10. Fantasy football season’s over, and you’re jonesin’ for your fantasy fix.
9. You routinely forget your wedding anniversary, but you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing on Jan. 27, 2001 – the day you heard that David Fritts won his unprecedented fourth FLW title. It’s time to put that level of fanaticism to good use.
8. You already have a cool Internet username in mind – like “bass assassin,” “bucketmouth bill” or “hawg pounder” – and you can’t wait to use it somewhere.
7. You’re just dying to get your hands on one of those stylish FLW Outdoors prize hats.
6. Some of these pro anglers might have beaten you in a tournament somewhere before. Get your revenge by not picking them for your team.
5. Let’s see: You need five pros. You have 200 to choose from in every tournament. Talk about options!
4. Unlike your lottery picks, your FLW pro picks might actually win you something. Better yet, they won’t cost you a dime.
3. You desperately want to own a T-shirt that says, “I won the FLW Outdoors Fishing Challenge and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” *
2. You think you know exactly which pros will finish in the top five at every FLW tournament this year.
1. Fishing dominates your every waking thought, competition stokes your soul, and you’re stuck in front of a computer right now. Is there any other option?
* Not an actual prize in Fishing Challenge; T-shirt doesn’t really exist. Winning contestant must supply own.
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That’s right, FLW fans, the Fishing Challenge is back for its third season. Once again, we’ve received a lot of requests for the contest in the run-up to the 2004 Wal-Mart FLW Tour season opener at Lake Okeechobee. And again, ask and you shall receive, we like to say around here.
The prizes at stake are sweet, especially for a free contest. On the table is a load of fishing tackle, lots of FLW Outdoors swag, a plethora of free FLW Outdoors memberships and more. Back from last year is a grand-prize, all-expenses-paid fishing trip for two with a bona fide FLW Outdoors pro guide. To win that, all you have to do is nail all top five pros at any FLW tournament this season. No problem, right?
That remains to be seen. But what we do know is that, even if you fall short of the top prizes playing against the thousands of other Fishing Challengers at FLWOutdoors.com, you will win unconditional bragging rights if you beat your friends at any given tournament. We think there’s even a bragging-rights addendum in the small print of the contest rules somewhere. So tell your know-it-all friends about the contest and invite them aboard. It’s free, after all.
For the rest of you who don’t consider yourselves bass-fishing know-it-alls, you can still play with ease. To help get you going each tournament, we’re bringing back our own know-it-alls with our new and improved Pundits’ Picks column. Undoubtedly, our writers’ and pros’ misguided but enthusiastic knowledge of the FLW Tour and its anglers ultimately led many Fishing Challengers astray last year, but the column is a good place to start if you have no idea about a particular tourney. This year, writers and pros – each starting the season with a five-man team – will battle each other for bragging rights in the column. Watch as players are culled from each team tournament by tournament, until only a single pundit is left standing to hold the winner’s flag on behalf of his co-conspirators of prognostication. You may even get lucky and learn something from all the pundits’ guesswork. Look for the Pundits’ Picks column to run at FLWOutdoors.com about a week before each FLW tournament.
Other than that, here’s a tip sheet on how to go about playing the Fishing Challenge.
Fishing fans, the 2004 FLW Outdoors Fishing Challenge starts now. Who are you going to pick?
To play the FLW Outdoors Fishing Challenge, click on the “Fishing Challenge” link on the left-hand column of FLWOutdoors.com.