HENDERSON, N.C. (June 15, 2006) - Pro Curt Tindall of Brandon, Vt., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 8 ounces to lead day two of the Stren Series Northeast Division season-opening event on Kerr Lake. Pros are competing for as much as $64,500 and valuable points that could qualify them for a trip to the $1 million Stren Series Championship for a shot at $140,000. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the Stren Series Championship will also earn a spot in the new $2 million 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Ranger owners' tournaments and The Bass Federation for bass fishing's first $1 million top award.
"Today was beautiful. It was raining sideways yesterday, but today it was sunny and hot," Tindall said. "But it slowed my morning bite down quite a bit. I had a good morning bite yesterday, but I didn't get bit until about 8 o'clock today.
"I've most been hitting rocky main-lake points with Carolina rigs, fishing from shallow to deep and getting bit somewhere in the middle," Tindall continued. "There are lots of stumps and brush piles out there and several fish have come off those."
Tindally has been fishing his Carolina rigs with a small plastic worm, the exact make and color of which he chose to keep to himself. "I probably caught eight keepers today, and by 11:30, I knew I had enough to make the cut, so I just sat back and tried to help my co-angler. I think I've got enough fish to last the rest of the way through."
Rounding out the top five pros are Mark Burgess of Norton, Mass. (10 bass, 31 pounds, 7 ounces); Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. (10 bass, 30 pounds, 1 ounce); Tim McDonald of Hagerhill, Ky. (10 bass, 29 pounds, 9 ounces); and Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C. (10 bass, 28 pounds, 11 ounces).
Michael Beebe of Conneautville, Pa., earned $725 as winner of the big-bass award in the Pro Division, thanks to a 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth.
Gary Love of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 3 ounces.
"I've fished on both ends of the lake," Love said. "I fished with Jerry Cross yesterday and Cavin Young today. We've been fishing rocks, mostly with spinnerbaits, but I have caught a few on worms as well."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Chet Beam of Apex, N.C. (nine bass, 22 pounds, 14 ounces); Brent Nelson of Acworth, Ga., (eight bass, 20 pounds); Phillip Eakes of Bahama, N.C. (seven bass, 19 pounds, 8 ounces); and Greg Lineberry of Galax, Va. (nine bass, 19 pounds, 8 ounces).
Bobby Piner of Prince George, Va., earned $245 as winner of the big-bass award, thanks to a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass.
All in all, 857 bass weighing 1,928 pounds, 1 ounce were caught on day two.
Anglers take off each morning from Satterwhite Point Marina in Henderson each morning at 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday's weigh-in will be held at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 200 North Cooper Road in Henderson. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
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, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, 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 exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
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.
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