INGLEWOOD, Fla. – The $1.9 million Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series – the most lucrative redfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Charlotte Harbor July 22-23 for the Eastern Division’s third event. With 150 competing teams, the tournament has the largest field in the history of professional redfishing and features a $200,000 cash purse.
“Response to the new Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series has been tremendous,” said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “Redfishing has become very popular in recent years, and the number of anglers participating in the FLW Redfish Series proves that there was a strong demand for a top-notch professional redfish circuit.”
Anglers, competing in two-man teams, will fish for a top award of as much as $50,000. Competitors will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into the no-entry-fee $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship in Mobile, Ala., Oct. 27-29 for a shot at as much as $100,000.
Anglers will arrive for the tournament about the time the redfish begin to school in large groups. According to pro Geoffrey Page of Venice, most anglers will be fishing shallow water around grass flats and oyster bars. “Late July is when the fish really gang up in schools of 100 or more, and it will make for some great fishing and photography,” Page said. He expects about 30 percent of the field to run north to Tampa and the other 70 percent will run south to Charlotte Harbor. Page thinks there will be loads of redfish caught, and it will take 14 pounds a day to even be in contention.
Stump Pass Marina in Inglewood will host daily takeoffs and weigh-ins at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Teams will compete for two days to determine the winner based on accumulated weight.
The winning team earns $25,000 cash. If a member of the winning team is the original owner of a Ranger, Champion, Aquasport or Wellcraft boat, or a Hydra Sports 1900, 2000 or 2300 Bay Bolt that is used during the tournament, the winners also receives a $12,500 bonus. Additionally, if a member of the winning team is the original owner of a Yamaha outboard that is used during the tournament, the winners also receives a $12,500 bonus from Yamaha for total award of $50,000.
Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams from each of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series’ two divisions – Eastern and Western – will advance to the championship.
Each Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Division features four regular-season tournaments.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour.
For more information on FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse this Web site or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.