DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 28, 2008) – FLW Outdoors® announced today that the Quad Cities and the Mississippi River will play host to the $1 million Wal-Mart™ BFL All-American presented by Chevy next year. The prestigious championship, which annually shines an international media spotlight on the nation’s best weekend anglers, will be held May 28-30, 2009.
The Quad Cities area is no stranger to FLW Outdoors events, having hosted a number of tournaments in the past, including the 2007 FLW Walleye League Finals, 2005 and 2004 FLW Walleye Tour Championships, 1998 Forrest Wood Cup and numerous regular-season BFL events.
“In terms of prestige, this is one of the biggest events that FLW Outdoors hosts,” said Joe Taylor, president and CEO of the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. “FLW Outdoors has again selected the Quad Cities because of our world-class meeting venues, the Mississippi River, the hospitality provided by the community and the wonderful working relationship developed among FLW Outdoors, the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Quad Cities in hosting several successful events over the last 10 years.”
In addition to incredible fishing, the All-American will feature a Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show with children’s rod and reel giveaways and a Ranger boat giveaway on the final day of competition.
The three-day show will be held at the RiverCenter located at 136 E. 3rd St. in Davenport, Iowa. The Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show will open at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 28 and Friday, May 29. On Saturday, May 30, the show will open at noon. Daily takeoffs will be conducted at Sunset Marina in Rock Island, Ill., and weigh-ins each day will be held at the RiverCenter at 3 p.m. The Ranger boat winner will be drawn from the crowd during the final weigh-in. Admission and all activities are free.
Prior to the event, Team Chevy will be in town for Chevy Pro Night at a local Chevy dealership from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27. The team, consisting of Jimmy Houston, Larry Nixon, Luke Clausen, Kim Stricker, Dion Hibdon, Sondra Rankin and David Fritts, has accumulated 34 tour-level victories and earnings of more than $8.1 million. Additionally, Hibdon, Clausen and Fritts are three of only five anglers in the history of the sport to have won both the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic.
Coverage of the All-American will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “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.
Because BFL competitors are weekend anglers and not pros, the All-American and its lucrative cash awards and international media exposure present a unique opportunity for qualifiers who will be fishing for top awards of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Additionally, the winning boater and winning co-angler will advance to the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol, where pros will compete for as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.
Each year more than 37,000 BFL anglers and 20,000 TBF anglers nationwide compete in the hope of becoming one of just 54 boaters and 54 co-anglers who qualify for the All-American and fish for a share of $1 million. But tournament anglers 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 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.
As the nation’s leading weekend tournament circuit, the $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and its 28 divisions nationwide are widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. The BFL also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series™, Wal-Mart™ FLW® Series and ultimately the FLW Tour.
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, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.
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