FSN TO AIR CONCLUSION OF FINAL WAL-MART FLW TOUR QUALIFYING EVENT ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Winning bass pro to claim $100,000; championship field to be determined
MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 1, 2006) – Tune in Sunday, Aug. 13, to "FLW Outdoors" on FSN for the conclusion of the $900,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour event presented by Kellogg's on Lake Champlain. Watch as co-hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz take viewers through the final weigh-in and award the winning pro angler $100,000. The one-hour show is the second of a two-part series covering the sixth event of the $7.6 million FLW Tour season. Lake Champlain is the final qualifying event of the season, meaning it is a make or break tournament for several anglers trying to reach the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on Logan Martin Lake. Only 48 of the world's top professional anglers will qualify for the tournament, which awards $500,000 to the winning pro. Two anglers in particular who are on the bubble are Kellogg's pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa., and Castrol pro Carl Svebek III of Siloam Springs, Ark. The Aug. 13 show chronicles the final nail-biting moments for these two pros as viewers get an intimate look at the ups and downs of tournament fishing.
In addition, FSN takes a look back at Shinichi Fukae's remarkable 2006 season. At the season-opening event on Lake Okeechobee, Fukae moved away from the crowd and took first place by employing finesse gear while most pros were flipping heavy mats with big jigs and braided line. At the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake, Fukae again armed himself with finesse gear. The result this time was a limit of bass each day and a first-place check worth $200,000. At Lake Champlain, the Mineola, Texas, resident has been relentless in bringing in huge bronzebacks and the result was yet another top-10 finish. The 2004 Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year also notched a top-10 in the new Wal-Mart FLW Series. Not counting the upcoming FLW Tour Championship, Fukae has already earned more than $360,000 this year alone.
Fishing fans will also be treated to an all-access feature with Banana Boat pro Kevin Vida. After two days of competition on Lake Champlain, Vida sits in eighth place with 10 smallmouth bass weighing 34 pounds, 1 ounce. The FSN crew follows Vida from day three until shortly after the day-four takeoff as he readies himself to compete in the final day of the tournament.
In addition, Bounty pro Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Powers, an FLW Tour veteran with 31 top-10 finishes, demonstrates the best ways for improving casting accuracy.
FSN is the industry leader in providing the most up-to-date technology in TV production. FSN puts viewers in the boats with the pros, shadowing them from sunrise until the final weigh-in using innovative camera work that gives fishing fans the most intimate viewing experience available.
FSN broadcasts "FLW Outdoors" Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon ET. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online show guide listing what events are coming up on "FLW Outdoors."
During each tournament show, "FLW Outdoors" hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz go on location to provide on-the-water coverage. "FLW Outdoors" is tape-delayed to bring audiences nationwide the best tournament footage possible throughout the season.
FSN reaches more than 81 million homes through its network of 20 regional sports channels. Established in 1996, FSN is the only cable network that supplies national, regional and local sports programming. FSN serves as the cable TV home to 62 of the 82 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States, and produces over 4,500 live events each year. FSN has an extensive catalog of original national programs, including "Best Damn Sports Show Period" and "Beyond the Glory" documentary series, along with national packages of collegiate sports. Based in Los Angeles, FSN is part of the vast FOX Sports television family. For the latest up-to-the-minute sports news and opinions, visit the FOX Sports/FSN website at www.FoxSports.com.
"FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast internationally to more than 350 million households in such countries as Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 service men and women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.
