GLBass.com Member Mark Frickman Wins Co-Angler Title, Shaw Leads Boaters!

[djkimmel]

SHAW LEADS WAL-MART FLW TOUR CHEVY OPEN ON DETROIT RIVER
Frickman wins co-angler title, $30,000



DETROIT (July 12, 2008) – Team Kellogg’s pro Alvin Shaw of State Road, N.C., caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to capture the lead in a top-10 field that includes some of the greatest anglers in the world. Shaw now holds a 13-ounce edge over his closest competitor, Team Pringles pro Vic Vatalaro of Kent, Ohio, heading into the final day of competition in the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Chevy Open on the Detroit River. If he holds on for the win, Shaw will pocket $200,000.

This place isn't about patterns, said Shaw, who has won more than $516,000 in FLW Outdoors events. I haven't been able to put together a pattern. I've tried to put together some locations that have a variety of cover.

On the third day of competition, Shaw continued to target small isolated clumps of grass, rocks and sand in 12 to 16 feet of water on Lake St. Clair. He said instead of the time-tested method of dragging a tube that is so popular on the area waters, he is electing to cast it with baitcasting equipment and 8-pound-test line. Shaw pulls a green-pumpkin gold flake tube to the top of the grass and holds it there and then pops the tube out of the grass. Most of the strikes occur when he pops the tube free.

I've found the big fish area,”Shaw said. I got my limit and left today. I'm really going to try and pound them tomorrow. I've got about three key areas and I hope I can get a 5-pounder off of each one. My partner the first day lost a 7-pounder off of one of them.”

Shaw said even though the tube has been his primary bait throughout the tournament, he caught his last keeper of the day Saturday on a Berkley Gulp! Leech.

I had laid my rod down so I could retie a tube, and I picked it back up and there he was, Shaw said. That leech is going to play a factor before tomorrow is over.

Vatalaro caught five fish weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce to advance to the final day of competition as the No. 2 seed.

I'm out in the middle of Lake St. Clair, basically 10 miles out from every shoreline, Vatalaro said. There's some grass out there and I found some sandy spots when the sun was high. The first couple of days I marked where they are and I can go right back to them.”

Vatalaro said he's relying heavily on a tube in 18 to 20 feet of water to catch his fish and believes he can pull another hefty sack out of his area on the final day of competition. Vatalaro caught 25 keepers Saturday from his spot.

I'm going to catch a ton of fish, and I'm going to try to put some big ones in the boat, Vatalaro said. I'm fishing a giant area and I think it's a feeding ground for the post-spawn fish. The fish are moving in and trapping the perch and other baitfish in these underwater bushes, and I just throw in my green tube and catch them.

Rounding out the top 10 pros are Team BP pro J.T. Kenney of Port Charlotte, Fla. (five bass, 16-14); David Reault of Livonia, Mich. (five bass, 13-9); Mark Modrak of China Township, Mich. (five bass, 12-09); Team Chevy pro Kim Stricker of Howell, Mich. (five bass, 11-15); Team Duracell pro Michael Bennett of Lincoln, Calif. (three bass, 8-12); Keith Combs of Del Rio, Texas (three bass, 8-01); David McCrone of Minnetonka, Minn. (two bass, 6-15) and Keith Monson of Burgin, Ky. (three bass, 6-14).

Overall there were 41 bass weighing 126 pounds, 8 ounces caught in the Pro Division Saturday. The catch included six five-bass limits.

Tournament pros aren't the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, which offers $7.3 million in cash and prizes, FLW Outdoors® presents anyone with the opportunity to land the catch of a lifetime. Players in the lucrative new fantasy sports league can become virtual pros by signing up for Player's Advantage, which provides exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player's Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player's Advantage and receive a complimentary $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

Mark Frickman of Grand Ledge, Mich., won the Co-angler Division and $30,000 Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces followed by Mike Weidman of Burton, Mich., in second place with five bass weighing 17-9 worth $10,000.

Frickman opened the tournament in 53rd place Thursday with five bass weighing 15-01 while fishing with Team Duracell pro Brennan Bosley of Benton, Ark. On Friday he jumped into fifth place on the strength of a five-bass catch weighing 17-10 while fishing with Team Castrol pro Carl Svebek of Siloam Springs, Ark. He wrapped up his win while fishing with Team Pringles pro Vic Vatalaro of Kent, Ohio.

This is unbelievable, said Frickman, who won the first FLW Tour event he fished Saturday. This was my treat for the year to fish my first FLW Tour event.

I just can't describe it, Frickman added. To start out 53rd on Day 1 and making it to the finals and then winning don't ever, ever give up. Be positive. Do the right thing.

Frickman credits the Berkley Gulp! Goby as the key to his championship title. Frickman said he caught between 20 and 25 fish during the course of the day, including about 20 keepers. Frickman also thanked Wayne Carpenter and his custom tournament tubes for his win saying, while he caught his last biggest bass on the Berkley Gulp! he caught the bulk of his bass on 3 colors of Xtreme Bass Tackle tubes!!

“I was throwing 3-pounders back at 8:30 this morning,” Frickman said. “It was just phenomenal.”

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are J.B. Young of Deer Park, Texas (five bass, 16-03, $9,000); Jerry Weisinger of Wyandotte, Okla. (three bass, 11-08, $8,000); Andrew Lemle of Perrysburg, Ohio (five bass, 11-07, $7,000); Team National Guard co-angler Diane Delagarza of Garland, Texas (four bass, 10-04, $6,000); Scott Gibson of Biloxi, Miss. (three bass, 6-11, $5,000); Ron Fabiszak of South Bend, Ind. (one bass, 4-02, $4,000); Team Wal-Mart co-angler Hector Delagarza of Garland, Texas (one bass, 2-09, $3,000) and Todd Robbins of Romulus, Mich. (one bass, 1-13, $2,000).

Hector and Diane Delagarza shared the weigh-in stage Saturday as the first husband and wife in FLW Outdoors history to make a top 10 together.
Overall there were 33 bass weighing 101 pounds, 6 ounces caught in the Co-angler Division Saturday. The catch included four five-bass limits.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 Sunday morning from Elizabeth Park Marina located at 202 Grosse Ile Parkway in Trenton, Mich., followed by a 4 p.m. weigh-in at the Cobo Center located atOne Washington Blvd. in Detroit.

Prior to the final day weigh-in, FLW Outdoors will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Cobo Center from noon to 4 p.m. The Family Fun Zone is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers and review the latest products from Berkley, Lowrance, Ranger, Evinrude, Yamaha and other manufacturers while children are treated to fishing themed games and rides like the Ranger Boat simulator. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone Sunday will also receive a free rod and reel combo while supplies last, and one lucky member of the audience will win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in on Sunday. Admission is free and you must be present to win.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes Thursday and Friday for 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared Saturday, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in with the winner determined by the day’s heaviest catch. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from Saturday and Sunday.

Coverage of the Chevy Open tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

[WayneC]

Way to go Mark!  Thanks for the mention on stage and thanks so much for taking Xtreme Bass Tackle baits out there and getting it done! 

[joshimoto son]

Way to go Mark! That is just awesome.

It's very exciting isn't it. So how was it (on the last day)... waiting in the holding area with your bag of fish in the tanks, sitting around all the rest of the guys who may or may not have the fish to beat you. Did you guys talk about what you thought you might have for weight, or did everyone stay tight lipped?

Congratulations!

Joshimoto son

[fiker]

Glad to hear you did so well. 
Congratulations.

[djkimmel]

First... there was the 6 million dollar man... now, the $30,000 tube!! Actually, at least one other angler mentioned catching a lot of his/her bass on Wayne's Xtreme Bass Tackle custom tubes. Anyone remember who that was?

Whew! I'm beat guys. Dave Reault got the PTSI trucks distance award among the boaters the final day for traveling ~165 miles by boat, but I'm pretty sure I beat him, driving an awesome Ranger Z21 around the better part of Lake St. Clair from Elizabeth Park to the east end, then up into the South Channel a ways, before heading over to 9 Mile Apts and then back to Elizabeth Park! While driving through some of the worst wind and waves I've been in out there!! (I even got to break waves for one of the top ten for several miles - I think he figured the Z21 trumped his Z520 by a foot and his fish needed the break too!) The new Z hull and the SRS (Soft Ride Seats) saved my body from a 4-bouncer beating equivalent, but I'm still sore. I have a ton more pictures and video to post and will do so as the week progresses. Had to work late today though, so not tonight.

It was awesome to see the local 'boys' do so well. I sure would have enjoyed seeing Ben Felton fish again, or have Clapper, Balog, Coates, Veenstra and Trombly also in the top 10 (and if Long, Dobson & Ferguson happen to some by and read here, I'll throw them in too), but still very cool for the ones who broke the top 10 on both sides. I got to meet Vic Vatalaro finally and he seems a genuinely nice guy. With his Ohio address (and no mention of the dreaded Buckeyes), I'll count him in our local family. Still can't believe a North Carolina boy won the thing, but Alvin Shaw seemed very nice and down to Earth too. If it weren't for the funny way he talks, I'd almost think he was from here a parts too!

Congratulations to every one of our anglers who placed in the money!!

[twodabay]

Jopshimoto Son:

Sitting there was something as nobody was saying a word until the FLW kept coming over to me and putting the big O2 pump in my bag and someone said we know who has the big bag now.... Nobody was saying anything and I kept my bag shut so nobody could see.  I was really nervous to say the least, but at the same time was feeling like I had a really good shot for a win. It was a Dream come True and all I can say is never, ever give up....
Mark

First... there was the 6 million dollar man... now, the $30,000 tube!! Actually, at least one other angler mentioned catching a lot of his/her bass on Wayne's Xtreme Bass Tackle custom tubes. Anyone remember who that was?

Whew! I'm beat guys. Dave Reault got the PTSI trucks distance award among the boaters the final day for traveling ~165 miles by boat, but I'm pretty sure I beat him, driving an awesome Ranger Z21 around the better part of Lake St. Clair from Elizabeth Park to the east end, then up into the South Channel a ways, before heading over to 9 Mile Apts and then back to Elizabeth Park! While driving through some of the worst wind and waves I've been in out there!! (I even got to break waves for one of the top ten for several miles - I think he figured the Z21 trumped his Z520 by a foot and his fish needed the break too!) The new Z hull and the SRS (Soft Ride Seats) saved my body from a 4-bouncer beating equivalent, but I'm still sore. I have a ton more pictures and video to post and will do so as the week progresses. Had to work late today though, so not tonight.

It was awesome to see the local 'boys' do so well. I sure would have enjoyed seeing Ben Felton fish again, or have Clapper, Balog, Coates, Veenstra and Trombly also in the top 10 (and if Long, Dobson & Ferguson happen to some by and read here, I'll throw them in too), but still very cool for the ones who broke the top 10 on both sides. I got to meet Vic Vatalaro finally and he seems a genuinely nice guy. With his Ohio address (and no mention of the dreaded Buckeyes), I'll count him in our local family. Still can't believe a North Carolina boy won the thing, but Alvin Shaw seemed very nice and down to Earth too. If it weren't for the funny way he talks, I'd almost think he was from here a parts too!

Congratulations to every one of our anglers who placed in the money!!

Way to go Mark! That is just awesome.

It's very exciting isn't it. So how was it (on the last day)... waiting in the holding area with your bag of fish in the tanks, sitting around all the rest of the guys who may or may not have the fish to beat you. Did you guys talk about what you thought you might have for weight, or did everyone stay tight lipped?

Congratulations!

Joshimoto son

[djkimmel]

I got a message from Mark to Wayne saying: "Thank you for making a great bait!"

[MadWags]

Way to go Mark. Enjoy it!

[Buckeyenut313]

"Dreaded Buckeyes"? Be nice now!

[djkimmel]

My apologies Buckeyenut313... some desparado must have hacked into my post and inserted that...


(Go Blue!! )

[Buckeyenut313]

OK Dan, I'll let it "slide" this time! If it keeps up though I may have to add a signature to my posts.

[djkimmel]

youch!