LAFITTE,
La. — The $1.9 million Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series – the most lucrative
redfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Lafitte, La., Sept.
7-9 for the final regular-season Western Division event of 2006, hosted by
the Jefferson Convention and Visitors Bureau. As many as 150 teams will be
competing in the tournament, which features a $200,000 cash purse. Anglers, competing in two-man teams, will fish for a top award of as much as $50,000. Competitors will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into the no-entry-fee, $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship in Pensacola, Fla., Oct. 19-21 for a shot at as much as $100,000.
“It’s going to be a pretty good tournament,” said Captain Andy Mnichowski of Marrero, La., who won the Cocodrie tournament with his teammate Captain John McGill of Slidell, La. “There are plenty of fish and I expect the weights to be heavier than they were in Cocodrie last month.”
Sight fishing will be the key factor for most teams, according to Mnichowski. He said a 1/4-ounce spinnerbait and a Yum Samurai Shad thrown to visible slot reds have been producing well.
“It’s probably going to take 16 1/2 pounds to make the top five,” he said.
Anglers will take off at 6:45 each morning from Lafitte Harbor Marina, located at 4932 Kenal Road in Lafitte. Weigh-ins on day one and day two will be held at the marina beginning at 2:45 p.m. Day three’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 4810 Lapalco Blvd. in Marrero, La.
The full field will compete Thursday and Friday, and the top five teams, based on heaviest accumulated weight from the first two days, will compete Saturday. Two redfish may be weighed in per team, per day. The winning team will be determined by the heaviest combined weight from Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The winning team earns $25,000 cash, based on a full field. If a member of the winning team is the original owner of a Ranger, Champion, Wellcraft or Hydra-Sports boat that is used during the tournament, the team will also receive a $12,500 bonus. Additionally, if a member of the winning team is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha or Evinrude outboard that is used during the tournament, the team receives a $12,500 bonus for a total award of $50,000.
Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine team standings. One hundred and fifty points are awarded to the winners, 149 points for second, 148 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams from each of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series’ two divisions – Eastern and Western – will advance to the championship.
Each Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Division features four regular-season tournaments.
Openings are still available for this event. Entry fees are $750 per team. Anglers may register by going to FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Entries will also be accepted onsite at tournament registration, which will be held Wednesday, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Four Columns, located at 3711 West Bank Expressway in Harvey, La.
Coverage of the FLW Redfish Series Lafitte event will be broadcast Oct. 15 to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern time. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 300 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.
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.
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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