BENTON, Ky. – During the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event presented by Pedigree to be held May 10-13 in Benton, anglers and fishing fans will have the opportunity to help restore and preserve Kentucky Lake. At the tournament, the FishAmerica Foundation and Castrol will administer a conservation program through which wristbands will be sold for a minimum of $1 each. The wristbands signify support for the preservation and restoration of America’s great fisheries.
The funds raised at the event will be used to restore and stabilize island No. 2 of the Patterson Islands by armoring the lakeward shoreline with a limestone rock wall. The rock wall will absorb the brunt of wave action that was causing rapid erosion, serving as a barrier to the land behind.
Paul Rister, district fisheries biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said without immediate action the islands would be transformed into barren mudflats with low habitat values. “Theoretically, we’ve lost 20 feet of shoreline in the past 10 years,” Rister said.
Once completed, more than 1,300 feet of shoreline will be stabilized. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources also plans to replant native cypress trees behind the riprap.
“The value to the fish is a shallow-water spawning and nursery habitat. The riprap will provide feeding and staging areas for many sportfish such as sunfish, crappie and catfish. Bass also love those rocks; it will be prime fishing habitat. This area is also a duck haven in the winter time. There’s value to both fish and wildlife and the benefits are long term.”
Rister anticipates the work on island No. 2 to be completed sometime between May and July 1. The timing is critical as the project must be undertaken while the Kentucky Lake water elevation is at 
summer pool.
FLW Outdoors is an organization devoted to giving something back to the communities that host its tournaments. As it has in the past, FLW Outdoors will continue to donate a minimum of $5,000 at each of its seven FLW Tour events in 2006 as well as at a variety of its other tournaments.
FLW Outdoors has also committed to giving $14,000 on behalf of the National Guard and leading FLW Tour pros to the lakes and rivers hosting tour stops in 2006. A $500 donation will be made in the name of the pro leading any given day of a tournament, for a total of $1,500 aiding the host fishery at each tournament. Then a $5,000 donation will be made at the 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship in the name of the pro who led the most days throughout the season.
In 2000, FLW Outdoors announced its partnership with the FishAmerica Foundation, the conservation arm of the American Sportfishing Association. Since then, FLW Outdoors has directly donated more than $285,000 and helped to 
generate more than $1.7 million for local conservation projects.
“It’s our job to ensure that we leave a fishery in better condition than when we arrive,” said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “We do this by maintaining an extremely high live-release rate and by contributing funds for conservation efforts in the host cities where our tournaments are held. Our long-term relationship with the FishAmerica Foundation demonstrates our commitment to continually improving America’s finest waters.”
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, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.9 million through 241 events in 2006. FLW Outdoors also recently announced the addition of a striped bass circuit, which will debut this summer.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.