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

Pro anglers available for autographs Wednesday, Aug. 13

Scott Suggs: the million-dollar man Photo by Doug Dukane. Angler: Scott Suggs.

July 25, 2008 • MLF • Archives

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fishing fans will have the opportunity to meet some of the most accomplished anglers in the world of competitive bass fishing at six Wal-Mart stores in the Columbia area Aug. 13, from 5-7 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 $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol on Lake Murray Aug. 14-17. Anglers from all 50 states plus Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain competed in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series Championship, Wal-Mart BFL All-American and TBF National Championship to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup and a chance to compete for as much as $1 million.

Among the anglers participating at Wal-Mart FLW Tour pro night will be Folgers pro Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark., who won $1 million – the largest first-place payday in the history of professional bass fishing – at the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. Suggs will be speaking at the Wal-Mart store located at 360 Harbison Blvd. in Columbia. Joining him will be Coppertone pro Chris McCall, National Guard pro Ramie Colson, Land O’Lakes pro Jeremiah Kindy, Kellogg’s pro Jim Tutt, Duracell pro Keith Pace and Wal-Mart co-angler Karyn Sanchez.

Ranger Z-Comanche tournament boats will be on display at participating stores and free Coppertone t-shirts and Mars candy will be given away whiles supplies last. Visitors can even register to win an authentic Wal-Mart FLW Tour team jersey and VIP seating passes for the Forrest Wood Cup. One jersey and one pair of VIP seating passes will be given away at each Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart on South Lake Drive in Lexington and the Wal-Mart on Harbison Blvd. in Columbia will be offering free Ranger boat simulator rides and the Harbison Blvd. store will also be holding a live radio remote from WCOS “Today’s Best Country and All Time Favorites.” For more store details, see the complete schedule below.

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 the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will also 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. Visit FantasyFishing.com by Aug. 13 to register your team for the Forrest Wood Cup.

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