Bryan Thrift is off to a scorching start in his rookie year as a pro on the vaunted Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Only halfway through the regular season, he’s already racked up two top-10 finishes, $77,500 in prize money and now the Eagle Claw Hook Set Award.
The sensation from Shelby, N.C., is currently ranked second among all FLW Tour pros in the points standings. He is fresh off an impressive 10th-place finish on his home waters of Lake Norman, placed a respectable 57th at Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes in Tennessee in late March and kicked off the season with an incredible runner-up finish at Texas’ Lake Travis in February. It was for the latter event that FLWOutdoors.com visitors also anointed him winner of the Eagle Claw Hook Set Award.
Thrift edged out tour veterans Clark Wendlandt and Dave Lefebre for the Hook Set Award win. Those casting online ballots in the contest handed the Hook Set Award to Thrift, based on fishing footage that appeared both on the “FLW Outdoors” TV show on FSN (Fox Sports Net) as well as at FLWOutdoors.com. For his impressive hook set, he earned a $500 Wal-Mart shopping card.
Eagle Claw Hook Set Award voters were able to choose from video footage of three pro anglers’ hook sets as captured by camera crews during the Feb. 15-18 FLW Tour event on Lake Travis near Austin, Texas. The contest and award are presented by Eagle Claw. Go to the Eagle Claw Hook Set Award now to vote for your favorite hook set from the tour event at Fort Loudoun-Tellico.
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 the graphic link midway down FLWOutdoors.com’s home page.