FLIPPIN, Ark. (September 24, 2010) – Partners Kavin Trudeau and Lorne Sugrue surprised a few people at the 15th annual Renegade Bass Series Classic with the 10-fish, 39.44 lb stringer they brought to the scales during the two-day event. But nothing prepared the Canadian anglers and Stratos Boats loyalists for what the first-place finish would bring.
The team’s 2-day limit – comprised almost entirely of largemouth caught in a predominantly smallmouth fishery – was good enough for the first-place prize of a new, fully rigged Ranger 198VX awarded during the September 11-12 event. Plus, with the Stratos 2X loyalty program, which doubles first-place winnings up to $10,000, Trudeau also added the maximum program payout – the largest single payout in Stratos’s 2X program history, resulting in a very lucrative weekend on the water for the local tournament angler.
“I was thrilled to win a new boat,” Trudeau said. “I’m new to the Stratos 2X program and really didn’t know what to expect. When I won the boat, since it’s worth a lot more than $10,000 and wasn’t a cash prize, I wasn’t sure if the payout would apply to us. But the program makes no distinction between cash prize or prize boat. The whole experience with 2X has been incredible. To win a championship, a boat and 2X money in the same tournament – you just don’t get many weekends like that.”
Working by day for Stratos dealer Orleans Boat World in Ottawa, Ontario, Sugrue is a longtime participant in Renegade Bass Series tournaments. Fishing during competitions from Kavin’s 2X program-eligible 2009 Stratos 201XLE and doing a bulk of their pre-fishing from an earlier model Stratos 285XL, the team had trouble locating a consistent bite in the days leading up to the championship event. As a last resort, Lorne and Kavin looked to an often-overlooked area of the fishery with much better protection from wind and weather – and the decision was key. In the end, the area yielded two limits of largemouth bass in two days, the only largemouth weighed in during the tournament.
“You never know what you might overlook when you’re out there on the water. Any little thing could be something that will help you locate the fish and luckily we happened to find it in a place where no one else thought to look,” Trudeau said. “The Stratos 2X program is kind of the same way. There are some people out there who love to compete in tournaments like these but they’re not participating in these loyalty programs. It’s easy to do and, for me, it’s the best of both worlds: I can fish from my favorite boat and have the chance to add money to my winnings that will help me fish even more tournaments.”
Since its inception in 2008, the Stratos Boats 2X program has rewarded Stratos owners with tens of thousands of added dollars, doubling first-place tournament winnings from any qualified tournament up to $10,000. This loyalty incentive provides fuel and additional resources to keep Stratos owners actively pursuing their passion for local and regional tournament fishing.
With no signup fee or membership dues to pay, the Stratos 2X program is available for the 2010-2011 tournament season to owners of any 2009-2011 model Stratos boat and makes no restrictions on individual models or motor pairings. Anglers need only complete an affidavit within 30 days of a first-place finish in a qualified tournament and Stratos Boats will double the winnings by matching the first place prize – regardless of how many qualified tournaments an angler wins during the year.
For more information on the Stratos Boats 2X contingency program, to get your tournament added to the qualifying tournament list or to find a list of qualified tournaments go to www.stratosboats.com.
ABOUT STRATOS
Stratos Boats, are built with 100 percent composite construction to provide maximum performance and comfort. Every Stratos Boat is backed by a limited lifetime warranty on the hull. Each boat is produced with a premium-quality, gel-coat finish made to withstand the elements. Stratos, Champion and Elite are registered trademarks.
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