Walmart FLW Walleye League Schedule Announced For 2009

(Nov. 25, 2008 – Minneapolis, MN)… FLW Outdoors has announced its 2009 Walmart FLW Walleye League schedule featuring four divisions, each with three one-day qualifying tournaments.

The Heartland Division will kick off the 2009 season March 21 on the Illinois River in Spring Valley, Ill., followed by events April 25 on the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, and May 30 on Lake Rathbun in Centerville, Iowa.

Anglers fishing the Michigan Division will visit Lake Erie in Port Clinton, Ohio, April 4, followed by tournaments June 20 on Lake Erie in Monroe, Mich., and Aug. 22 on Saginaw Bay in Au Gres, Mich.

Competition in the Minnesota Division will begin May 2 on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn., followed by tournaments June 6 on Leech Lake in Walker, Minn., and July 11 on Lake Bemidji in Bemidji, Minn.

Wisconsin Division competition will start May 16 on Lake Petenwell in Arkdale, Wis., followed by tournaments June 27 on Green Bay in Oconto, Wis., and Aug. 8 on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis.

After all qualifying events are complete, the top 30 boaters and co-anglers in the points standings from each division will advance to the no-entry-fee Walmart FLW Walleye League Finals to be held Sept. 17-19 on Lake Wissota in Chippewa Falls, Wis. The boater and co-angler points champions from each division will also advance to the Walmart FLW Walleye Tour Championship on the Missouri River in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 30-Oct. 3, where they can win as much as $150,000 and $20,000, respectively. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers from each division will receive priority entry into the 2010 FLW Walleye Tour.

The top boater award in each qualifier jumps from $7,500 to $9,000 for 2009 thanks to a $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus. If the winning boater is not Ranger Cup qualified, the highest finishing Ranger Cup boater will receive a $1,000 bonus. The top co-angler award is $3,500.

Entry fees are $300 per event for boaters and $150 per event for co-anglers. Entry dates will be released soon.

Please see the 2009 Walleye League schedule and payouts below or go to the FLWOutdoors website for complete details.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits. FLW Outdoors also took fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, awarding a historic $1 million prize to Michael Thompson of St. Michael, Minn. Details on an enhanced 2009 FLW Fantasy Fishing league will be announced soon.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.

article source : http://www.fishingworld.com/News/Read.php?ArtID=000024298

Winter Rainbows Arc Across Texas

Annual Rainbow Trout Stockings Begin Dec. 3

by Tom Harvey, TPWD Staff

(Nov. 27, 2008 – Austin, TX)… For an inexpensive, entry-level fishing experience the entire family can enjoy, it doesn’t get much easier than winter rainbow trout fishing in Texas.

Beginning Dec. 3 and continuing until mid-March, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stock upwards of 260,000 hatchery-reared rainbow trout at 119 sites across the state. Many of the fish stockings will be conducted at small community fishing lakes, state park lakes and popular river tailraces offering easy angling access.

TPWD has been stocking rainbow trout each winter since the 1970s, providing Texans a simple and economical opportunity to go fishing.

Catching these hungry fish can be easy, making the experience ideal for both novice anglers and kids. The fish will bite almost immediately after stocking and typically will take a variety of baits, from whole kernel canned corn or commercial soft bait to artificial flies and even small spinner baits.

Fishing gear can be as basic as an inexpensive spincast rod and reel combo, a small plastic bobber, a fishing weight and a hook. It’s also a good idea to carry along a pair of needle-nosed pliers to help remove hooks, and a five gallon bucket, small ice chest or a fish stringer to keep your catch. Be sure to keep freshly caught trout cold on ice or refrigerated.

The complete 2008-2009 Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule is on the TPWD Web site. Here anglers can find stocking locations, stocking dates and driving directions to each site. Many locations offer special events for youth prior to allowing the public to fish. Check with local parks and recreation departments or water authorities for additional information. Most sites get an annual dose of more than 1,000 trout.

Among the winter trout stocking sites are 13 Neighborhood Fishin’ locations in city suburbs across the state. These spots get trout stocked every two weeks in the winter, but catfish are also stocked there in the summer, making them year-round family fishing destinations. Details are on the Neighborhood Fishin’ Web page, which lists the urban area, lake or pond, driving directions, and a TPWD name and contact phone number for each site. Money donated to TPWD from the Toyota Texas Bass Classic is being used to support Neighborhood Fishin’.

Other popular fishing holes like the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Reservoir Dam, which includes the tailrace, also receive multiple stockings from December into March. As the only fishable place in Texas where rainbow trout can survive during the summer months, the Guadalupe River will get almost 17,000 trout stocked this winter.

One public access point along the Guadalupe River has been leased by TPWD specifically for trout fishing, Camp Hueco Springs. A map and directions to this site are on the TPWD Web site.

Anglers should note there are special harvest restrictions in place along a 10-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River below the tailrace. In this area, anglers may retain only one trout per day, which must be at least 18-inches in length, and any trout harvested must be caught on artificial lures.

For additional details about the special harvest regulations and the location of that river stretch, please consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual. The special regulations zone does not include the area immediately below Canyon Lake Dam. There, as in other Texas waters, the daily bag limit is five trout and there is no minimum length.

A valid Texas freshwater fishing package is required to fish for trout. Youth ages 16 and younger and all anglers fishing from the bank in state parks are exempt from the fishing package requirement.