Tune in Sunday, Aug. 24, to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for complete coverage of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour event held on Lake Sharpe in Pierre, S.D. The second tournament of the season concludes with the winning pro claiming a cash prize of up to $100,000. The stories evolve and the suspense grows throughout the one-hour show until the final weigh-in results are announced.
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field competes during the three-day opening round for one of 10 final-round slots based on their three-day accumulated weight. Weights carry over to day four, with the winners determined by the heaviest four-day weight.
After three days of competition, 23-year-old pro Kelly Klemm of Wheaton, Minn., is in command with a total of 15 fish weighing 28 pounds, 12 ounces. The walleyes in Lake Sharpe are both plentiful and aggressive but they’re not exactly big. The fishery is loaded with 16- and 17-inch walleyes, but anything larger is tough to come by. Simply put, this tournament is a game of ounces. On day two, Klemm hit the proverbial jackpot – catching a 29-inch walleye that weighed approximately 8 pounds. That single fish weighed more than most of the five-walleye limits caught in the tournament. Klemm is catching his fish with minnows on 1/4-ounce jigs. His primary area is located 40 miles downstream in the West Bend area, but the kicker came from the main river channel near Pierre. If Klemm can dig in and protect his lead on day four, the prestigious title of FLW Walleye Tour champion will be his.
Holding strong in second place with a three-day total of 26 pounds even is Cannon Falls, Minn., pro Scott Banks. On day three, Banks reeled in a 7-pound, 9-ounce limit – a far cry from his 10 and a half pounds on day two. While Klemm jigs for his fish, Banks is casting glass Shad Raps in shallow water 30 miles south of the launch. Like Klemm, Banks was unable trigger a big bite on day three. But throughout his young career, Banks has had a knack for finding big fish. If he can find one on day four, he could walk away with the first-place purse of $100,000.
Kevin Larkins of Greenwood, Neb., climbed 32 rungs up the leader ladder into third place at the conclusion of the opening round. His 9-pound, 15-ounce limit on day three came largely on the strength of a 3 1/2-pound walleye caught on a Knuckleball jig. With one day of competition remaining, Larkins sits with 25 pounds, 14 ounces. Like Banks, Larkins has been wetting his lines around the Joe Creek area, roughly 35 miles downstream.
Also in contention is walleye legend Ted Takasaki. The East Gull Lake, Minn., pro is making the furthest run of all – traveling 55 miles each way to his primary area near North Bend. Showing the diversity of the Lake Sharpe system, Takasaki is pulling bottom bouncers in 16 to 20 feet of water for the majority of his fish. With his immense talents and years of experience, Takasaki is a threat to win every time he puts his boat in the water.
FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sunday mornings. 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.
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 targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.By: Jeff McCoy, PR dir / FLW Outdoors
