CLEWISTON, Fla. – FLW Outdoors remains committed to conservation in 2003 through its partnership with FishAmerica Foundation. At the Wal-Mart FLW Tour season opener on Lake Okeechobee $5,000 was contributed to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which will use the money to purchase fish feeders. The feeders will complement underwater structures called Reef Balls that were purchased through a past FLW Outdoors donation to create an inviting habitat for the lake’s fish.
Fish feeders will be mounted in two locations: one on the north end of the lake at Okeechobee Pier and the other at Pahokee Pier across the lake from Clewiston, Fla., which hosted the FLW Tour event in January. The purpose of the Reef Balls, which act as physical habitat structures, and the feeders, which introduce fish feed, is to attract a higher concentration of fish to improve fishing conditions in targeted areas.
“Lake Okeechobee is a big system,” explained Don Fox, biological administrator with the conservation commission. “What the Reef Balls and feeders do is keep fish in close enough to give people who are not already familiar with the system a place to go and have easy access to fish.”
FLW Outdoors announced its partnership with the FishAmerica Foundation, the conservation arm of the American Sportsfishing Association, in 2000 and has helped raise more than $400,000 for conservation projects over the last two years. The first donation made in 2000 went to Florida’s conservation commission for the Reef Balls. The 2003 donation continues the organizations’ efforts to introduce the next generation of anglers to the sport.
“Our intention in partnering with FishAmerica is to have a positive impact on the fisheries and host cities where our tournaments are held,” said Charlie Hoover, president and CEO for FLW Outdoors. “FLW Outdoors wants to leave the host lake of our tournaments in better condition than when we arrive for both the current and next generation of anglers. This effort on Lake Okeechobee introduces kids and first-time anglers to the sport by increasing their odds of catching a fish, hopefully their first of many, out on the water.”
FLW Outdoors will donate $5,000 for local conservation projects at each of its seven Wal-Mart FLW Tour events as well as at a variety of its other sanctioned tournaments.
FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world’s most lucrative bass tournament series; the EverStart Series, the pathway to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail. FLW Outdoors also manages the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world’s most lucrative walleye tournament series, and the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers.
FLW Outdoors is the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing. Wal-Mart serves as the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors as it has since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and more information about them, please browse this Web site.