Detroit area Wal-Mart stores to host Wal-Mart FLW Tour pro night

Pro anglers available for autographs Sunday, July 8

George Cochran cites his hometown as his favorite place for bass fishing. Photo by Jason Sealock. Angler: George Cochran.

July 2, 2007 • MLF • Archives

DETROIT – Fishing fans will have the opportunity to meet some of the most accomplished anglers in the world of competitive bass fishing at four Wal-Mart stores in the Detroit area July 8, from 6-8 p.m.

The world-class anglers will be signing autographs, posing for photos and offering fishing tips to store visitors during the two-hour event, which precedes the Chevy Open on the Detroit River July 12-15. Hosted by the Detroit Metro Sports Commission, the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Detroit’s Mayor’s Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the lucrative tournament will feature 400 anglers from 35 states, Australia, Canada, Italy and Japan, with 200 of the world’s best bass pros fishing for a top award of $200,000 cash.

Among the anglers participating will be Banana Boat pro Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich., who has won over $450,000 in his FLW Outdoors career. Vida is one of the best smallmouth bass fishermen in the sport, having notched six FLW Outdoors victories on the Detroit River, Lake Erie, and Lake St. Clair fishery. Vida will be speaking at the Wal-Mart store located at 2155 North Telegraph Road in Monroe, Mich. Joining him will be Kellogg’s pros Jim Tutt and Kim Bain, Bounty pro Craig Powers, Duracell pro Keith Pace and Land O’Lakes pro Keith Williams. For more store details, see the complete schedule below.

final Wal-Mart pro night Detroit.

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 Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.

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 Walmart.com.

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