BENTON, Ky. - FLW Outdoors announced Tuesday that the 2003 EverStart Series, known as the pathway to the FLW Tour, will bring its bass-fishing tournaments to the West Coast with an all-new Western Division.
Tournaments in the EverStart Series Western Division will be held on Lake Pleasant in Peoria, Ariz., Jan. 29-Feb. 1; Lake Mead in Henderson, Nev., March 5-8; Clear Lake in Clearlake, Calif., April 23-26; and the California Delta in Oakley, Calif., May 28-31.
Each stop will comprise a field of 100 pros and 100 co-anglers fishing for a $168,850 purse. The top pro will earn $57,900 in cash and prizes including a Ranger 518VX Comanche boat and trailer complete with Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics, EverStart batteries and a 200 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard. The top co-angler at each tournament will earn $25,800 in cash and prizes including a Ranger 518VX Comanche boat and trailer.
"Given the high quality of Western fisheries and Western anglers and the popularity of our program, expanding the EverStart Series was a natural choice," said Charlie Hoover, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. "We expect to see some great anglers advance to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour through the Western Division."
With its westward expansion, the EverStart Series now comprises four divisions - including Eastern, Central and Northern - and includes stops on fisheries from coast to coast. The EverStart Series will stage four regular-season events per division in 2003 followed by a no-entry-fee championship Oct. 29-Nov. 1 on Old Hickory Lake near Gallatin, Tenn.
In the EverStart Series' pro/co-angler format, pros supply boats, control boat movement throughout each tournament and fish against other anglers in the Pro Division. Co-anglers fish from the back deck of the boats and compete against other co-anglers. Each tournament is four days with the entire field fishing on days one and two. The field is cut to the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers for day three, and only the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advance to day four. Entry fees are $650 for pros and $250 for co-anglers. Total payback at each Western Division tournament is 188 percent of entry fees.
The top 30 pros and top 30 co-anglers from the Western Division will advance to the $334,700, no-entry-fee EverStart Series Championship, which will be broadcast to an estimated 55 million Outdoor Life Network subscribers. The EverStart Series Pro Division champion will earn $76,900 in cash and prizes, and the co-angler champion will earn $32,800 in cash and prizes.
The top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers from the Western Division also receive priority entry into the $5.76 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour, where they could win up to $500,000 in a single event. Additionally, the top 30 pros and top 30 co-anglers from the Western Division receive priority entry into the 2004 EverStart Series. Rankings are based on a points system that awards 200 points for a win, 199 points for second, 198 points for third and so on.
Sponsors of the 2003 EverStart Series are Wal-Mart, Banana Boat, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito Lay, Fujifilm, Garmin, Kellogg's, Land O'Lakes, Minn Kota, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Rubbermaid, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley, U.S. Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha.
Champion Boats and Stratos Boats, which now includes the Javelin brand, have joined the EverStart Series as associate sponsors in 2003. This entitles Champion and Stratos/Javelin owners, along with Ranger boat owners, to early entry into the EverStart Series by calling 270-252-1000 or by registering at FLWOutdoors.com. Early entry for anglers who qualified for the EverStart Series through the 2002 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League begins at 8 a.m. CST Nov. 25. Early entry for Ranger owners begins at 8 a.m. CST Nov. 26, while Champion and Stratos/Javelin owners may register beginning at 8 a.m. CST Nov. 27. Tournament entry opens to the general public at 8 a.m. CST Dec. 2. Priority will be given to anglers who enter all four qualifying tournaments in a division by Dec. 5.
EverStart Batteries are sold through Wal-Mart stores and rank as the No. 1-selling battery in the world. For more information, visit EverStartBatteries.com.
FLW Outdoors will award as much as $20 million to anglers nationwide in 2003. To enter a tournament, register online or call (270) 252-1000.