Chevy Open concludes with crowning of pro champion
Tune in Sunday, Sept. 2, to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the conclusion of the $1.5 million Chevy Open on the Detroit River in Detroit, Mich. Watch as FSN takes viewers through the final weigh-in and awards the winning pro angler $200,000. The one-hour show is the second of a two-part series covering the sixth and final qualifying event of the $9.5 million FLW Tour season.
After three days of competition on the bass-rich waters of the Detroit River, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, pro Steve Clapper is looking like the man to beat. Each day the Lima, Ohio, native has caught a hefty five-bass limit of smallmouths on the expansive floor of Lake Erie. Known as the grandfather of offshore fishing, his limit on day three weighed 23 pounds, 3 ounces, giving him nearly a 3-pound lead heading into the final day of competition.
Behind Clapper is Easton, Conn., pro Terry Baksay. Rather than endure 6- and 7-foot waves on Lake Erie, Baksay is wetting his line in Lake St. Clair, dragging tubes and drop-shots in a grassy area in 16 to 18 feet of water. In practice that approach yielded upwards of 70 bass a day.
Also in contention is pro Thomas Moleski of Elkhart, Ind. A Stren Series and Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League veteran, this is Moleski’s first tournament on the FLW Tour and he is excited to have qualified for the final round. Outside of fishing, Moleski is a business manager who owns a company that manufactures ambulances.
FSN also flashes back to the 2001 FLW Tour event held on Lake St. Clair. At that tournament, Chevy pro Larry Nixon claimed his first FLW Tour victory and $200,000 cash.
In addition, Banana Boat pro Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich., participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Vida, a renowned smallmouth angler, gives viewers valuable tips on how to select a new rod.
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 Eastern time. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online guide listing upcoming episodes on “FLW Outdoors.”
FSN is broadcast to 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 more than 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.
“FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 429 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, 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 FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, call (270) 252-1000.
By: Dave Washburn, vp comm, FLW Outdoors
