SARASOTA, Fla. – The Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series – two of the nation’s top king mackerel tournament circuits – are headed to Sarasota, Fla., for lucrative events offering top awards of $100,000 and $15,000, respectively. As many as 100 teams will compete in the FLW Kingfish Tour event, which features a $300,000 cash purse and runs May 16-18, while as many as 50 teams fish the FLW Kingfish Series tournament, which features a $50,000 purse May 17.
Both events will launch from the Hyatt Regency on Sarasota Bay located at 1000 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota (click here for boundary map, which applies only to Kingfish Series anglers). On Friday and Saturday, teams will take off at 6:30 a.m. and scales will open at 4 p.m. All teams must check in by 6 p.m. On Sunday, teams will take off at 6:45 a.m., and the FLW Kingfish Tour will hold its final weigh-in and awards presentation at the Wal-Mart store located 13140 S. Tamiami Trail in Osprey, Fla., starting at 5 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
In addition to lucrative cash awards, teams fishing the FLW Kingfish Tour are 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. 14-16 for a shot at winning as much as $150,000. Teams fishing the FLW Kingfish Series are also vying for berths into a no-entry-fee championship that will be held in Biloxi Nov. 14-15. The top five teams from each tournament and the top 20 teams (who are not already qualified) from the year-end points standings will advance to the FLW Kingfish Series Championship, which offers a top award of $15,000.
“There’s already been some tournaments out of the Fort Myers area and some places south of Sarasota, and the fishing has been great,” said Nick Parrish of Jacksonville, Fla., captain of the “Team Castrol” boat. “They’ve caught some fish as big as 60 pounds and quite a few in the 50s. The fishing should be just about perfect when we get there.
“I think it’ll take at least a 40-pounder just to make the top-five cut,” Parrish continued. “I think depending on the weather, it will probably take a weight in the 80-pound range to win it. And it could be bigger.”
A limited number of openings are still available in both Sarasota tournaments. The entry free for the FLW Kingfish Series is $500 per team and the entry fee for the FLW Kingfish Tour is $1,500 per team. Teams may register online at www.flwoutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Entries will also be accepted during on-site registration for the FLW Kingfish Tour on May 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency on Sarasota Bay.
Tournament pros aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.
Coverage of the FLW Kingfish Tour stop in Sarasota, hosted by the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program airing July 27. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
The FLW Kingfish Tour will stop in Venice, La., Aug. 15-17 for its second regular-season event, followed by the third qualifying event in Orange Beach, Ala., Sept. 12-14.
The FLW Kingfish Series will stop in Fort Pierce, Fla., June 28 for its second regular-season event, followed by the third qualifying event in Beaufort, S.C., July 26.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
FLW Kingfish Tour awards are based on full fields of 100 boats in qualifying events, and FLW Kingfish Series awards are based on full fields of 50 boats in qualifying events.
(Click here for boundary map, which applies only to Kingfish Series anglers)