Virtual Championship 2006: Bracket 16
Opening round – Bracket 16: Chapman vs. Colson
Virtual Championship 2006
Opening round – Bracket 16: Chapman vs. Colson
Another exciting season of tour-level pro bass fishing drew to a close in record-smashing fashion on Lake Champlain last month, 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: Brent Chapman (No. 16) vs. Ramie Colson Jr. (No. 33)
Brent Chapman – No. 16 seed: In 2002, his junior year of the FLW Tour, Brent Chapman qualified for championship as the No. 34 seed and went head-to-head with veteran angler Wesley Strader in the opening round. Chapman, a resident of Lake Quivira, Kan., nearly doubled Strader’s catch, weighing in 17 pounds, 5 ounces for the third-heaviest weight of the round. His next match would make anyone nervous – Greg Hackney, who was leading the event with nearly 22 pounds. However, Chapman buckled down and easily defeated Hackney by more than 5 pounds, securing his position in the finals and ultimately a third-place payday. That event proved that Chapman was a pressure player and capable of getting things done when money was on the line. Since then, he has posted 17 top-10s, three more FLW Tour Championship berths and six appearances at the Bassmaster Classic. Head-to-head competition suits Chapman’s abilities, and he’ll be tough to beat.
Ramie Colson Jr. – No. 33 seed: Growing up in Cadiz, Ky., Ramie Colson Jr. could be called a country boy. The soft-spoken and always polite angler loves the outdoors – spending as much time with Mother Nature and his 10-year-old son as possible. Becoming a professional angler was just a dream come true for Colson. However, the second-year FLW Tour pro didn’t earn his National Guard sponsorship overnight. He paid his dues in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Stren Series. For more than 10 years, he dominated the BFL’s LBL Division, recording two wins and 16 top-10 finishes. In 2004, he finished sixth in the Stren Series Championship and finally decided it was time to fish the FLW Tour. This year was a banner year for Colson on tour, finishing barely out of the top 10 twice and qualifying for the FLW Tour Championship in just his second attempt. If Colson can find a strong jig bite, his opponents could be in for a tough day.
Virtual Championship 2006 (click for complete details and poll results)
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship 2006 (click for more information)
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Hawkes vs. Yelas
Klinger vs. Kennedy
Rojas vs. Bolton
Le vs. Lefebre
Monsoor vs. Clausen
Pirch vs. Ehrler
Nixon vs. Cochran
Bolivar vs. Yamamoto
Bennett vs. Hibdon
Martin vs. Berry
Scheide vs. Strader
Moynagh vs. Stricker
Herren vs. Namiki
Gagliardi vs. Monroe