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Top 53 pros and top 53 co-anglers invade Lake Erie
MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 19, 2007) — Lake Erie is without a doubt the
world’s
best walleye fishery. So it’s only fitting that the world’s best
walleye anglers ended their season-long journey on its bountiful
waters. In late September, Lake Erie hosted the no-entry-fee 2007
Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour Championship.
Tune in Sunday, Dec. 2 to
“FLW Outdoors” on FSN for complete coverage of the four-day
tournament. The stories evolve and the suspense grows throughout the
one-hour show until the final weigh-in results are announced and the
winning pro claims a $150,000 cash prize.
Unlike most tour-level walleye tournaments, the 2007 Walleye Tour
Championship took place in Cleveland, a transition zone from the
western basin to the central basin. While the fishing in Cleveland
is good, it is particularly susceptible to high winds. On day two,
Mother Nature flexed her muscles and produced 6- and 7-foot waves
that made long runs grueling, if not impossible. On day three, the
big pond turned to glass, allowing anglers to run wide open for the
first time.
At the conclusion of day three, BFGoodrich Tires pro Dustin
Kjelden owns a commanding lead after catching a five-walleye limit
that weighed 39 pounds, 3 ounces. To catch his fish, the Brookings,
S.D., native is trolling spinners with night crawlers over a sand
bar near the town of Vermilion, Ohio, three miles from the Canadian
border. When he won the 2005 Walleye Tour qualifier on Devils Lake,
Kjelden stormed back from seventh place. Kjelden also finished
second at the season-opening 2007 FLW Walleye Tour event held on the
Detroit River and Lake Erie. Catching 24 pounds on day four, Kjelden
thought he had his second FLW Walleye Tour win wrapped up. He
ultimately finished second, and now he’s out for some Lake Erie
revenge. Heading into the final day, he’s in the driver’s seat with
a 6-pound, 6-ounce lead.
Currently in second place is FLW Walleye Tour and PWT veteran
Scott Fairbairn. On day three, Fairbairn had to make a major change
in presentation. At noon, with only two fish in the box, the Hager
City, Wis., native switched from trolling crankbaits to trolling
spinners and night crawlers. He pulled the spinners at 1.3 to 1.5
mph along the bottom of the column in water 45 feet deep. The result
was a limit weighing 32 pounds, 13 ounces, good enough for second
with one day of competition remaining. Fairbairn is no stranger to
second place, as he finished as the runner up at the 2006 PWT
Championship on the Missouri River. Fairbairn also finished second
at the 2007 PWT event on Lake Winnebago and third at the 2007
season-opening FLW Walleye Tour event on the Detroit River. While he
would receive a nice payday for second, Fairbairn has his sights set
on his first championship victory.
If this was a contest of who caught the most walleyes throughout
the week, then Folgers pro Dennis Lantzy would likely be the one
with a commanding lead. Catching a plethora of 22- and 23-inch fish,
he instead is third with one day left. After qualifying for the
final round with a two-day total of 10 walleyes weighing 49 pounds,
12 ounces, Lantzy caught a five-fish limit weighing 24 pounds, 1
ounce on day three. Like others, the Warren, Mich., native is
trolling spinners with night crawlers – targeting nomadic walleyes
near the top of the water column. Tune in to see if a kicker can
propel him to the top of the leaderboard and to a first-place prize
of $150,000.
FSN is the industry leader in providing the most up-to-date
technology in TV production. FSN puts viewers in the boats with the
pros, shadowing them from sunrise until the final weigh-in using
innovative camera work that gives fishing fans the most intimate
viewing experience available.
FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sunday mornings. Check local
listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com
also provides an online guide listing upcoming episodes on “FLW
Outdoors.”
FSN is broadcast to more than 81 million homes through its
network of 20 regional sports channels. Established in 1996, FSN is
the only cable network that supplies national, regional and local
sports programming. FSN serves as the cable TV home to 62 of the 82
MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States, and produces more
than 4,500 live events each year. FSN has an extensive catalog of
original national programs, including “Best Damn Sports Show Period”
and “Beyond the Glory” documentary series, along with national
packages of collegiate sports. Based in Los Angeles, FSN is part of
the vast FOX Sports television family. For the latest
up-to-the-minute sports news and opinions, visit the FOX Sports/FSN
website at www.FoxSports.com
.
“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 service men and
women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy
ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.
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 tournament
programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000 |