MINNEAPOLIS (March 28, 2007) — The Louisiana Delta is perhaps the Mecca of saltwater fishing in the United States. The Delta’s numerous canals and backwater ponds near the Mississippi River are home to some of the best redfishing on the planet. “FLW Outdoors” will highlight this prolific fishery April 8 on FSN. Watch as the best redfish anglers in the world compete for a first-place purse of up to $50,000 at the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series event in Lafitte, La.
The “FLW Outdoors” saltwater series is a reality-format show told from the anglers’ perspective. Each week the top-five finalists are followed from takeoff to weigh-in, allowing the audience to feel the anglers’ nerves, listen to their strategy and learn from their mistakes. The stories evolve and the suspense grows throughout the one-hour show until the final weigh-in results are announced.
After the second day of competition, two teams share the top spot with a two-day total of 31 pounds, even. Allen Welch of Picayune, Miss., and Robert Warren of Belle Chase, Miss., share the lead with Brett Phillips and Mike Patterson of Rockport, Texas.
Both Welch and Warren are charter guides in the Venice, La., area, so it comes as no surprise that they’re experiencing early success. The two are wetting their lines on the Gulf side of the river, using a Mann’s Baby 1-Minus and Berkley Gulp shrimp in off-colored water approximately 2 feet deep. Tune in Sunday to see if their strategy works on the final day of competition.
After bringing in weights of 15-1 on day one and 15-15 on day two, Phillips and Patterson are in prime position for their first FLW Redfish Series title. With three top-10 finishes in their career, this veteran team is looking to finally seal the deal. Instead of sightfishing, Phillips and Patterson are making long casts to where they know redfish are located. The team is relying on 1/8-ounce Bass Assassin screw-lock jigheads with 3-inch Bass Assassin Slurp paddle-tail shads.
The April 8 show also follows the Culpepper brothers, Jonathan and Kris, from Houston. The two are sitting third with a two-day total of 30 pounds, 13 ounces. The Culpeppers are making a 115-mile run to the west of Cocodrie, La., to catch their fish. The duo has committed to one area, a large bay that features washed away islands and eroded points. Winners of the 2006 FLW Redfish Series event in Port Aransas, Texas, this team knows what it takes to win. FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon ET. 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 Wal-Mart.com .
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
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