best up-and-coming
angling talent in the nation. Each participating TBF state is
sending two junior anglers (one in the 11-14 age bracket and
another in the 15-18 age bracket). These anglers will fish with
the FLW Tour Championship pros on Lake Neely Henry in Gadsden,
Ala. The takeoff and weigh-in will be held at the Gadsden City
Launch located at 200 Lake Street in Gadsden at 8 a.m. and 3
p.m., respectively.
Fishing fans will have the chance to swap fish
tales with Team Chevy anglers Larry Nixon, Luke Clausen, Kim
Stricker, Dion Hibdon and David Fritts during Chevy Pro Night
from 6 to 8 p.m. at Edwards Chevrolet located at 1400 Third Ave.
North in Birmingham on July 31. FLW Tour anglers will also be
hosting fishing seminars at more than a dozen Birmingham-area
Wal-Mart stores from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 31.
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.
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