Winning bass pro to claim $500,000 purse
Tune in Sunday, Oct. 1, to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the conclusion of the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Logan Martin Lake in Birmingham, Ala. Watch as co-hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz take viewers through the final weigh-in and award the winning pro angler $500,000, the largest first-place award in professional bass fishing. The one-hour show is the second of a two-part series covering the final event of the $7.6 million FLW Tour season.
Anglers from 28 states and Japan qualified for the championship after competing in six events stretching from Lake Okeechobee in Florida to Lake Champlain in New York. After the two-day opening round, the field is narrowed to 24 pro anglers. Head-to-head competition continues on day three, after which 12 pros advance to the final round on day four. The 12 finalists start from zero and compete for one day to determine the winner.
The Oct. 1 show features Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va. After two days of competition, Dudley finds himself in a familiar position: poised to cash a big check. Earlier this season, Dudley, 30, surpassed $2 million in career winnings, making him the youngest angler to accomplish that feat. He also holds the distinct honor of being the youngest angler to surpass $1 million in career winnings, a milestone he reached in March of 2002 at 26 years of age. Having won the 2003 FLW Tour Championship, Dudley knows what it takes to win on bass fishing’s biggest stage. Learn about his unique fishing philosophy as FSN takes a closer look at this emotional angler.
Fishing fans will also be treated to an all-access feature with Poulan-Weed Eater pro Ray Scheide. The 2006 season has proved to be a breakout year for the Russellville, Ark., angler. Scheide finished fourth in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race and is in contention for the second win of his young FLW Tour career. After two days on Logan Martin Lake, Scheide has caught 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 15 ounces.
The show also recaps the 2005 FLW Tour Championship on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. Competing in front of a hometown crowd, pro George Cochran brought in a winning catch of five bass weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces to win $500,000.
In addition, Gain Rookie of the Year Gabe Bolivar participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Bolivar, of Ramona, Calif., reveals his two go-to baits for unfamiliar lakes and explains how one bait in particular, earned him a berth in the 2006 FLW Tour Championship.
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 an intimate viewing experience.
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 programming guide featuring upcoming events on “FLW Outdoors.”
During each tournament show, “FLW Outdoors” hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz appear on location and 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 more than 350 million households in many countries including 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.
