KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (April 7, 2010) – The FLW Tour will visit Fort Loudoun/Tellico lakes in Knoxville, Tenn., April 21-24 for the third stop of the FLW Tour circuit. The Fort Loudoun/Tellico lakes event is hosted by the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation and will feature as many as 300 top bass anglers casting for top awards up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.
“Right now, water temperatures are still pretty cool,” said FLW Tour pro Brandon Coulter of Knoxville. “The river’s running about 48 to 50 degrees, so it’s still a little early. The fish haven’t really moved shallow yet, but I really expect fishing to pick up and I expect the fish to go to the bank pretty hard. I think the guys are really going to have a good time.”
Coulter said the moon phase and rising water levels could move fish up shallow to spawn for the tournament. He said contestants who sight fish will do fairly well on the low end of Loudoun and should fare very well on Tellico.
“Right now, for the next two weeks, the jerkbait is going to be your best bet,” Coulter said. “Anything from a Rogue to a Lucky Craft to a (ExtremeLures) Megabass — you can catch them on just about any jerkbait. I would start on the lower sections of the lake in the mornings, because before the sun gets up, the lower sections tend to be clearer. Then you can move up into a little more stained water up towards Concord (Marina) on Fort Loudoun or up into Tellico a little ways as the sun comes up in the afternoon.”
Anglers will take off from Tellico Recreational Area Ramp east of Lenoir City, Tenn., at 7 a.m. each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Tellico Recreational Area Ramp beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Knoxville Convention Center located at 701 Henley St. in Knoxville beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday prior to the final weigh-in from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a Can-Am ATV compliments of the Knoxville News Sentinel and rod and reel combos will be given to the first 300 kids under 14 in attendance on Saturday. The Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, additional information and to register for the ATV, visit http://www.flwoutdoors.com/knoxville/.
The Knoxville Tour event comes on the heels of the first National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship April 10-12 at Fort Loudoun Lake. The National Championship, featuring a $100,000 first-place award, is a three-day nationally televised event hosting the top 25 teams in the country. Daily weigh-ins will be at TRECS Plaza on the University of Tennessee campus located at 2106 Andy Holt Ave., Lot 20 in Knoxville. Country music star Lee Brice will be performing Sunday, April 11 at 3 p.m. at TRECS Plaza prior to the weigh-in. Along with the concert, FLW Outdoors will be hosting the College Fishing Festival, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 10 through Monday, April 12 with activities including the National Guard Challenge, climbing wall and paintball. All activities including the concert are free and open to the public. Fans can also register for cash prizes presented by US Bank.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Atlanta Aug. 5-8 on Lake Lanier.
Coverage of the Fort Loudoun/Tellico lakes tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors,” will air June 6 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.
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