In his second FLW Tour win of the season, National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., won the FLW Tour event on Lake Ouachita May 29 to help Bruce Norman of San Francisco, Calif. win $5,000 in FLW Fantasy Fishing competition. In a tournament that see-sawed back and forth between local favorites and Western anglers Ehrler prevailed proving that West Coast anglers can compete and win out East.
Norman’s Fantasy Fishing team was led by Ehrler earning him 13,288 valuable points that will continue to accumulate throughout the season. Norman has put himself in great position to win the $50,000 grand prize; with only one FLW Tour stop left he is one step closer to that big $50,000 payday.
“WOW! I hope this carries over into this weekend,” said Norman, who is competing in a tournament on the California Delta in the Future Pro Circuit on Saturday. “I want to be involved in every aspect of fishing and FLW Fantasy Fishing is one way that helps me follow my favorite anglers.”
Norman is an amateur angler himself and follows in particular the Western pro anglers. He likes the versatility of the West Coast anglers and believes that anglers have to be willing to throw anything in order to compete and win. Included on his team, which never changes, are National Guard pro Brent Ehrler and Ishama Monroe. Ehrler is currently in second place in the standings for Angler of the Year and Monroe is in third place in a race that anybody can still win.
Fantasy Fishing players are eligible to register to win a new 2011 Chevy Silverado HD when they sign up to play or sign in to their account at FantasyFishing.com. FLW Fantasy Fishing offers some of the richest prizes in fantasy sports and continues to grow awareness of the sport of professional fishing.
Fantasy Fishing winners are announced after each of the five qualifying FLW Tour stops in the 2010 season. Finishing in second place for this event was Kim Phaff of American Canyon, Calif., $500, and in third was Jason Lewis of Oakgrove, Mo., $100. Several other winners from California to Tennessee to Canada took home prizes ranging from $50 to $25.
Fantasy Fishing players are vying for an overall first place prize of $50,000. Second place will take home $25,000, while the third-place finisher will walk away with Cabela’s Ultimate Fishing Trip, which includes a trip to Lake El Salto in Mexico and a $5,000 Cabela’s gift card. The fourth-place finisher will win a Can-Am ATV valued at $9,699. All prizes for 2010 are guaranteed and will be announced at the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 7 in Atlanta, Ga.
FLW Fantasy Fishing standings after five events:
| 1st: | Jody Wright, Ellenboro, N.C. |
| 2nd: | Elizabeth Little, Whitesburg, Ky. |
| 3rd: | Dennis Burns, Tiffin, Ohio |
| 4th: | Andrew Armstead, Cottonwood, Calif. |
| 5th: | John Fedie, Plymouth, Minn. |
| 6th: | Benny Esquivel, Bakersfield, Calif. |
| 7th: | Brannon Morgan, Collierville, Tenn. |
| 8th: | Jeff Burdick, Oakley, Ill. |
| 9th: | Larry Long, Lincolnton, N.C. |
| 10th: | Roy Marchant, Elkhart, Ind. |
FLW Outdoors offers a unique tool, Player’s Advantage, for armchair anglers who would like to take the plunge into the fantasy sports world. Through this tool you are able to garner additional information including history on the anglers, weather conditions and information regarding the fisheries. In 2008 and 2009, players that had Player’s Advantage won at a rate of 4-to-1 over players that did not access this tool.
In 2010, Fantasy Fishing offers a new and simplified scoring system and selection process. Participants choose the anglers they anticipate having the highest finish in no particular order. Players receive Angler of the Year points as well as bonus points for each angler they have selected in the top 10. Of the 10 selected anglers, each player must choose the angler they think will win the tournament. For a tie-breaker, participants must choose the total weight for the winning angler. For a complete list of rules, visit the FantasyFishing website.
In a continued effort for players to earn thousands of dollars in cash, Fantasy Fishing in 2010 will feature a referral program allowing participants to earn $2 in cash for every FLW Outdoors membership they are responsible for referring and signing up. There are no limits to the amount one can earn in recruiting FLW Outdoors members.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit the FantasyFishing website.By: Julie Huber,
