Tune in Sunday, Nov. 11 to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League Finals held in Moline, Ill., on the Mississippi River. The one-hour show covers the sport’s most prestigious championship for weekend anglers and concludes with the winning boater claiming a Ranger 621 powered by a Yamaha outboard – a package worth $47,500.
Boaters and co-anglers who finished in the top 35 in final points standings in each FLW Walleye League division advanced to this no-entry-fee tournament. Boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired and fish for a combined boat weight, with boaters competing against other boaters and co-anglers competing against other co-anglers. Local regulations restricted anglers to walleyes between 15 and 20 inches with the exception of two walleyes over 27 inches. Saugers were also fair game with only a minimum length limit of 15 inches applying.
Fresh off his first Walleye League victory on Lake Bemidji in July, boater Bill Shimota is back at it on the Mighty Mississippi. After two days of competition, Shimota has a total weight of 14 pounds, 8 ounces and a 1-pound, 7-ounce lead. After catching a five-fish limit weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces on day one, the Lonsdale, Minn., native added three saugers on day two worth 5 pounds, 4 ounces. His primary technique is handlining with crankbaits, a deadly tactic in a muddy river system. Another successful day for Shimota would mean back-to-back victories and new Ranger boat.
Currently in second place with a two-day total of 13 pounds, 1 ounce is Rochester, Minn., angler Dan Krukow. A veteran tournament competitor, Krukow is targeting saugers over sand humps 10 miles south of the launch site. Using lead-core line, he’s trolling jointed crankbaits to entice his strikes.
In third place is Don Marx of Rockford, Minn. Much like Krukow, Marx is trolling jointed crankbaits. But instead of targeting sand humps, Marx is trolling over schools of baitfish in a backwater slough five miles downriver. Presented effectively, his crankbaits are mimicking a crippled shad. Thus far, the plan has worked to the tune of 11 pounds, 11 ounces. This is only Marx’s fifth FLW Outdoors-administered tournament, but he’s finished in the top-10 in four of them. A victory at the League Finals would fittingly put an end to a brilliant rookie season.
FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern time. 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. 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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
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: Dave Washburn, vp comm, FLW Outdoors
