June 25 show to highlight $900,000 event; concludes with crowning of co-angler champion
During the month of May, the bass fishing does not get much better than on legendary Kentucky Lake. This year was no exception, and “FLW Outdoors” will highlight the 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake in two parts, the first beginning Sunday, June 25 on FSN. The $900,000 tournament, which was presented by Pedigree, awarded the winning bass pro a cash prize of $100,000.
The June 25 show presents several mini-features with the 10 pros that made the cut after two days of competition. The features include pro Curt Lytle of Zuni, Va.; pro Terry Bolton of Paducah, Ky.; and pro Toshinari Namiki of Mineola, Texas.
Lytle caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 12 ounces to qualify for the final round in the sixth position. Lytle, who has earned more than $270,000 fishing FLW Outdoors events, caught most of his keepers by flipping and pitching the shallows on the lower end of Barkley Lake. Watch as this veteran pro carries this momentum into the final round.
Bolton, who calls Kentucky and Barkley lakes his home water, is undoubtedly the crowd favorite. And to this point, he has been nothing short of spectacular, catching 10 bass during the two-day opening round that weighed 36 pounds, 7 ounces. A renowned deep-water angler, the local pro has made a name for himself by pulling big bass off deep-water ledges. He has no fewer than 25 FLW Outdoors top-10 finishes at Kentucky Lake alone, including victories in Stren Series and Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League competition. In this event, Bolton is relying on a 5/8-ounce homemade jig with a green-pumpkin Zoom chunk trailer, a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait and a 10 1/2-inch Zoom Old Monster worm.
After a stellar year in 2005, a season in which in which he notched four top-10 finishes, Namiki has stumbled a bit in 2006. But on Kentucky Lake, Namiki has found a successful shallow-water jig pattern that works well in the morning and a solid crankbait bite for later in the day. After two days of competition, Namiki has weighed 10 bass for 35 pounds, 11 ounces. However, Namiki’s illustrious FLW Tour career is nearing its end, as he recently announced his plans to return to Japan full-time next year to spend more time with his family.
FSN also flashes back to 2004 when Folgers pro Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., took home $100,000 after winning his first FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake. This time around, Gagliardi struggled on day one but rebounded with a limit weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces, on day two. Heading into the final qualifying event of the season on Lake Champlain, Gagliardi leads the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race by 35 points.
Additionally, pro Ishama Monroe, a native of Hughson, Calif., participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Monroe, a Lowrance-sponsored angler, demonstrates how to use your GPS and depth finder to put more fish in the boat.
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 ET. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online show guide listing what events are coming up on “FLW Outdoors.”
During each tournament show, “FLW Outdoors” hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz go on location to provide on-the-water coverage. “FLW Outdoors” is tape-delayed to bring audiences nationwide the best tournament footage possible throughout the season.
FSN reaches 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 over 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 approximately 350 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, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, 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 exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
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: FLW Outdoors Staff
