MINNEAPOLIS – In their first year as a team, Tadd VanDemark of Key Largo, Fla., and Kevin Shaw of Corpus Christi, Texas, won the 2007 Land O’Lakes Western Division Team of the Year award on the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.
The team accumulated 584 points over four qualifying events, and those points qualified the team for the no-entry-fee 2007 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship in Orange Beach, Ala., Oct. 18-20.
VanDemark and Shaw started their 2007 season with a seventh-place effort in Lafitte, La. At the next event, held in Port Aransas, Texas, the team landed a first place finish. They stayed in the top 10 in the final two events of the Western Division season, placing fifth in Cocodrie, La., and seventh in Rockport, Texas.
“This has been a dream,” said VanDemark, the 2006 FLW Redfish Series Champion. “I started fishing the FLW Redfish Series when it was created, and I was fortunate enough after my second year to win the championship. I thought that was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I knew there was more out there. This year, Shaw came on as my team member and our goal was to be Team of the Year. We worked hard, spent a lot of days away from home, and we succeeded. We work very well together and plan to be a team for many years to come.”
Although this is the first year for VanDemark and Shaw to compete as a team, they have been fishing together for years. Shaw prefished with VanDemark when his partner was unable in previous years. They both are also involved in their communities.
“It’s been tough all year long. The competition hasn’t been easy,” VanDemark said. “The Culpepper brothers came in second in the points race and are a quality team. Basically, it’s been a war all year between the two teams. We are going to stay focused and practice hard for the championship. Hopefully, we will come out on top.”
The Land O’Lakes Team of the Year title is determined by the total accumulated points from four regular-season events. One hundred fifty points are awarded for a win, 149 for second, 148 for third, and so on.
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, call (270) 252-1000.