Walmart FLW Tour Returns to Lake Champlain, New York
OutdoorHub 08.31.11
Plattsburgh, N.Y. Aug. 31, 2011 – The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Champlain presented by Snickers Peanut Butter Squared will visit Plattsburgh, N.Y., Sept. 15-18 for the ninth tournament of the season. Hosted by the City of Plattsburgh – New York and the Adirondack Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau, the tournament will feature as many as 310 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.
Included in the power packed field list are newly crowned 2011 Forrest Wood Cup champion, National Guard pro Scott Martin, 2011 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Castrol pro David Dudley, Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Michael Iaconelli and last year’s Lake Champlain winner, Cheez-it pro Shinichi Fukae.
“I love going to Lake Champlain,” said Chevy pro Anthony Gagliardi who has finished in second place the last two years at Champlain. “I would love to get a win. I am very comfortable on this lake, I have had some good tournaments with some close finishes but it just didn’t happen. Maybe this year will be different.
“This is probably the most predictable and repetitive fishery we visit, Gagliardi continued. “Fishing doesn’t change much from year to year. The way it was won last year is probably the way it will be won this year. You’ll see a lot of drop-shotting, Carolina rigging and tubes. If the temperatures drop and it gets a little cooler you could see some spinnerbaits come in to play. This is going to be the start of a transition period. Even though it has been unseasonably warm the fish know that fall is coming by the amount of daylight. But I still think it is going to be more of a summer pattern than fall.
“The fishing is dictated by conditions,” Gagliardi went on to say. “Big winds usually play a factor for at least one day. Guys that are making long runs are going to have to factor in return time and may not get as much time to fish. The key to winning on Champlain is finding the right area to fish. It is not so much what you are using and trying to get the bass to bite on as much as it is about finding the right area. A tournament could actually be won on one spot.
“Guys get sucked into moving around too much because the lake is so big,” added Gagliardi. “I am most comfortable finding one area and slugging it hard.”
Anglers will take off from Dock Street Landing located at 5 Dock Street in Plattsburgh at 6:30 each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Marina beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at Walmart located at 25 Consumer Square in Plattsburgh beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at Walmart on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The first 300 kids 14 and under on Sunday will receive a free rod and reel combo. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The top five point winners from the four FLW Opens will advance to the championship which is being held at Lake Lanier in Duluth/Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 9-12.
Coverage of the Lake Champlain tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors” will air Oct. 30 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW Outdoors on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors is the best in fishing, on and off the water. Anglers worldwide can compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.
