BENTON, Ky. (Sept. 16, 2005) - The Texas Tournament Trail will again pay $1 million in cash and prizes during the 2006 season.
Each of the TTT's four regular-season events will feature two days of competition that will award as much as $205,500 in cash and prizes to as many as 200 pros and 200 co-anglers. The regular season will kick off Feb. 4-5 on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas, followed by an event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Jasper, Texas, March 11-12. The third regular-season event will be held April 1-2 on Cedar Creek Reservoir near Gun Barrel City, Texas, and the regular season will wrap up on Lake Texoma near Denison, Texas, May 6-7.
"The Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail gives weekend anglers in the Lone Star State and neighboring states the opportunity to compete in a truly big-money tournament circuit," said FLW Outdoors President and CEO Charlie Evans. "We're pleased to be continuing the popular tournament series with the same successful format and large cash purses anglers have come to expect from FLW Outdoors."
During qualifying tournaments, the full field of competitors will fish for one of 20 spots in the day-two final round. During the final round, the 20 advancing pros and co-anglers will continue competition, with the winners determined by the heaviest two-day weight. During the championship, all competitors will compete both days, with the winners determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
The winning pro at each regular-season event can earn as much as $65,000 in cash and prizes. The winner will receive a first-place prize of a Ranger 519VX bass boat powered by a 200-horsepower Yamaha or Evinrude outboard plus $10,000 cash. If the winner is an original owner of a Ranger boat and meets Ranger contingency guidelines, the winner will earn another $20,000 cash. Co-anglers will compete for a cash award of $4,000 plus a fully rigged Ranger boat if the winner is a qualified Ranger boat owner.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings, and the top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers from the year-end standings are eligible to advance to the $195,000 Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail Championship on Lake Stillhouse in Killeen, Texas, Oct. 21-22. The winning pro at the championship can earn as much as $70,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger 519VX powered by a 200-horsepower Yamaha or Evinrude outboard and $15,000 for the win plus another $20,000 cash if Ranger contingency guidelines are met. The winning co-angler will earn a fully rigged Ranger and $5,000 for the victory plus another $5,000 cash if contingency guidelines are met.
Ranger Boats will award $5,000 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant during each qualifying event. Yamaha will award an additional 50 percent of Ranger Cup winnings if Powered by Yamaha guidelines are met.
Entry fees remain unchanged for 2006 at $350 for pros and $100 for co-anglers.
Complete tournament details for the 2006 season are available online at FLWOutdoors.com, and entry dates will be announced soon.