TIERRA VERDE, Fla. – The $1.9 million Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series – the most lucrative redfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Tierra Verde, Fla., Feb. 23-25 to kick off the 2006 season. Up to 150 teams will be competing in the Eastern Division tournament, which features a $200,000 cash purse.
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 Pensacola, Fla., Oct. 19-21 for a shot at as much as $100,000.
“The redfish won’t be real aggressive, but it should be a good tournament,” said pro Bryan Watts of Lithia, Fla., who, along with his brother, Greg Watts of Eagle Lake, Fla., ranked first in the Eastern Division points standings in 2005. “I don’t think the water is as cold as it was this time last year, so it’s going to be a toss-up as whether to stay close or run far. The fish won’t be everywhere. It should bring out the cream of the crop from the field.”
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. each morning from Tierra Verde Resort Marina located at 200 Madonna Blvd. in Tierra Verde. Weigh-ins on day one and day two will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Day three’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 3501 34th Street S. in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The full field will compete Thursday and Friday, and the top five teams, based on heaviest accumulated weight from the first two days, will compete on Saturday. Two redfish may be weighed in per team, per day. The winning team will be determined by the heaviest combined weight from Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The winning team earns $25,000 cash, based on a full field. If a member of the winning team is the original owner of a Ranger, Champion, Wellcraft or Hydra-Sports boat that is used during the tournament, the team will also receive a $12,500 bonus. Additionally, if a member of the winning team is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha outboard that is used during the tournament, the team 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 team standings. One hundred and fifty points are awarded to the winners, 149 points for second, 148 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.
Openings are still available for this event. Entry fees are $750 per team. Anglers may register by going to FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Entries will also be accepted on site at tournament registration, which will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn – Sunspree Resort located at 6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane in St. Petersburg.
Coverage of the FLW Redfish Series Tierra Verde event will be broadcast March 26 to 78 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern time. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 300 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 servicemembers stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard naval 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 Redfish Series, as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.9 million through 241 events in 2006.
For more information on FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com 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 world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.