Tournament Shaping Up to Be “Best We’ve Ever Seen”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 12, 2010) – The FLW Tour will visit Lake Norman in Charlotte, N.C., March 24-27 for the second stop of the FLW Tour circuit. The Lake Norman event is presented by the National Guard and hosted by the Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Charlotte Sports Commission, Visit Lake Norman and Visit Charlotte, the tournament will feature as many as 300 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.

“If it stays warm, it’s going to be wide open,” said Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C.., who has won more than $447,000 in FLW Outdoors competition. “It’s a great lake to fish and it will be a really fun tournament. Lots of limits will be caught.”

Thrift predicts bass will be in pre-spawn mode as well as on the beds when anglers begin competing. He said unlike previous Tour events on Lake Norman, this stop is happening during the prime time for anglers to weigh heavy limits.

“It’s going to be the best we’ve ever seen, I hope,” Thrift said. “I think we’re going to see a lot of 15- to 16-pound bags.”

Thrift said popular baits will include jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater — basically anything an angler feels comfortable with. Thrift predicts an angler will need a weight in the mid- to upper-40s to walk away with the championship title.

“If the water temperature gets up into the low- to mid-60s, you’ll really be able to pick your poison. You’ll be able to do whatever you want to do to catch them.”

Anglers will take off from Blythe Landing located at 15901 N.C. Highway 71 in Cornelius, N.C., at 7:15 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday weigh-ins will also be held at Blythe Landing beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center located at 4751 Highway 49 North in Concord, N.C., beginning at 4 p.m.

Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo at Cabarrus Arena and Events Center on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday prior to the final weigh-in from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a Can-Am ATV  compliments of 99.7 the Fox and rod and reel combos will be given to the first 300 kids under 14 in attendance on Saturday. The Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, additional information and to register for the ATV, visit FLWOutdoors.com/NationalGuardOpen.

In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Atlanta Aug. 5-8 on Lake Lanier.

Coverage of the Lake Norman tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors,” will air May 2 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.

ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189  tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Courtesy of FLWOutdoors.com