Fukae fan favorite in Hook Set Award contest
Voting for Kentucky Lake Hook Set Award ongoing
In his relatively short three years on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Mineola Texas pro Shinichi Fukae – originally from Japan – has passed many significant milestones: Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year status his rookie season, two major wins and an amazing seven top-10 finishes. Now he has garnered yet another honor: the people’s choice for best hook set on Beaver Lake.
Up against two seasoned FLW Tour veterans for the Eagle Claw Hook Set Award, Fukae still drew the most votes from fishing fans who liked the look of his hook set at the Wal-Mart Open as filmed by TV cameras earlier this year. Despite tough competition and some pretty fine hook sets from competitors Darrel Robertson and Mark Rose, Fukae got the most online votes. FSN’s cameras captured Fukae’s impressive catch, and FLWOutdoors.com visitors watching the Hook Set Award footage helped him earn a $500 gift card to Wal-Mart with their votes.
Eagle Claw Hook Set Award voters were able to choose from video footage of three pro anglers’ hook sets as filmed by the camera crews of FSN (Fox Sports Net) for the “FLW Outdoors” TV show during 
the April 5-8 FLW Tour event on Beaver Lake, which Fukae won, near Rogers, Ark. Fishing fans crowned Fukae the Hook Set king, and he will receive the shopping card for the award, which, along with the contest, is presented by Eagle Claw.
It was an extremely close contest, but ultimately Fukae’s Hook Set Award footage, which was seen on “FLW Outdoors” on FSN and FLWOutdoors.com, received more votes than either Rose or Robertson’s.
FSN provides FLWOutdoors.com with video footage of three of the best hook sets from each FLW Tour event throughout the season. The hook sets are seen on FSN’s “FLW Outdoors” program, which airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern, and are then viewable at FLWOutdoors.com. After voting has closed for a given contest, the winner will be announced on television and through this Web site.
The Hook Set Award contest is free and open to anyone 21 years of age or older who wants to go online to vote for their favorite footage. Use this article to link to the contest or access it through FLWOutdoors.com’s home page in the left-hand navigation column.