Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship contenders aim for $250,000 catch
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – The Red River will produce a lot of green during the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by CITGO Sept. 13-16 when 50 of the world’s best bass anglers from the United States and Japan arrive in Shreveport, La., to cast for $250,000 – the largest prize in competitive fishing.
When competition starts, all eyes will be on Rick Clunn, the Ava, Mo., pro whose dominance during the tour’s last three events earned him $435,000 of the $441,800 that he has piled up this season. Clunn won the Wal-Mart Open in Bentonville, Ark.; finished second in Memphis, Tenn.; and won the Forrest Wood Open in Florence, Ala. A win in Shreveport would boost his FLW Tour season earnings to $691,800 – more money than any bass angler has ever won on a single tour in one season.
Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, is another favorite having earned the distinction as the best, most consistent bass angler in the world. Wendlandt, who finished in the top 10 four times this season and caught the tour’s heaviest opening-round stringer of 10 bass weighing 41 pounds, 12 ounces, has earned $210,800 through six events. As Angler of the Year, he landed a spot on the cover of Kellogg’s brand Frosted Mini-Wheats and Corn Flakes boxes.
Other championship contenders include FLW Tour rookie Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., who won in Biloxi, Miss., after knocking his father, fishing icon Roland Martin, out of contention in the semifinal round and Takahiro Omori, a native of Japan who competes in the FLW Tour from Emory, Texas. Omori finished 23rd in the FLW Tour points race.
Co-Angler of the Year David Hudson of Jasper, Ala., may be that division’s favorite after finishing in the top 10 three times this season including a second-place showing on Lake Murray in Lexington, S.C. Troy Pickett of Roberta, Ga., also ranks as a top contender with two third-place finishes and three top-10 appearances this season. And with top-10 finishes in the tour’s premier events – the Wal-Mart Open and the Forrest Wood Open – Frank Divis Sr. of Fayetteville, Ark., has a solid record when the pressure is on. The co-angler champion will receive $25,000.
The championship field comprises the winning pros and co-anglers from six qualifying events plus the top 44 pros and co-anglers based on a system of points and pounds awarded during the first two days of competition in qualifying tournaments. Seven pro qualifiers hail from North Carolina and six contenders are from Georgia. Arkansas and Georgia are both sending eight co-anglers followed by Alabama with five co-anglers. Fifty anglers will compete in each division.
Competition begins Sept. 13 at Stoner Boat Launch in Shreveport. After the two-day opening round, the top-10 anglers from each division will advance to the semi-final round where the co-angler competition will be decided and the pros will compete for one day to qualify for the five-man final round. Anglers are allowed to weigh five bass each day, and weights do not carry over during the final two rounds.
Stoner Boat Launch is the site of each day’s 6:30 a.m. takeoff. Friday’s takeoff, however, will be at 8 a.m. Weigh-ins Wednesday, Sept. 13, and Thursday, Sept. 14, will be held at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 6235 Westport Avenue in Shreveport. Weigh-ins Friday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16, will be held at the Wal-Mart at 5 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. respectively.
Coverage of the tournament on ESPN is scheduled to air Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. EST. The tournament’s final weigh-in will be broadcast live to more than 2,400 Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The final weigh-in also will air live on ESPN Extra.
Fishing enthusiasts nationwide can take part in the action by entering the Visa $2 Million Challenge for a chance to win $1 million if an FLW Tour competitor catches a state-record largemouth, smallmouth or spotted bass during the event. The angler who catches a state-record bass will also receive $1 million.