JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Team Catch and Release, captained by Max Dallorso Jr., of Jamaica, N.Y., caught two striped bass weighing 29 pounds Saturday to win $35,000 at the fifth stop of the Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series in Jersey City, N.J.
“Fishing was tough and we only caught five fish all day,” Dallorso said. “Only those two fell within the slot limit.”
The team, which consists of Luis Dallorso, Jack Cohen and Cliff Kayser slow-trolled parachute jigs to catch the winning limit and capture their second win of the season. Team Catch and Release won the season opener in Oceanside, N.Y., with two stripped bass weighing 33 pounds, 5 ounces in June. To date, they are the only team to accomplish that feat and lead the series with $70,000 in winnings.
“I would really like to thank Wal-Mart and BP for taking the chance and sponsoring a new series,” Dallorso said. “It really means a lot to me and the other striper anglers to be able to compete in a well-organized tournament.”
Team Catch and Release took home a $20,000 first-place cash prize and a $15,000 Yamaha bonus. With their win in Jersey City, Catch and Release will advance to a three-day, no-entry-fee championship in Virginia Beach, Va., Dec. 7-9 for a shot at a top award of $50,000 cash. The top-25 teams from each Striper Series qualifier receive an automatic invite to the championship, which will be televised on FSN (Fox Sports Net).
Rounding out the top five finishers were team High and Tight captained by Steve Cherry of Summit, N.J. (two fish, 28 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,750); team Atlantic Outboard captained by Dan Wood of Waterford, Conn. (two fish, 27 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,050); team Doubled Up Swenson captained by Steve Howell of Paxton, Mass. (two fish, 25 pounds, 3 ounces $700); and Team Trumbiniks captained by Joseph Mustari of Hazlet, N.J. (two fish, 25 pounds, 2 ounces, $613).
The new $1 million FLW Striper Series features seven qualifying tournaments held on Saturdays plus a no-entry-fee $150,000 championship. Teams, ranging in size from two to four anglers each, compete for a guaranteed top award of $20,000 cash in each qualifier and as much as $50,000 cash based on boat and engine bonuses from Hydra-Sports, Seaswirl, Wellcraft, Evinrude and Yamaha. The winning team is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight of two striped bass falling within a 28- to 34-inch slot limit.
The next FLW Striper Series tournaments will be held at Cedar Creek Marina in Milford, Del., Oct. 28; and Gootee’s Marine in Cambridge, Md., Nov. 4.
Entry fees are $450 per team for all entries received prior to the day of registration for each tournament. The entry fee for entries received on registration day for a tournament or on-site during tournament registration is $500 per team. Teams may register online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000.
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 presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.