Home > Outdoors
FLW presser moved from Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FLW Outdoors’ plan to announce the $1 million winner its FLW Fantasy Fishing contest this week in Atlanta has been changed.
The Thursday press conference, originally scheduled for Centennial Olympic Park, will now be held the same day in Columbia, S.C., which hosted last weekend’s Forrest Wood Cup.
Citing Tropical Storm Fay’s potential impact on Atlanta and the community support during last week’s tournament, FLW decided the last-minute venue change was needed.
The $1 million being awarded in the fantasy fishing conest is the largest payoff in fantasy sports.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment |
Calif. pro cashes in at FLW tourney
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
California angler Michael Bennett became bass fishing’s second instant millionaire Sunday by winning the FLW Tour’s Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Murray, S.C.
The $1 million top prize increased Bennett’s career FLW earnings by 250 percent. He has earned $1.4 million on the circuit. The tournament offered $1 million to its winners for the second consecutive year.
“This hasn’t sunk in at all,” Bennett told reporters Sunday. “I mean, I’m excited and have an unbelievable feeling inside, but overall it hasn’t sunk in. It’s incredible.”
Bennett, whose pre-tournament game plan was thrown out by heavy rains in the days before the event began, said he targeted clear, shallow water featuring structure or grass. His bait of choice was a dual-hook frog lure made by Snag Proof.
The Lincoln, Calif., pro caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 24 pounds, 15 ounces in the final two rounds, in which the field of 77 anglers was pared down to 10. That total was five pounds heavier than the nearest competitor.
Bennett said he had run out of new water to fish in the final day and was going to have to repeat some water he had already covered. He caught four fish weighing 8-14 on Sunday.
“I really thought I was going to need at least 10 pounds today to win,” Bennett said. “It was a struggle today and it started to get to me a little bit.”
Second-place Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa., had a two-day total of 19-12 and won $100,000.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were Terry Bolton of Jonesboro, Ark., (10 bass, 19-09, $75,000): Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C., (nine bass, 16-09, $60,000); Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich., (nine bass, 15-14, $50,000); Dion Hibdon of Stover, Mo., (eight bass, 13-08, $45,000); Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., (seven bass, 13-03, $40,000); Brian Travis of Conover, N.C., (five bass, 11-01, $35,000); Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., (six bass, 10-00, $30,000) and Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore., (five bass, 6-10, $25,000).
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment |
A million dollars for catching bass?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The $1 million top prize in this week’s Forrest Wood Cup bass tournament in South Carolina would buy a whole lot of hooks, line and sinkers, but Mark Hardin, a Jasper residents who is in the field of 77 qualifiers, says he’s not getting caught up in the money talk.
“For me, a million dollars would be the opportunity to have security for my family,” he said. “My faith in God and family is what it’s all about for me.
“I’m tickled just to be able to fish in the tournament. This is my first time in a million-dollar tournament. Everyone who made it is very capable of pulling it off.”
The $1 million, offered for the second straight year on the season-ending tournament on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, is the largest payout in professional fishing and is in line with winnings offered in mainstream sports. First place in the Masters golf tournament, for example, earns $1.3 million.
The big money in pro fishing’s highest levels (FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series all offer at least six figures to the winners of their tournaments) continues to show the commitment the sport gets from organizers and sponsors.
What Ray Scott started with BASS nearly 40 years ago, FLW head Irwin Jacobs has furthered with FLW. Jacobs took over Operation Bass over a decade ago and turned it into a bass-fishing giant.
“Without Irwin Jacobs and his vision, I don’t think bass fishing would be at this level,” Hardin said.
His vision apparently includes connecting with metro Atlanta anglers. Next Wednesday, Jacobs will be in Atlanta for a press conference to announce FLW’s Fantasy Fishing winner, who will get $1 million, the largest payoff in fantasy sports gaming. With that presser so soon after the Forrest Wood Open, and the fact that the host city for the 2009 Cup has yet to be announced, you have to wonder if there’ll be more to announce Wednesday.
Hardin, who is not privvy to FLW deelings in the front office, says he’d love to see big-tournament fishing return to metro Atlanta. The last time FLW was here was two years ago at Lake Lanier, Hardin’s home lake
“Eventually. FLW will have somethign back at Lanier. It’s just a matter of time. I know they want to come back.”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment |
Hot spots: Aim high for mountain trout
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Trout anglers should aim high to find fishable streams in the North Georgia mountains, says the Georgia DNR.
The best bets right now, if you are looking for smaller streams is to high higher-elevation streams.
Drought conditions have limited where and when trout can be stocked, due to high water temps and low stream flow.
Here are some streams to consider: Wildcat Creek (Rabun County), Cooper Creek (Union County) and Rock Creek (Fannin County). They are getting warm, but are still cool enough to be stocked.
Of course, if you wanrt to have cold water and enough flow, try a tailwater. The Chattahoochee below Buford Dam is an obvious choice, but don’t overlook the tailwater below Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County.
Updated fishing reports as of Aug. 6:
LAKE ALLATOONA
Stripers/hybrids: No change at Allatoona, which is a great thing. Guide Robert Eidson (First Bite Guide Service) says clients have been catching 20 to 35 fish on four-hour trips. Pick a main-lake point, start in about 20 feet of water and start working out with your downlines. The fish are setting up 18 to 24 feet deep, but they might be suspended over a deeper bottom..
The umbrella rigs are producing, too, but bites on topwater and flatlines are nonexistent. The south end of the lake is the key. If you’re fishing within sight of the dam, you’re in a good area. Fish from Clear Creek to the south, and into Allatoona Creek to about the railroad trestle at the southern end of Allatoona Landing.
LAKE LANIER
Stripers: Downlining in 50 to 60 feet is the best move, according to guide Doug Youngblood Use a 2-ounce sinker, with a No. 2 circle hook baited with live herring. Spool your reel with 20-pound test, and tie on a 7-foot leader of 15-pound flourocarbon. Look south of Brown’s Bridge. If you troll, use lead core line with 1-ounce bucktails.
Bass: Move out to brushpiles in 20-22 feet for the best spotted bass bite.
If you have a tip or report, please share.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment |
Big payoff not just a fantasy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The FLW Outdoors folks announced Wednesday that the $1 million winner of its online fantasy bass fishing game will be released during an Atlanta press conference on Aug. 21.
In case you didn’t know, in FLW fantasy fishing, players pick a team of pros on the FLW Tour. Based on the anglers’ successes in tournaments, a fantasy “owner” can win prizes and money. The contest awards $100,000 to the winning team after each of seven FLW Your events. The fantasy player with the most points after the season wins $1 million.
With live music, free giveaways and a fleet of bass-fishing rigs as a backdrop, the organization will make the announcement at an 11:30 a.m. presser at Centennial Olympic Park.
The announcement will come days after the Wal-Mart FLW Tour concludes its 2008 season on Lake Murray near Columbia, S.C., with the Forrest Wood Cup, which also awards $1 million to its winner.
“Atlanta is the perfect place to crown our first FLW Fantasy Fishing champion,” FLW head Irwin Jacobs said in a press release. “It’s a world city located in the heart of bass country.”
That makes sense. After all, the world-record largemouth bass was caught in Georgia. Most of the nearly 1 million anglers in Georgia fish for bass. Lakes Allatoona and Lanier, despite the growth striper fishing in both places, are each considered quality spotted bass lakes and both are among the most-visited U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs in the country.
And, of course, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s Go Fish Georgia initiative, designed to bring more attention to fishing in the state, wants to attract more pro fishing.
Which gets me to wonder something. The 2009 Forrest Wood Cup hasn’t been announced yet and the whole FLW crew, including Jacobs, will be in Atlanta on Aug. 21. Will this be more than fantasy fishing?
Latest comments
guit ryjekfgdl cuklye mshzpdfj gsywbqhka fbnphmj pjzbcoh... read the full comment by zxuoqmseb prqsy | Comment on Pending world record at Lanier Read Pending world record at Lanier
guit ryjekfgdl cuklye mshzpdfj gsywbqhka fbnphmj pjzbcoh... read the full comment by zxuoqmseb prqsy | Comment on Pending world record at Lanier Read Pending world record at Lanier
guit ryjekfgdl cuklye mshzpdfj gsywbqhka fbnphmj pjzbcoh... read the full comment by zxuoqmseb prqsy | Comment on Pending world record at Lanier Read Pending world record at Lanier
guit ryjekfgdl cuklye mshzpdfj gsywbqhka fbnphmj pjzbcoh... read the full comment by zxuoqmseb prqsy | Comment on Pending world record at Lanier Read Pending world record at Lanier