$1.7 Million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour to Begin Season

March 30 , 2007

SARASOTA, Fla. — The $1.7 million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour – the most lucrative kingfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Sarasota, Fla., for the circuit's first regular-season stop presented by Land O'Lakes April 13-15. As many as 100 teams will be competing in the tournament, which features a $300,000 cash purse.

Teams of two to five anglers each will fish for a top award of as much as $100,000 cash. The teams will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into the no-entry-fee $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in Biloxi, Miss., Nov. 2-4 for a shot at as much as $150,000.

As always in Florida, the weather will play a crucial role in the outcome of the tournament.

“We are pretty excited about going down there and fishing,” said Nick Parrish of Jacksonville, Fla., captain of Team Castrol and was also the 2006 Land O'Lakes Team of the Year Award Winners. “I've heard some reports that the water is warmer than usual down there and a lot of fish are moving in earlier than expected. Hopefully we will get some good weather and end up catching some good fish as well. If the weather cooperates we shouldn't have to hunt for them as bad.”

“I think the secret to this event will be finding the big schools of bait that the bigger fish are relating to. The winning bite will probably come of blue runners.”

Teams will take off from the Hyatt Sarasota on Sarasota Bay located at 1000 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota at 6:30 each morning. Scales open at 3 p.m. and all teams must check-in by 5 p.m. The morning start and weigh-in are free and open to the public. Sunday's final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located 13140 South Tamiami Trail in Osprey, Fla., beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The full field will compete Friday and Saturday then be cut to the top five teams for Sunday. Winners are determined based upon the heaviest kingfish from Friday or Saturday plus the heaviest kingfish from Sunday.

The winning team earns $40,000 cash. If the team captain is the original owner of a Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl or Wellcraft boat that is used during the tournament, the team also receives a $30,000 bonus. Additionally, if the winning captain is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha or Evinrude outboard that is used during the tournament, the team will receive another $30,000 bonus for a total award of $100,000.

Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine final standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship.

Coverage of the Sarasota tournament hosted by the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States May 20 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time. “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 servicemembers stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network.

A limited number of openings are still available in the Sarasota tournament, which has a $1,500 entry fee. Teams may register online at www.flwoutdoors.com or by calling 270-252-1000. Entries will also be accepted during on-site registration April 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Sarasota on Sarasota Bay located at 1000 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota, Fla.

The Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour will stop in Fort Pierce, Fla., June 8-10 for its second regular-season event, presented by Evinrude, followed by the third qualifying event, presented by Yamaha, in Beaufort, S.C., Aug. 17-19. The FLW Kingfish tour will then make its final regular-season stop on Sept. 28-30 in Atlantic Beach, N.C. for an event presented by Raymarine.

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 will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 238 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 tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

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