02-06-2007, 11:10 PM
BENTON, Ky. - Teams fishing the 2007 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series will be rewarded with guaranteed top payouts of $30,000 in every qualifier and $65,000 in the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series Championship, according to FLW Outdoors.
The teams will have four divisions in which to compete - East Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina/Georgia and Gulf - with three one-day $100,000 tournaments held in each division. The top three teams from each tournament and the top 16 teams (who are not already qualified) from each division after all qualifiers are complete will advance to the three-day, $250,000 no-entry-fee Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series Championship, which will be featured in a one-hour episode of "FLW Outdoors" broadcast to 80 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) households in the United States and more than 350 million households in Europe, Asia and Africa. The points champion from each division will also advance directly to the $500,000 no-entry-fee Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in Biloxi, Miss., Nov. 2-4, where they will compete against top FLW Kingfish Tour teams for a top award of $150,000.
The top award in each qualifier includes $12,000 plus $18,000 in Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl, Wellcraft, Yamaha and Evinrude contingency bonuses, regardless of field size. The highest finishing team running a Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl or Wellcraft boat 25 feet or shorter with Evinrude or Yamaha engines will also receive a $2,000 bonus as part of the series' new "25 and Under" contingency program. Individual trophies will also be awarded to the highest finishing competitor under 16 years old and to the highest finishing woman.
The top award in the championship includes $25,000 plus $40,000 in boat and engine contingency bonuses. Awards in every tournament extend through 20th place, which pays as much as $1,250 in qualifiers and $3,000 in the championship based on 100-boat fields in each qualifier.
Qualifying tournaments will be held on Saturdays with registration and the pretournament meeting for each event held the night before. The FLW Kingfish Series Championship will be a Thursday-Saturday event, with the full field of 100 boats (25 from each division) competing on the first two days and the top five teams advancing to day three. The champion will be determined by the weight of the heaviest kingfish from Thursday or Friday plus the heaviest kingfish from Saturday.
Competition in the Gulf Division kicks off April 28 in Sarasota, Fla., followed by tournaments May 19 in Tierra Verde, Fla., and June 30 in Dauphin Island, Ala.
Teams fishing the East Florida Division will start May 12 with a tournament in Fort Pierce, Fla., followed by tournaments June 2 in Fernandina Beach, Fla., and June 23 in Fort Pierce, Fla.
South Carolina/Georgia Division teams will begin their season July 14 in Brunswick, Ga., followed by tournaments Aug. 4 in Beaufort, S.C., and Sept. 8 in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
North Carolina Division competition will begin July 21 in Southport, N.C., followed by tournaments Aug. 25 in Southport and Sept. 15 in Atlantic Beach, N.C.
The FLW Kingfish Series Championship will be held Oct. 4-6 in Orange Beach, Ala.
Team captains finishing the season ranked in the top five for their division will receive priority entry into the 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour.
Entry fees for 2007 remain unchanged at $500 per team for each qualifying tournament. Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl and Wellcraft boat owners may register for the 2007 FLW Kingfish Series beginning March 19. All other entries will be accepted beginning March 20. Teams that enter all three qualifying tournaments within a division by March 21 will be given priority over teams that enter fewer than three events. Entries for the 2007 season may be made online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.
The FLW Kingfish Series' overall cash purse of $1.45 million is based on 100-boat fields in each qualifier.
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 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.
The teams will have four divisions in which to compete - East Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina/Georgia and Gulf - with three one-day $100,000 tournaments held in each division. The top three teams from each tournament and the top 16 teams (who are not already qualified) from each division after all qualifiers are complete will advance to the three-day, $250,000 no-entry-fee Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series Championship, which will be featured in a one-hour episode of "FLW Outdoors" broadcast to 80 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) households in the United States and more than 350 million households in Europe, Asia and Africa. The points champion from each division will also advance directly to the $500,000 no-entry-fee Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in Biloxi, Miss., Nov. 2-4, where they will compete against top FLW Kingfish Tour teams for a top award of $150,000.
The top award in each qualifier includes $12,000 plus $18,000 in Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl, Wellcraft, Yamaha and Evinrude contingency bonuses, regardless of field size. The highest finishing team running a Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl or Wellcraft boat 25 feet or shorter with Evinrude or Yamaha engines will also receive a $2,000 bonus as part of the series' new "25 and Under" contingency program. Individual trophies will also be awarded to the highest finishing competitor under 16 years old and to the highest finishing woman.
The top award in the championship includes $25,000 plus $40,000 in boat and engine contingency bonuses. Awards in every tournament extend through 20th place, which pays as much as $1,250 in qualifiers and $3,000 in the championship based on 100-boat fields in each qualifier.
Qualifying tournaments will be held on Saturdays with registration and the pretournament meeting for each event held the night before. The FLW Kingfish Series Championship will be a Thursday-Saturday event, with the full field of 100 boats (25 from each division) competing on the first two days and the top five teams advancing to day three. The champion will be determined by the weight of the heaviest kingfish from Thursday or Friday plus the heaviest kingfish from Saturday.
Competition in the Gulf Division kicks off April 28 in Sarasota, Fla., followed by tournaments May 19 in Tierra Verde, Fla., and June 30 in Dauphin Island, Ala.
Teams fishing the East Florida Division will start May 12 with a tournament in Fort Pierce, Fla., followed by tournaments June 2 in Fernandina Beach, Fla., and June 23 in Fort Pierce, Fla.
South Carolina/Georgia Division teams will begin their season July 14 in Brunswick, Ga., followed by tournaments Aug. 4 in Beaufort, S.C., and Sept. 8 in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
North Carolina Division competition will begin July 21 in Southport, N.C., followed by tournaments Aug. 25 in Southport and Sept. 15 in Atlantic Beach, N.C.
The FLW Kingfish Series Championship will be held Oct. 4-6 in Orange Beach, Ala.
Team captains finishing the season ranked in the top five for their division will receive priority entry into the 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour.
Entry fees for 2007 remain unchanged at $500 per team for each qualifying tournament. Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl and Wellcraft boat owners may register for the 2007 FLW Kingfish Series beginning March 19. All other entries will be accepted beginning March 20. Teams that enter all three qualifying tournaments within a division by March 21 will be given priority over teams that enter fewer than three events. Entries for the 2007 season may be made online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.
The FLW Kingfish Series' overall cash purse of $1.45 million is based on 100-boat fields in each qualifier.
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 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.