Pro winner to claim $1 million check
Tune in Sunday, Oct. 5, to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the conclusion of the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol and BP on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C. Watch as co-hosts Charlie Evans and Jason Harper take viewers through the final weigh-in and awardthe winning pro angler $1 million, the largest first-place award in professional bass fishing.
Thousands of anglers from more than 40 states, Japan, Australia, Canada, Italy, Mexico and Spain have been casting for more than a year to earn a trip to the Forrest Wood Cup. After the two-day opening round, the field has been paired to 10 pro anglers. The 10 finalists start from zero and compete for two days to determine the winner. At the conclusion of day three on Lake Murray, Duracell pro Michael Bennett looks like the man to beat with a 2-pound, 13-ounce lead.
Simply put, Bennett has put on a clinic the last three days, junk-fishing by the seat of his pants. He is demonstrating the art of tournament bass fishing in its purest form, relying solely on his instincts and intuition to fish almost all new water each day and making critical decisions on the fly. So far his approach has worked beautifully, but he is the first to point out that the bottom could fall out at any time. The last two days he has gotten just five or six bites and has made them count. Those bites are coming mostly on a Snag-Proof Frog but he occasionally mixes in a Berkley hand-poured finesse worm. He’s throwing these baits around shaded docks and grass lines. In order to capture the $1 million first-place purse on day four, Bennett will need to capitalize on every precious bite he receives.
In second place with 13 pounds, 4 ounces is Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre. Unlike Bennett, Lefebre is catching roughly a dozen keepers per day. Furthermore, he has purposely saved some prime water just for the final day. In practice, he caught an 8-pound bass from this specific area located up the Little Saluda River. Throughout the tournament, the Erie, Pa., pro has focused on getting a five-bass limit first and then culling throughout the day. On day four, he plans to reverse that strategy and begin by targeting big fish. Thus far, the key to his pattern has been fishing small depressions along the bank with a 6-inch Berkley Powerbait Flippin’Tail worm. He is pitching the Texas-rigged worm to bushes, lay-downs and overhanging branches that coincide with the small depressions.
FLW Tour veteran Terry Bolton of Jonesboro, Ark., is in third place after catching five bass for 10 pounds, 15 ounces. Without a duplicative pattern, Bolton continued practicing on day three. He spends most of his time upriver – focusing on willow trees, grass and any dark spots in the water. To catch those stained-water fish, Bolton uses a frog and a Trick Worm. When he’s on the main lake he fishes a few key docks with a shaky head and a finesse worm.
FSN also flashes back to the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark. The tournament was won by hometown hero Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark. Despite the intense pressure, despite the unbearable heat, despite perhaps a hundred spectators watching him at any given time, the Folgers pro held it together flawlessly. He finished the event with a two-day total of seven bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce and became bass fishing’s first instant millionaire.
In addition, Chevy pro David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Fritts, who won the 1997 Forrest Wood Cup, gives viewers tips on how to fish a crankbait in the summer.
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” Sunday mornings. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area.
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.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
By: Jeff McCoy, PR dir, FLW Outdoors
