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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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.”
