Virtual Championship 2006: Bracket 5
Opening round – Bracket 5: Martin vs. Berry
Virtual Championship 2006
Opening round – Bracket 5: Martin vs. Berry
Another exciting season of tour-level pro bass fishing drew to a close in record-smashing fashion last week on Lake Champlain, leaving only the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on the horizon before 2006 is etched forever in the history books. FLWOutdoors.com will once again host its own “virtual championship” – a featured daily poll where readers can make their own picks and weigh in on who they think will be crowned champion during the Aug. 2-5 year-ending event on Logan Martin Lake in Birmingham, Ala.
In the days leading up to the championship, FLWOutdoors.com will ask readers to vote on who they think will advance in each of the daily bracket challenges (polls are located on the right-hand side of the FLW Outdoors and FLW Tour home pages). After each day’s votes are tabulated, the virtual championship bracket will be immediately updated to reflect the readers’ choices.
Will fishing fans correctly forecast the winner of this year’s championship? Vote each day to support your favorite qualified angler and to learn more about the 48 pros who will actually compete on Logan Martin Lake for a top prize of $500,000.
Today’s featured bracket matchup: Scott Martin (No. 5) vs. Art Berry (No. 44)
Scott Martin – No. 5 seed: Part of Scott Martin’s fame may come from his golden locks and charming smile, but make no mistake, this Florida boy can fish with the best of them. Raised on the shores of Lake Okeechobee under the bass tutelage of his father Roland, Martin has been rooted in the sport of fishing his entire life. Martin began competing on the FLW Tour as a pro in 2000 and has quickly ascended to the sport’s upper echelon. In fact, the Clewiston, Fla., native has already accumulated over $650,000 in FLW Outdoors events including two FLW Tour victories. Martin’s 2006 season has been impressive, having already earned $54,750. Even scarier is the fact that in his last two events he has finished 12th and fourth respectively. So when the tour returns to Birmingham for the 2006 championship, expect Martin to be licking his chops. He finished second there in 2004, only a mere 6 ounces from claiming a $500,000 payday.
Art Berry – No. 44 seed: Western pro Art Berry has enjoyed a solid, if not spectacular 2006 FLW Tour season. He qualified for the championship in the 44th slot via a string of three consecutive top-50 finishes, starting at the Chevy Open on Murray Lake and ending at the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake. At Lake Champlain, the last qualifying event of the season, Berry knew all he had to do was finish in check-range to earn a championship berth. The Hemet, Calif., pro did just that catching 10 bass during the opening round that weighed 28 pounds, 7 ounces. The 2006 FLW Tour Championship will be Berry’s second appearance on bass fishing’s biggest stage; he qualified last season after finishing 20th in the points race. Despite being relatively green on many southeastern fisheries, Berry has accumulated over $185,000 in career FLW Outdoors earnings. Stay tuned as Berry puts his “never give up” attitude to work on Logan Martin Lake.
Virtual Championship 2006 (click the link for complete details and poll results)
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship 2006 (click the link for more information)
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