Kingfish Tour headed to Atlantic Beach
$300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour event to visit North Carolina Sept. 28-30
ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. – The $1.7 million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour – the most lucrative kingfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Atlantic Beach, N.C., for the circuit’s final regular-season stop, presented by Raymarine, Sept. 28-30. As many as 100 teams will be competing in the tournament, which features a $300,000 cash purse.
Teams of two to five anglers each will fish for a top award of as much as $100,000 cash. The teams will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into the no-entry-fee $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in Biloxi, Miss., Nov. 2-4 for a shot at as much as $150,000.
“The weather will be a big factor. It will probably dictate where and how guys will fish,” said Perry Johnston of Oak Island, N.C., captain of team “Marica-D,” who won this event in 2005. “I think the winning fish will come from the east around the Cape Lookout Shoals area if the weather stays calm. If not, and anglers can’t cross the shoals, the weights will dip and the bite will be really slow. I think it will take a fish in the mid 40s to win this event with good weather. If the wind blows you could see one in the teens or low 20s.”
Johnston also said that most of the field will likely be trolling live pogies or blue-runners over natural rock outcroppings 20 to 25 miles offshore to the east of Atlantic Beach.
“There are four or five different spots over there that will hold fish. It will come down to guys who find the right school,” he added.
Teams will take off from Sea Water Marina located at 400 Atlantic Beach Causeway in Atlantic Beach at 6:30 each morning. Scales open at 3 p.m. and all teams must check-in by 5 p.m. The morning start and weigh-in are free and open to the public. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 300 Highway 24 in Morehead City beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The full field will compete Friday and Saturday then be cut to the top five teams for Sunday. Winners are determined based upon the heaviest kingfish from Friday or Saturday plus the heaviest kingfish from Sunday.
The winning team earns $40,000 cash. If the team captain is the original owner of a Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl or Wellcraft boat that is used during the tournament, the team also receives a $30,000 bonus. Additionally, if the winning captain is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha or Evinrude outboard that is used during the tournament, the team will receive another $30,000 bonus for a total award of $100,000.
Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine final standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship.
Coverage of the Atlantic Beach tournament hosted by the Crystal Coast Tourism Authority will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States Nov. 25 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 429 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 Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.
A limited number of openings are still available in the Atlantic Beach tournament, which has a $1,500 entry fee. Teams may register online at www.flwoutdoors.com or by calling 270-252-1000. Entries will also be accepted during on-site registration Sept. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Crystal Coast Civic Center located at 3505 Arendell St. in Morehead City, N.C.
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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
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 Walmart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.