NAPA, Ca. – If there is one thing Future Pro Tour anglers can all agree on it’s that it has been a very long winter. And, with the holidays over and the worst of the cold weather now behind us, you can best believe that the legion of Future Pro Tour anglers already pre-signed for Saturday’s 2008 season opener on Lake Berryessa will have their rods dusted off, with new line spooled on every reel, ready to rumble.
And while we give due honor to our reigning 2007 FPT Classic champions and Anglers of the Year… that was then… and this is now. All points have now been reset to zero, and every team will start fresh, and on the same level, with all teams being given an equal chance at proving their angling skills in what will be, without question, the most competitive field of amateur anglers in the west.
Lake Berryessa will offer – as usual, a bonanza of staging largemouth’s, smallmouth bass that are either spawning or in spawning mode, and a gang of hyperactive spotted bass that are just flat out hungry. The last five FPT season openers have proven this to be a fact as just about every team that participates in the opening event usually catches several limits of bass and there is ALWAYS someone that brings in a monster largemouth that tops the 12 pound mark.
In fact, during last year’s opener on Lake Berryessa, Jason Milligan set a tournament record by landing a swimbait fish that weighed an unbelievable 14.89 pounds – one of the biggest bass ever caught in organized competition! So who knows what this Saturday’s opening event will bring!
“I’m ready to do this”, stated Jose Soto of Santa Rosa, clearly excited about opening day. I can’t watch any more TV shows, how-to shows, or anything else. I’ve got my gear ready, I know what I want to do, and I will be more focused that ever before come Saturday”, he added.
And for you that always wanted your 15 minutes of fame, this opening event will be televised and aired Saturday, April 5th, on Comcast Sports at 9:00am, so get a shave, haircut and iron your sponsor shirts for SHOWTIME! The team that wins this event will be featured on a special segment of the TV show called “FPT Champions Corner”, and will also be featured guests on the popular “Ultimate Bass” radio show hosted by noted pro angler Kent Brown.
West Marine will again provide an Angler Support Services boat manned by Ranger pro-staffer and FLW touring pro Charley Almassey, to provide on-the-water support for those that may need emergency assistance. This year’s Tour will also feature an 80% - plus payback, with the guarantee that if you earn a check you will receive twice your basic entry fee!
We will also feature great out-of-the-money prizes such as batteries, reels, gas cards, and will continue our Ranger Cup bonus program which awards Ranger boat owners in the Ranger Cup program an extra $400 dollars if they win a Future Pro Tour event, and $200 dollars if they are the highest finisher – regardless of the year of their boat!
On Friday, the evening prior to the event, we will host our traditional and optional pre-registration seminar, where one of the west’s top bass professionals that specializes in fishing Lake Berryessa will share information on how to pattern fish and give those that need it, “hands on” instruction on how rig the baits that work best on the lake. Those that attend the seminar will enjoy a free raffle, where we will give away lots of premium tackle plus a Humminbird fish finder worth $400 dollars!
If you haven’t yet signed up for this event…it’s not too late. Late signups will be taken the morning of the event from 4:00am -6:30am at the Spanish Flat Marina store. If you are new to the Tour, or just want to try it out, we offer a limited membership fee of $5 per person…, so what are you waiting on?
Get your gear together and join us for what will certainly be the most exciting event of the year!
See you all there!
FPT
If you need more information about this event please call 916-768-0938 or visit our website at www.futureprotour.net.
Advertising