Final weigh-in from Beaver Lake to air July 20 - Major League Fishing

Final weigh-in from Beaver Lake to air July 20

Pro winner to claim $200,000 first-place check
Image for Final weigh-in from Beaver Lake to air July 20
Mark Pack shows off his tournament winning kicker to the crowd. Photo by Rob Newell.
July 14, 2008 • MLF • Archives

MINNEAPOLIS – Tune in Sunday, July 20, to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the conclusion of the $1.5 million Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake in Rogers, Ark. Watch as FSN takes viewers through the final weigh-in and awards the winning pro angler $200,000. The one-hour show is the second of a two-part series covering the fourth tournament of the $9.5 million FLW Tour season.

Leading after three days of competition is Mike Hawkes of Sabinal, Texas. Although Hawkes was able Pro leader Mike Hawkes relaxes before the day-four takeoff.to scratch out a limit on day three, he did not receive any quality bites. His five best bass weighed only 9 pounds, 5 ounces – proving the fishing on the third day was considerably tougher. Hawkes is targeting his bass by swimming a Sweet Beaver and a jig through flooded bushes and limbs. On day four, Hawkes plans to visit a spotted-bass hole and get a quick limit on a Carolina rig. Then he will flip new water the rest of the day, hoping for an all-important kicker bite.

Berkley pro Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., moved to second place on day two thanks to his day-two catch of 12 pounds, 1 ounce for a total of 25 pounds, 8 ounces.

In second place, just 6 ounces off the lead, is Berkley pro Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla. Although Newby is right in the thick of things, he missed a golden opportunity on day three. He caught a five-fish limit that weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces, but he missed a giant fish that would have easily put him in the lead. In fact, his day-three co-angler partner, Stetson Blaylock, caught a 10-pound, 9-ounce limit from Newby’s boat. That catch included a solid 4-pounder, indicating that Newby is around the right kind of fish.

Pro Matt Arey is fourth at the conclusion of the two-day opening round.In fourth place with five bass weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces is pro Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C. Arey, the 2006 Forrest Wood Cup co-angler champion, is making his FLW Tour top 10 as a pro. To his surprise, his wife, Emily, his father, Robert, and his mother, Candy, were in attendance as he took the stage on day three. To make the finals, Arey discovered a flooded-lawn pattern where shad and minnows were feeding on the nutrient-rich lawn grass. Once the bass move in to feed on the shad, Arey throws an assortment of ChatterBaits and crankbaits.

Also is contention is pro Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas. Throughout the past decade, Beaver Lake has been kind to Pack. Of his five FLW Tour top 10s, four of them have come on the northwest Arkansas Day one leader Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas, slipped to third on day two with a 10-pound, 3-ounce catch which gave him a two-day total of 25 pounds, even.impoundment. Pack particularly likes the high-water conditions present this year. After catching 14 pounds, 13 ounces on day one, the veteran pro knew he was on a tournament-winning pattern. Pack isn’t sure it will be him hoisting the $200,000 winner’s check, but he is sure the event will be won fishing road beds and rock points. When the water is high, the Beaver Lake bass relate to hard structure such as rock, asphalt, concrete and even old submerged boat ramps. Pack, who owns Lake Fork Trophy Tackle, is using some of his own creations to catch his fish on this hard structure – mainly a homemade 3/16-ounce jig teamed with one of his new Hyper Worms. Tune in to see if Pack’s angling intuition is accurate.

In addition, Yamaha pro Terry Bolton of Jonesboro, Ark., participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Bolton, who has over $500,000 in career FLW Outdoors earnings, teaches viewers how to flip a tube in flooded brush, a technique that helped him finish 12th at the 2008 Wal-Mart Open.

FSN is the industry leader in providing the most up-to-date technology in TV production. FSN puts viewers in the boats with the pros, shadowing them from sunrise until the final weigh-in using innovative camera work that gives fishing fans the most intimate viewing experience available.

FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sunday mornings. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online guide listing upcoming episodes on “FLW Outdoors.”

FSN is broadcast to more than 81 million homes through its network of 20 regional sports channels. Established in 1996, FSN is the only cable network that supplies national, regional and local sports programming. FSN serves as the cable TV home to 62 of the 82 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States, and produces more than 4,500 live events each year. FSN has an extensive catalog of original national programs, including “Best Damn Sports Show Period” and “Beyond the Glory” documentary series, along with national packages of collegiate sports. Based in Los Angeles, FSN is part of the vast FOX Sports television family. For the latest up-to-the-minute sports news and opinions, visit the FOX Sports/FSN website at www.FoxSports.com.

“FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 429 million households in such countries as Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, FLW Outdoors® offers 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 can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour® stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

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 targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.