MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 21, 2011) – Frank Vallar Jr. of Brownstown, Mich., correctly picked FLW Tour pro David Wolak of Wake Forest, N.C., to win last week’s FLW Tour on Lake Champlain. For his picks, Vallar won $15,000 playing FLW Fantasy Fishing held in conjunction with the FLW Tour fishing tournament.
“I’m speechless,” Vallar said. “With the event being this late in the year and knowing some of the anglers like I do really helped me out. This is the second tournament in the row I’ve picked the winner.”
Vallar, an avid smallmouth fisherman who lives “15 feet from Lake Erie,” said he hasn’t been able to spend as much time on the water as of late and turned to Fantasy Fishing to stay involved in the sport.
“I’ve been out of fishing for a couple of years because I’m in rehab for my shoulder,” Vallar said. “Playing Fantasy Fishing has been really nice. I really appreciate FLW Outdoors for putting on the game and I can’t say enough about the organization.
“A few years ago I won a free FLW Outdoors membership at one of the tournaments here in Michigan,” Vallar added. “So this is the second thing I’ve won from FLW Outdoors. I’d better start fishing the tournaments.”
Vallar said his physical therapy goals in his medical records list “return to fishing” as a top priority and one of his current therapy techniques employs practice casting with a rod.
“I just can’t wait to get back into fishing,” Vallar said. “Just being out there with my family ... I really miss it.”
Wolak won the FLW Tour event last week with a four-day total of 20 bass that weighed 81 pounds even.
Vallar’s Fantasy Fishing team earned him 2,274 valuable points that will continue to accumulate throughout the season, putting himself in position to contend for the $100,000 grand prize.
The 2011 Fantasy Fishing season consists of 10 tournaments surrounding the Walmart FLW Tour with cumulative and individual tournament prizes. Fans compete for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes from each of the 10 tournaments and a top prize of $15,000. The cumulative grand prize is $100,000 with the overall runner-up winning a Ranger Z-520 boat with a Ranger Trail Trailer, 250 Mercury outboard, Minn Kota Maxxum 80 trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and trolling motor batteries – all valued at $54,000.
The third-place overall winner will win a Chevy 1500 Silverado valued at $38,000, and fourth place will take home a FinCraft 17 Dual Console boat with a 115 Evinrude outboard valued at $27,000. A BRP Can-Am Outlander 400 All-Terrain vehicle, valued at $8,000, will be awarded to the fifth-place finisher; while sixth- through 10th-place finishers will win Walmart gift cards ranging in value from $9,000 to $5,000.