CYPRESS GARDENS, Fla. – Professional sports may add another millionaire to its ranks Sunday when the $3.6 million Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament draws to a dramatic close live on FOX Sports television.
The 50-man professional and co-angler fields have been trimmed to 10 after three days of fishing on the Winter Haven chain of lakes, and on Sunday, one fortunate angler may wind up experiencing one of professional sports biggest paydays – $1 million – a record award for sport fishing.
Darrel Robertson of Jay, Okla., leads the pro field into Sunday’s final round with Saturday’s catch of three fish weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces. He will, however, have to duplicate his success on Sunday. The 10 finalists start over in the final round, fishing for the heaviest one-day catch to win the Ranger M1 Millennium crown. Should Robertson win the event, he will collect $600,000. If round two runner-up, David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., wins, he will receive $800,000. Jim Bitter of Fruitland Park, Fla., stands to win $1 million if he weighs in the heaviest final round total.
“If I win this, I figure that I can stay in business and raise cattle for five more years,” Robertson said. “I think it’s going to be tough tomorrow, but I like my chances.”
The winning angler in the Co-Angler Division could win up to $210,000. Co-angler Randall Hillyer of Summerville, S.C., landed the heaviest catch on Saturday with 6 pounds, 3 ounces. Should Hillyer win he will collect $190,000.
No matter what the outcome, the largest audience in fishing history will witness the action live on network television as a crew of more than 100 FOX and Intersports production professionals scour 9 miles and 14 lakes on the Winter Haven chain to capture every cast … and catch. Emmy-winning Major League Baseball play by play announcer Joe Buck and former all-star catcher and FOX baseball analyst Bob Brenly will call the action, along with expert commentary from fishing legend and Ranger Boats founder, Forrest L. Wood. Coverage of the event runs from 2:30 to 4 p.m. EST following NFL coverage on FOX Sports.
“Exposing the competitive and entertaining elements of bass fishing to a national television audience on a fall Sunday afternoon will elevate this great sport to unprecedented heights,” says Charles N. Besser, President and CEO of Intersport Inc., a FOX production partner. “This is a property that is sure to be one of the marketing success stories of the next decade and beyond.”
The final Pro weigh-in begins at 3:45 p.m. Sunday at the Lake Eloise Amphitheater, Cypress Gardens, Fla. And the final Co-Angler Division weigh-in begins at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Banyan Area Family Fun Zone, Cypress Gardens. Each Angler is allowed to weigh five bass, which are later released back into the Winter Haven chain of lakes form which they where caught.
The Ranger Millennium champion in the Pro Division is guaranteed $400,000 and could receive an additional $600,000 if he or she meets sponsor bonus requirements. The winner of the Co-Angler Division is guaranteed $150,000 and could win an additional $100,000 in sponsor bonus money. The total purse for the Ranger Millennium M1 could reach $3.6 million with second place finishers in the Pro and Co-Angler Divisions receiving at least $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.
The Family Fun Zone and Outdoor show featuring seminars from pro anglers, an in-water Ranger boat show, a catch and release pond, casting contests, a paintball range, and remote control race cars will be open to the public Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Banyan Area, Cypress Gardens. Discount admission coupons are available at Wal-Mart stores and CITGO dealers.
Sponsors of the Ranger Millennium M1 tournament are Wal-Mart, Ranger Boats, CITGO Petroleum, Evinrude Outboards, Garmin, and Watkins Inc. Associate sponsors are Black & Decker, Coca-Cola, EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights, Land O’ Lakes, Wheaties, Hamburger Helper, Chex Mix, Fujifilm, Uniroyal, Wrangler, Coleman, Chevy Trucks, Fenwick, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Timex, Poulan/Weed Eater, and VISA.
The Ranger Millennium M1, run by Operation Bass Inc., the world’s largest bass tournament organization, is a catch and release event. Operation Bass, headquartered in Gilbertsville, Ky., historically maintains a 98 percent live release rate.