MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 21, 2010) - FLW Fantasy Fishing, which has changed the era of fantasy sports, announced the 2010 season will be underway starting on Monday, Jan. 25. Players must be registered at FantasyFishing.com and have their teams selected prior to the first tournament of the FLW Tour that begins Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010, in Shreveport, La.
Irwin L. Jacobs, FLW Outdoors Chairman and creator of FLW Fantasy Fishing said, "Our organization has put a lot of effort into FLW Fantasy Fishing and we are extremely proud of its growth and have enjoyed sharing in the excitement of all the players in its first two years of existence. The response and participation has been incredible and we anticipate the growth and awareness of FLW Fantasy Fishing to continue to thrive. We will continue to offer anyone the opportunity to participate in Fantasy Fishing, but players can gain a proven advantage by becoming an FLW Outdoors member which features Player's Advantage. Player's Advantage has proven to be the tool that increases the chances of winning. Plus, the modifications made for 2010 were taken from players' suggestions and we think this will make the game easier to play and more enjoyable."
FLW Fantasy Fishing, which was launched in 2008 to rave reviews and international attention, will continue its legacy in 2010 by captivating players throughout the world while offering some of the richest prizes in fantasy sports and continuing to grow awareness of the sport of professional fishing. Fantasy Fishing is free to play and participants will be competing for a first-place prize of $50,000. Second-place will take home $25,000, while the third-place finisher will walk away with Cabela's Ultimate Fishing Trip, which includes a trip to Lake El Salto in Mexico and a $5,000 Cabela's gift card. The fourth place finisher will win a Can-Am ATV with an MSRP of $9,699. All the prizes for 2010 are guaranteed and include $5,000 to the winning player for each of the six FLW Tour qualifying events, as well as cash and prizes to the top finishing participants overall and in each respective qualifying tournament.
A unique tool, Player's Advantage, offers additional resources and information to its members. Player's Advantage has continued to prove it is a vital tool that increases participant's chances at winning. In 2008 and 2009, players that had Player's Advantage won at a rate of four-to-one over players that did not access Player's Advantage. Fantasy Fishing players saw this over the course of the first season and Player's Advantage use increased more than 220 percent for 2009 compared to 2008.
Fantasy Fishing players receive the Player's Advantage benefits through their FLW Outdoors membership, where they gain access to additional statistics, history on anglers, information about fisheries, weather conditions, plus several additional tips providing them the best advantage for each tournament. Members will receive many additional benefits to their FLW Outdoors membership including access to FLW Outdoors Magazine.
In 2010, Fantasy Fishing will offer a new and simplified scoring system and selection process. Participants will choose the anglers they anticipate having the highest finish in no particular order. Players will receive Angler of the Year points as well as bonus points for each angler they have selected in the top 10. Of the 10 selected anglers, each player must choose the angler they think will win the tournament. For a tie-breaker, participants must choose the total weight for the winning angler. For a complete list of rules, visit FantasyFishing.com.
In a continued effort for players to earn thousands of dollars in cash, Fantasy Fishing in 2010 will feature a referral program allowing participants to earn $2 in cash for every FLW Outdoors membership they are responsible for referring and signing up. There are no limits to the amount one can earn in recruiting FLW Outdoors members.