Virtual Championship 2006: Semifinals
Semifinal round – Gagliardi vs. Knapp
Virtual Championship 2006
Semifinal round – Gagliardi vs. Knapp
You’ve chosen the semifinalists, and now the head-to-head matchups are getting even more interesting, reflecting both the public’s prognostication and will. Only the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship remains on the tour-level bass-fishing horizon before 2006 is etched forever in the history books. Will voters correctly forecast the FLW Tour champion? Learn more about qualifying pros while casting your daily ballot.
FLWOutdoors.com is once again hosting 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 is asking 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.
Revisit Virtual Championship 2006 daily and be a part of the voting body that could be the first to correctly anticipate the championship winner. 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: Anthony Gagliardi (No. 1) vs. Jason Knapp (No. 25)
Anthony Gagliardi – No: 1 seed: Hailing from Prosperity, S.C., Anthony Gagliardi has had a banner year to say the least, capturing the 2006 FLW Tour event at Lake Murray, winning the coveted 2006 FLW Angler of the Year award and winning more than $250,000 on the FLW Tour this year alone. One of the most consistent anglers on the circuit, Gagliardi has continued his long climb up the year-end standings each and every year. In 2000, Gagliardi finished the year in 112th place. The next season, he finished in 74th, in 2001 he finished 51st, then 45th (2003), 31st (2004), third (2005) and then first in 2006. Correspondingly, Gagliardi’s reputation and bank account has grown in direct proportion to his success. In total, Gagliardi has netted $631,000 in career earnings in FLW Outdoors events, including eight top-10 finishes (including five on the FLW Tour) as well as two FLW tournament titles – Murray and a win at the 2004 FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake. Gagliardi, who started fishing FLW Outdoors events in 1998, will undoubtedly be on the favorites heading into the FLW Tour Championship, slated for Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 2-5.
Jason Knapp – No. 25 seed: If it weren’t for California wunderkind Gabe Bolivar, Jason Knapp of Uniontown, Pa., would have walked away with this year’s Gain Rookie of the Year title. As it was, that honor belonged to another, but Knapp is hardly a rookie anyway. Before switching to the pro side this season, Knapp was FLW Tour co-angler royalty, putting together one victory, four top-10s and two championship appearances from the back of the boat. As a pro this season, he proved his worth by fishing with remarkable consistency, highlighted by a season-high finish of 18th place on Lake Okeechobee. The last time he fished Logan Martin Lake, back in 2004 at the FLW Tour Championship, he finished 14th. Imagine what he’ll be able to do now that he calls the shots as a pro.
Virtual Championship 2006 (click for complete details and poll results)
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship 2006 (click for more information)