FLW Walleye Tour Championship Set For Bismarck, ND

$650,000 WALMART FLW WALLEYE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR BISMARCK

World’s top walleye anglers to compete on the Missouri River

BISMARCK, N.D. (Sept. 5, 2008) –The Missouri River, one of the nation’s foremost walleye fisheries, will host the world’s top walleye anglers Sept. 24-27 during the $650,000 Walmart FLW Walleye Tour Championship – the sport’s most lucrative event. The prestigious tournament featuring 108 competitors from 18 states and Canada will award as much as $150,000 cash to the winning professional and as much as $20,000 cash to the winning co-angler.

“This tournament features the best walleye anglers from across the United States,” said Land O’Lakes pro Eric Olson of Red Wing, Minn., who qualified 31st in the points race to make it to Bismarck. “I worked hard all season to get here and I couldn’t be more excited.

“Going into this tournament is different from the qualifying tournaments because the only goal I have in Bismarck is to win. There is no more worrying about points to make the Championship — it’s all about winning the grand prize here.”

Olson said that there are a number of fish in the river, but finding the big ones will make you stand out from other anglers. He also stated that it is important to get five walleyes in the boat to do well in the tournament. He predicts that it will take 15 pounds a day to make the cut. On the final two days of competition he predicts that it will take 20 pounds a day to win.

“Many presentations will be used on the river, but most anglers will be either pulling live bait or trolling crankbaits,” Olson added.

Olson said local anglers may have the advantage at the Walleye Tour Championship over those who aren’t as familiar with the water. According to Olson, anglers who fish the waters of the Missouri River regularly have many more opportunities to explore the massive expanse of the water that makes up the river and allows those anglers to find key fish not easily found by visiting anglers.

“The more you know about this river the better off you will be,” Olson added. “Many anglers will travel a good distance to get the fish they need.”

Olson said success in this tournament will be deciding what fish to keep. “In this tournament you are only allowed to catch eight fish and keep the best five,” Olson said. “Many anglers struggle with this and it is very important to make the right decision. This rule could possibly make or break you in the end.”

Graner Bottoms, at Sugar Loaf, will host daily takeoffs at 7:30 a.m. Daily weigh-ins will be held at the Bismarck Civic Center, located at 315 S. 5th Street., beginning at 4:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend takeoffs and weigh-ins as well as the Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon Saturday. Saturday is free fishing rod and reel day at the Fun Zone, where the first 200 children 14 and under receive a free fishing rod and reel.

The winning pro at the FLW Walleye Tour Championship is guaranteed a cash award of $100,000. If the winner is a qualifying Ranger or G3 boat owner, he will earn a $25,000 bonus, and if the boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $25,000 bonus for a total cash award of $150,000.

The winning co-angler is guaranteed $10,000 cash and is eligible for a $5,000 bonus from Ranger or G3 if he is a registered owner. The winning co-angler will also receive a $5,000 bonus from Evinrude or Yamaha if his boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard.

Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field competes for two days and then is cut to the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers for day three. Anglers in both divisions start from zero on day three, and co-angler competition concludes with the winner determined by the day’s heaviest catch. Pros carry their weights over to day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, FLW Outdoors® offered anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players could become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, which provided them with exclusive insider information that could have guided them to a $100,000 victory at every Walmart FLW Tour® stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage gave them an edge over the competition and increased their shot for the $1 million cash grand prize awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Visit FantasyFishing.com today to find out more information and to register for next season.

Coverage of the FLW Walleye Tour Championship on the Missouri River will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Nov. 30 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. FLW Outdoors also took fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million in cash and prizes.

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