MINNEAPOLIS (June 8, 2011) – Darren Mueller of Markham, Ontario, correctly picked FLW Tour and Chevy pro Luke Clausen of Otis Orchards, Wash., to win last week’s Walmart FLW Tour on the Potomac River. For his picks, Mueller won $15,000 playing FLW Fantasy Fishing held in conjunction with the FLW Tour fishing tournament.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Mueller said. “I started playing this year and got Players Advantage. That’s probably the best five dollars I’ve ever spent.”
Mueller, a self-described “avid fisherman” enjoys fishing year-round in Canada, whether it’s ice fishing or fishing for northern pike or walleye in northern Canada or rainbow trout in the Great Lakes. However, his passion is bass fishing.
“I’m not a tournament fisherman by any means, but I get out as much as possible,” Mueller said. “I basically breathe and dream about fishing.
“It’s great to learn the different strategies of the competitors,” Mueller added. “You get a lot of insight, especially with Players Advantage. You’re able to get a little more in depth and know the competitors, which is definitely appealing.”
Clausen won the FLW Tour event last week with a four-day total of 20 bass that weighed 69 pounds, 14 ounces.
Mueller’s Fantasy Fishing team was led by Clausen, and earned him 2,340 valuable points that will continue to accumulate throughout the season, putting himself in position to contend for the $100,000 grand prize.
Fantasy Fishing is free to play, but fans might gain an edge with Player's Advantage. Player’s Advantage is a unique tool that offers additional resources and information.
Finishing in second place on the fantasy side for the Potomac River event was Jane Brunner of Byhalia, Miss., who won $5,000, and in third was Cindy Hall of Cleveland, Tenn., who won $1,000. Several other winners from California to Pennsylvania to Wisconsin took home prizes ranging from $500 cash to $10 Walmart gift cards.
The 2011 Fantasy Fishing season consists of 10 tournaments surrounding the 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.
To begin playing, visit FantasyFishing.com and sign up. A team will automatically be selected for you, but you can edit that team and choose the 10 anglers you think will place the highest in the next Tour event. You must then select the angler you think will win the tournament and predict that angler’s cumulative winning weight, which will serve as the tiebreaker. Player’s modifications to their teams must be finalized by 11:59 p.m. ET the night prior to the tournament.