Boat Bling anglers have been challenging their fans to enter the 2015 Boat Bling Beat a Pro, Win a Boat Challenge all season long. Over the past two weeks, all but one Boat Bling pro has announced via social media that they will not be competing against the winning amateur challenger. Boat Bling is pleased to announce that Walmart FLW Tour pro Cody Meyer of Auburn, California, will be competing against the winning amateur challenger Ryan Isaacks of Prairieville, Louisiana.
A closely held secret throughout the 2015 season, nobody outside a small group of Boat Bling and FLW staff were aware of which Boat Bling pro would be fishing in the Beat a Pro, Win a Boat Challenge – a Pro-vs Joe-style tournament in which an amateur angler is paired against a Boat Bling pro following the Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita.
“It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. It still has not sunk in that I won out of everybody that entered,” Ryan Isaacks said.
An avid angler chosen out of thousands of entries, Ryan and his guest will be treated to an all-expenses-paid trip to the Forrest Wood Cup courtesy of Boat Bling and will be provided with behind-the-ropes, VIP access throughout the weekend. On Monday, August 24, while the winner of the Forrest Wood Cup cashes his check for $500,000, Isaacks will face off against Meyer in the Boat Bling sponsored shootout for a cash prize and the chance to win a new Ranger boat.
“Ryan Isaacks is the real star of the Boat Bling Challenge,” said Zack Bale, Director of Operations for Boat Bling Inc. “How often does an everyday fisherman get a chance to challenge a professional to see how they stack up? Ryan will come away from this with an amazing story to pass along to friends and family, and with a little luck, he will tow home a new Ranger boat.”
“The partnership that FLW and Boat Bling have shared for the past two years is the key to bringing such a great contest and brand awareness into reality,” said Patrick Jones, President and CEO of Boat Bling Inc. “On the heels of the biggest fishing event in the world, the Forrest Wood Cup, the energy and momentum could not be higher. We are very proud of our inaugural Boat Bling Beat a Pro, Win a Boat Challenge and look forward to seeing Ryan compete against Cody Meyer.”
Both Isaacks and Meyer will fish out of the same boat in the 6-hour shootout. After a 7 a.m. takeoff and boat inspection by FLW tournament staff, each angler will fish for 3 hours from the front and back of the boat, rotating mid day. At 1 p.m., both anglers will weigh in with a certified scale on the FLW stage, and the winner will be announced.
“Ryan Isaacks is in for a real challenge fishing one on one against Cody Meyer,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “That is the fun of this promotion. It is a great example of how brands build meaningful connections with FLW fans. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Ryan won’t soon forget.”
For further tournament details visit boatbling.net/challenge and follow live updates throughout the tournament on facebook.com/boatbling. Stay tuned to Boat Bling and FLW social media for announcements on what is in store for the 2016 season.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Joe Opager, Director of Public Relations
