Virtual Championship 2006: Bracket 3
Opening round – Bracket 3, Moynagh vs. Stricker
Virtual Championship 2006
Opening round – Bracket 3, Moynagh vs. Stricker
Another exciting season of tour-level pro bass fishing drew to a close in record-smashing fashion last week on Lake Champlain, leaving only the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on the horizon before 2006 is etched forever in the history books. FLWOutdoors.com will once again host its own “virtual championship” – a featured daily poll where readers can make their own picks and weigh in on who they think will be crowned champion during the Aug. 2-5 year-ending event on Logan Martin Lake in Birmingham, Ala.
In the days leading up to the championship, FLWOutdoors.com will ask readers to vote on who they think will advance in each of the daily bracket challenges (polls are located on the right-hand side of the FLW Outdoors and FLW Tour home pages). After each day’s votes are tabulated, the virtual championship bracket will be immediately updated to reflect the readers’ choices.
Will fishing fans correctly forecast the winner of this year’s championship? Vote each day to support your favorite qualified angler and to learn more about the 48 pros who will actually compete on Logan Martin Lake for a top prize of $500,000.
Today’s featured bracket matchup: Jim Moynagh (No. 3) vs. Kim Stricker (No. 46)
Jim Moynagh – No. 3 seed: With seven top-10 FLW Tour appearances to his credit and a third-place finish in the 2006 Land O’ Lakes Angler of the Year race, Moynagh is arguably the hottest angler north of the Mason-Dixon Line right now. However, the question is: How will the Minnesota native fare in the Deep South come championship time? If the 2006 season is any indication, the answer almost assuredly is pretty darn well as Moynagh boasts two top-10 performances this year alone in tour venues about as far away from his hometown waters as possible (notably a second-place finish during a stingy Pickwick Lake, Ala., tour stop and an eighth-place finish at Kentucky Lake). If the southern boys decide to take Moynagh lightly, look for the Carver, Minn., native to capitalize. After all, he hasn’t amassed $630,000 in career earnings at FLW Outdoors events by just fishing Lake Minnetonka.
Kim Stricker – No. 46 seed: With one FLW Tour top-10 finish to his credit since 1996 (a third-place finish at the 2001 FLW Tour Okeechobee event) and $127,000 in career earnings at FLW Outdoors events, Stricker probably won’t be among the betting favorites heading into Logan Martin Lake. However, while Stricker isn’t flashy by any stretch, he’s quietly turned in a very yeoman-like performance this season (recording two top-25 finishes and four finishes 53rd-place or better). So, for Stricker, consistency is going to be key – which coincidentally is also extremely important for surviving the bracket-style shootouts that make the FLW Tour Championship one of the most unique formats in the sport of professional bass fishing. And keep in mind, almost every year, a few seeds in the low 40s inevitably turn the tournament upside down. Could this be Stricker’s year to do the same?
Virtual Championship 2006 (click the link for complete details and poll results)
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship 2006 (click the link for more information)
Virtual Championship 2006: Bracket 2 (Each article will provide a link to the prior bracket matchup)