09-19-2007, 03:10 PM
TRI-CITIES, Wash. - The $10 million Wal-Mart FLW Series will visit the Columbia River in Tri-Cities, Wash., Sept. 19-22 for its third National Guard Western Division tournament of the season. Hosted by the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, the tournament will feature as many as 400 top bass anglers from 17 states, Canada and Japan casting for top awards of $125,000 in the Pro Division and $25,000 in the Co-angler Division.
"I'm going into this tournament with the intent of fishing my strengths," said pro Michael Rooke of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., who won the FLW Series Western Division's California Delta event in March. "I'm going to try to avoid relying too much on what I've heard. Of course, I'll take advantage of some of the local knowledge and put it to use with my own style."
Rooke said anglers will rely heavily on drop-shot rigs to catch their limits, as well as Carolina rigs and topwater baits. He added that the majority of anglers will be fishing around rock piles and ledges in the river in current.
"I'm going to fish techniques that I'm comfortable with," Rooke said. "I'm going to try and finesse fish and hopefully catch five fish every day. I think if somebody could put together a solid limit of fish every day, they're going to have a very good shot at winning this tournament.
"Like anywhere else, there are community holes in the Columbia River," Rooke added. "But if a person could find his own fish that will last for four days, that person will have a very good chance at winning."
Rooke said anglers will need 32 to 33 pounds to make the cut after the first three days of fishing, with the winner bringing 45 to 50 pounds to the scales.
"There are some really big 5- and 6-pound smallmouth in the river, and the person who catches one of those every day is the guy who will have a really good shot at winning," Rooke said.
Anglers will take off from Columbia Point Marina located at 660 Columbia Point Drive in Richland, Wash., at 6:30 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2801 Duportail St. in Richland beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday's weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Wal-Mart. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include the Fujifilm trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.
The entire field competes for the first three days of FLW Series events. Co-angler winners are determined on day three based on the heaviest accumulated three-day weight. The top 10 professionals continue competition on day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.
In FLW Series competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The total purse for the Columbia River tournament is $1 million, including $10,000 through 50th place and $2,000 through 75th place in the Pro Division. Ultimately, all anglers in the tournament will also be competing for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the BP East-National Guard West Fishoff and a shot at advancing to the $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million - the sport's biggest award.
Coverage of the Columbia River FLW Series tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television program airing Nov. 18. "FLW Outdoors" airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast internationally to approximately 350 million households in Europe, Africa and Asia, making it the most widely distributed weekly fishing program in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 servicemembers 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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
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 Walmart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
"I'm going into this tournament with the intent of fishing my strengths," said pro Michael Rooke of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., who won the FLW Series Western Division's California Delta event in March. "I'm going to try to avoid relying too much on what I've heard. Of course, I'll take advantage of some of the local knowledge and put it to use with my own style."
Rooke said anglers will rely heavily on drop-shot rigs to catch their limits, as well as Carolina rigs and topwater baits. He added that the majority of anglers will be fishing around rock piles and ledges in the river in current.
"I'm going to fish techniques that I'm comfortable with," Rooke said. "I'm going to try and finesse fish and hopefully catch five fish every day. I think if somebody could put together a solid limit of fish every day, they're going to have a very good shot at winning this tournament.
"Like anywhere else, there are community holes in the Columbia River," Rooke added. "But if a person could find his own fish that will last for four days, that person will have a very good chance at winning."
Rooke said anglers will need 32 to 33 pounds to make the cut after the first three days of fishing, with the winner bringing 45 to 50 pounds to the scales.
"There are some really big 5- and 6-pound smallmouth in the river, and the person who catches one of those every day is the guy who will have a really good shot at winning," Rooke said.
Anglers will take off from Columbia Point Marina located at 660 Columbia Point Drive in Richland, Wash., at 6:30 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2801 Duportail St. in Richland beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday's weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Wal-Mart. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include the Fujifilm trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.
The entire field competes for the first three days of FLW Series events. Co-angler winners are determined on day three based on the heaviest accumulated three-day weight. The top 10 professionals continue competition on day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.
In FLW Series competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The total purse for the Columbia River tournament is $1 million, including $10,000 through 50th place and $2,000 through 75th place in the Pro Division. Ultimately, all anglers in the tournament will also be competing for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the BP East-National Guard West Fishoff and a shot at advancing to the $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million - the sport's biggest award.
Coverage of the Columbia River FLW Series tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television program airing Nov. 18. "FLW Outdoors" airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time. "FLW Outdoors" is also broadcast internationally to approximately 350 million households in Europe, Africa and Asia, making it the most widely distributed weekly fishing program in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 servicemembers 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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
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 Walmart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.