Watching A Friend Become A Legend Pam Martin Wells Honored with Hall of Fame Induction Story and Photo By Kathy Magers On August 17, 2007 Pam Martin Wells was inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN, and I couldn't have been prouder. (Our careers in women's professional fishing have run parallel.) There she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greatest hunting and fishing legends of our times, the kind we pinch ourselves over, to make sure we're not dreaming - like Hank Parker, George Cochran, Shaw Grigsby, and Larry Nixon to name a few of the anglers. “Legends of the Outdoors” is a national hall of fame that recognizes men and women who have made outstanding contributions to the outdoor sports of fishing and hunting. “I can't believe I'm here,” Pam said with chill bumps on her arms and a trembling voice. The shy lady pro angler from Georgia was nervous about the acceptance speech she was to give, which was needless, for when her time came, she stepped up to the podium and delivered one of the most heartfelt, passionate speeches of the night. And she thanked everyone - from God, to spouse, family, all her sponsors, previous women's tours, WBFA and Bass'n Gal, current Women's Bassmaster Association, the Legends program, etc. before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of 300.     Rewind this scenario twenty years back in time, and this is where I can tell you Pam's story from the beginning. I was sitting in my boat on the shore of Lake Seminole, Georgia, stowing my rods, reels and tackle after a Bass'n Gal tournament.  I happened to look up and see a wiry little gal who was upset about something. I introduced myself and soon we began talking - she eventually began to tell me what had her so upset. “I could have won this tournament but they wouldn't let me fish it” she said, (kicking the dirt if memory serves me correctly.) “Some stupid rule about off limits.” Seemed Pam had been unaware of the approaching women's national event and had been fishing nearly everyday on Lake Seminole, her home lake. Tournament rules prohibited any of the contenders from fishing tournament waters for two weeks before an event - and just as you and I must breathe air to live, Pam had to fish Lake Seminole. “The next time there's a tournament here, I will fish it - and win” she insisted.   And win she nearly did - a year later when the Bass'n Gal tour returned to her lake. Placing second, she narrowly missed winning by a mere 03/100ths of a pound - equal only to a few drops of water at most. But Pam gained respect from everyone day - especially me, as I sat in disbelief over what a difference a year could make in a person.  The gal could fish! Since that time, she has gone on to win 13 national titles, 3 elite Angler of the Year titles, plus the Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship last February. To date, she is the leading, all-time money winner in women's professional fishing. Pam was fortunate to have one of the greatest mentors of all times, another “Legend of the Outdoors Hall of Fame Inductee, Jack Wingate.  Known for owning “Wingate's Lunker Lodge,” he is a living history book on the Lake Seminole area having walked the river bottoms as a child with his father - long, long before the lake was filled.  Over the years, he mentored Pam and was one of her greatest fans - just as he was that August night in Nashville. Wingate was given the honors of introducing her and did so with pride and his trademark sense of humor. “Pam, how old were you when you when you got your very first speeding ticket on a dirt bike?” he grinned over his right shoulder to ask her. “Six years old,” she sheepishly replied. “And how many tickets did you get the first year?” he asked. She admitted, “Six, I think.”   The audience roared but quickly realized the point Wingate was making - that Pam Martin Wells had “gumption,” i.e. “guts, nerve, etc. from the time she was just a child. Having such nerve is surely what propelled later in life to take chances - against hundreds of women she didn't even know. Nerve to drive her boat through threatening, rough waters, to fish in rain, sleet, snow and temperatures over 100 degrees - every kind of weather Mother Nature offered.   She was fearless - and it showed.   Steven Wells, Pam's husband and “wind-beneath-her-wings” as the as the song implies, deserves credit, too. Anyone who ever watched him on shore while she was competing knows he is sometimes better entertainment than Sunday night television. He fidgets, paces and prays, watches the clock, hopes she's doing well, then fidgets, paces and prays all over again.  Strange, because if you ask, he will tell you he is certain that she is doing just fine, finding and catching her limits. And he means it.  He is incredibly sure of her abilities but - the way I see it, maybe he fidgets and paces just to “fit in” with the other guys.   When Pam weighs in, it is Steven in the crowd with her super supportive parents, taking pictures, movies, shouting the loudest when she takes the lead, and hugging her the hardest. He's even got a little winner's dance for tournaments she wins. Steven is one of the most supportive husbands on tour.   Pam Martin Wells, I met her before she ever became a pro angler, watched her vow to beat everyone. I saw the “eye of the tiger” in Pam - something only true winners possess.  And over the past 20 years, I unknowingly watched a friend become a sports legend in America's favorite past time….. fishing.   Pam Wells, a living legend of the outdoors. Well deserved, Pam. Well deserved. ###  ABOUT BASS-ON! BASS-ON! started as a simple idea for a license plate. On a Friday afternoon I went to the tag office to get a personal tag for my truck. The original theme was "Bite-Me", but that tag was already taken, so after about 30 minutes and many other tag ideas that were already taken the worker behind the counter said that they were closing in one minute. So while standing there, I threw my arms in the air and said what about "BASS-ON". She checked the computer and said that it was available. So I told her that I wanted BASS-ON1 for my truck and BASS-ON2 for my boat trailer. After about 4-5 weeks, my tags came in the mail. After placing the tag on my truck I stood up to walk around to the boat and glanced at the tag. The #1 after Bass-on looked like an exclamation point! So I looked at it again and said Bass-on! and the hair on my arms and back of my neck stood up on ends. Instantly, saying Bass-on! reminded me about "Game-on" for sports, "Rock-on" for music, and "Right-on" back in the 70's. Being a Bass fisherman myself, I really thought the name BASS-ON! had a ring to it, so I then had the BASS-ON! logo trademarked. After trademarking the name, I had my truck and boat lettered with the BASS-ON! graphics. This looked great, but after about 4-5 months I felt like something was missing on the truck, so then I added some MERCURY stickers to the rear sides of the truck. This helped but still wasn't what I was looking for. So one day I stopped by INK TRAX, to see about having a custom vinyl wrap done on the truck. I asked about doing some TRITON graphics down the side with a bass scene in the middle of them. INK TRAX said that it wouldn't be a problem to do. After thinking it over a minute, I realized that everyone uses that idea in one way or another and that I wanted something that no one had ever done before. I then told the graphics designer that what I rally wanted to do was turn the truck into the World's largest bass. he looked at me with a blank look on his face and said "we can do this, this will be insane!" So instantly they went to work on a design. After about a week they called me back and said they needed a live bass to photo to make a lifelike image on the truck. So that afternoon I went to my friends pond and caught a bass and kept it alive overnight till the next day. The bass was photographed and released back into the water the next afternoon. Two weeks later, I unveiled the BASS-ON! truck in Destin FL at the BASS PRO SHOP. The truck turned out way better than anyone had expected it to. The crowd was blown away when I pulled the cover off. After a couple of weeks passed by, I decided that the truck needed to be named. While running various names through my head like "BASSINATOR", "BASS-HUMONGOUS" and "BASS-ZILLA", I wanted a name that had never been used before. So I ran ideas in my head for a couple of days. While having the truck displayed, a lot of people asked me, SIR, YOU BASS FISH A LOT? For some reason this question stuck in my mind. Finally at work one day I kept running this question in my head and suddenly these words stuck out "SIR YOU BASS FISH ALOT. I added these words together and came up with SIR BASSALOT. This was a perfect name for the monster bass truck. So as you can see, BASS-ON! is all about being very original and setting yourself apart by just being yourself and believing in yourself! David E Partridge Bass-on! ###  Lodging For Professional Anglers / Boaters More Than Just “A Pillow Under Your Head” By Kathy Magers When the average traveler pulls into a hotel, all they want is to grab a clean, safe room and get a good night's sleep.  Their main considerations are little more than finding easy fuel and food.  But for the touring bass professional with a boat full of expensive “tools of the trade,” who often stays 3-10 days at a time, it's a very different story.  Touring pros need special lodging facilities where their needs are recognized and provided.  And it's the wise hotel that accommodates them. Long ago, luring fishermen with boats was not exactly the main goal of major hotel chains. Instead, boaters stayed at local motels, state parks, marina cabins or camped out. But with the dawning of professional bass tournaments, anglers on the road have become a target market for many of today's largest hotel chains. One such group is Quality Inn & Suites, Microtel Inn & Suites and Rodeway Inn & Suites in Bossier City, LA - site of the upcoming Women's Bassmaster Tour. The event will be held on the Red River, a liquid dividing line between “Bossier” and Shreveport.    Jeff Rogers is President of Southern Host Hospitality (SHH), the hotel management corporation for multiple well-known lodging brands such as Quality, Microtel, Rodeway, Best Western, Comfort Suites and Holiday Inn Express (all “Inn & Suites”.) He understands the tournament market well.  When boat owners drive past his hotel with boat in tow, Rogers wants and welcomes their business.   And he often gets it - because his corporation reaches a little farther than some of the competition. “We installed 12 outdoor electrical plugs at each hotel for guests to charge their boat batteries. We put these plugs at the ends of the buildings because we knew boaters needed to have easy access to them from their rooms,” says Rogers.   “We cater to the fact that boaters need to be downstairs.  That's hard to do since, most Bossier hotels have inside corridors (which is what we have) but putting the outlets at the end of the building, opens up at least ten downstairs rooms in each hotel. And we try to put these guests in rooms on the back side with windows overlooking the parking lot so they can see their boats at all times.”   When it comes to hotel / motel security, consider the advice of Robin Babb, a former threat assessment professional and stalking expert. Although she never needs a room herself (due to the fact that she travels in a Zeffer Travel System, a 45-foot NASCAR-style hauler containing her boat, equipment and full luxury living quarters,) Babb offers advice for touring pros looking for the right room: “At a minimum, the location should offer 24-hour lobby reception, security camera monitors, well-lighted parking area, doors with a deadbolt or door knob lock, plus a chain or swing-arm locking mechanism and peep hole. Also, it is a plus if the location offers night security patrol. Joanna Wilson- Southern Host Hospitality's Regional Sales & Marketing Director says, “We have 24-hour security - our managers live on property. We have security cameras and inside corridors, which provide more personal guest safety. Policemen continually travel the hotels here, making parking lots more secure.   We've been able to enjoy the fruits of making the Red River navigable for port and casinos - and since then, it also lured a lot of fishing tournaments here. Growth of the river gave more publicity to other interests in the area,” she says. “Just overnight, it became known as a wonder tournament spot.” More fishing tournaments mean more hotel business for Shreveport and Bossier City - a welcome sight - unlike years past when tournament anglers were not considered a major target.  But today, this market in cities that host major tournaments, is considered a valuable one.    “Established tournament trails are desirable because they can provide economic impact in excess of a million dollars per event” says Mary Ann Tice, Executive Director and CAO of the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority, an economic development corporation that secures sports tourism for it's economic impact. Following the first bass event we hosted, the 1997 BASS Federation Championship," adds Tice, "we rapidly recognized the potential for bass fishing and the Red River became our primary venue. That first BASS tournament on the Red River basically opened the area to bass fishing. B.A.S.S. ushered the advent of televised bass fishing along with corresponding print media - B.A.S.S. caused the explosion and we `poised to reap the benefits.' Bass fishing ranks very high as a preferred sports tourism event for us to host.” For more information on the Women's Bassmaster Tour Red River Event, Sept. 20-22, 2007 - contact B.A.S.S.  Customer Service Dept. at (407) 566-2277. For more information on hotel accommodations and tournament discounts for Women's' Bassmaster Tour contenders, contact Quality Inn & Suites at 318) 742-7890, Microtel Inn & Suites 318) 742-7882 and Rodeway Inn & Suites at 318  747-2400. All are located on exit 22 - (Airline Drive) in Bossier City. ####  PRIORITY: BORROWED BASS By Kathy Magers            Losing a national title and a huge chunk of winnings by a mere 1/100th of a pound is heart breaking.  For the winner, it’s just a “close call.”  But for the fish, it can be anything from a win-win to a losing situation, depending on who’s holding the weigh-in bag, and how they hold it.     Contenders come to the weigh-in line excited or disappointed and it’s easy to start talking about the day on the water and forget the bass are going “belly up” gasping for oxygen (water.) The bags should have plenty of water especially with a limit of fish. It can make the bag too heavy to pick up between water tanks but it’s easy to release a little as you near the end of the tank. Our intent and number one priority to insure our sport should be to return every fish alive and healthy.  After all, we’re only borrowing them for the day.         Most circuits offer “bonus” weight for live fish to encourage safe handling. To the general public and animal rights activists, nothing seems more wasteful or sets a bad example as letting fish die at the scales. Not to mention the kind of impression it would make on youth. Photo on right: WBT pro, Crystal Langston holds her weigh-in bag of bass under water to fill it properly. Ample water is a must for fish survival and assuring the future of our sport. Photo by Kathy Magers      The procedure for keeping fish alive starts with the “hit,” especially when fishing soft plastics.  When you feel the strike on a worm for instance, a quick hook set drives the barb through the bony mouth, a prime target area. Waiting too long, going “on point” aiming the rod tip at the fish and waiting 10-20-30 seconds only lets him swallow the lure and become “gut-hooked”- nearly certain death for any bass. If you DO happened to gut hook a bass and are not familiar with the technique for removing it, just cut the line and let him have your hook.        Otherwise, unhook the fish and place it in your live well as soon as possible. A water treatment such as “Catch & Release” calms the fish and treats it’s protective layer of slime coating. Break that coating and the fish can develop infection on it’s body and die.      During hot summer months, running live well aerators constantly gives fish more oxygen. (But it  can ultimately drain your batteries if you fish one area all day and fail to run your big engine.) On extremely hot days – you can toss a small chunk of ice in the live well to keep fish cool. Too much ice can shock them so add it gradually and put your aerators on recirculatin,  but add fresh water now and then.      Once on shore, live well bags should be filled with at least four inches of water over the fish. If it’s heavy, carrying the bag inside your fish net to shore provides a handle grip and additional security. Once in line, fresh, aerated, treated water should fill the bag- over the fish. Bass need ample water in the bag until right before weigh in – then slowly drain some of the water taking care not to lose any “escapees.”         When fish are measured, bagged and largest bass is handed to you,  move quickly. Expect photographers to ask for a posed shot of you with your fish.  If the fish is over about 3 pounds and you are “lipping” it vertically, consider changing to a horizontal hold - supporting the belly with your other hand.  It’s been determined that holding them by the lip alone can damage the jaw tendons and fish can easily die later from an inability to eat. Move quickly to the weigh-in scales – talk fast  at the microphone so your fish can be released immediately.       By keeping adequate aerated water on your fish at all times and proceeding quickly through photos and weigh-in, bass can be returned to the lake to live again for the coming generations. Next tournament, take a moment to witness the others in line with you at “the tanks.”  Are they laughing and talking? Are their fish completely covered in water or floating belly up in plastic bags?  If so, remind them with a smile and a nudge that they need more water.      Notice the speed with which professional tournament staff moves each contender and their bag of fish to the weigh-in stage and releases them immediately.  Then, look as the staff works with release fish to ensure their safe return to the water.  Most fish live through the ordeal.  Unfortunately, a few don’t – depending on the care they received throughout the weigh in process.      You can make a difference.  It’s our right to catch fish but our moral obligation to only “borrow” them for the day.  Catch & Release for the survival of fish – and survival of our sport.   *****If you catch a trophy bass, why not consider a replica mount? It’s a win-win situation for both angler and fish! ### Field and Stream Magazine recently published an article entitled North America's 25 Best Fishing Lodges.  Among the 25 were 4 lodges recommended for bass fishing: #5 "Big Bass Bonanza"--Anglers Inn, El Salto Lake, Mexico--"Premier bass lake south of the border renowned for double digit bass". #7 "Just Another 60-Fish Day"--Bienville Plantation, Florida--"Americas Number one fishing lodge for largemouth bass anglers". #23 "The Wonder of Winnipesaukee"--Windrifter Resort and Yacht Club, New Hampshire--"World Class Smallmouth Fishing" #25 "Gateway to Lake Champlain"--Shore Acres Inn, Vermont--"The largemouth and smallmouth action is superb" The author of the article is John Merwin. He says that this is "A biased, opinionated, and infinitely debatable list--in order of the fishingest places on the continent.  Day 2 Champlain cancelled 9/28/2006 Day 2 of competition at the Champlain Northeastern Stren has been cancelled due to hazardous weather conditions. Weather permitting, competition will resume tomorrow as scheduled. Due to the cancellation, the Top 20 pros and co-anglers, based on day 1 standings, advanced to fish tomorrow, after which the Top 10 pros and cos will fish day 4. Due to a tie for the final 20th-place cut spot, 21 pros advanced to fish tomorrow. Stren Rule 16 states that a 1-hour fish off is used to decide a tie in the cut position. According to FLW Outdoors, tournament director Chris Jones waived the fish-off and advanced both anglers due to the hazardous weather conditions.  7-Eleven drops Citgo 9/27/2006 Numerous news outlets, including the Associated Press and Forbes, announced that 7-Eleven stores have dropped Citgo as a gasoline supplier. The action came in the wake of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez' recent conduct at the UN General Assembly. Chavez, who controls Citgo, referred to president Bush as "the Devil." Citgo is currently the title sponsor of BASS, but that relationship is expected to end with the conclusion of this season. Sources close to BASS say the search for a new title sponsor has been underway since earlier this year, and leading candidates include current sponsor Toyota, and Goodyear – which sponsored last month's Bassmaster Legends Major. ####  FLW Outdoors donates $10,500 to assist Logan Martin Lake stocking plan FLW Photo Ray Scheide hooks into a feisty Coosa River spotted bass in Saturday's FLW Tour Championship finals. 19.Sep.2006 MINNEAPOLIS — In an effort to promote conservation among the fisheries that host its professional bass tournaments, FLW Outdoors has donated $10,500 to the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. The donation coincides with the 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, held Aug. 2-5 on Logan Martin Lake near Birmingham, Ala. At the event, the FishAmerica Foundation and Castrol administered a conservation program through which wristbands were sold for a minimum of $1 each, and proceeds were donated to local conservation efforts. The wristbands, which signify support for the preservation and restoration of America’s great fisheries, were purchased by both FLW Tour anglers and fans. A total donation of $10,500, including $500 from wristband proceeds, a $5,000 donation from FLW Outdoors on behalf of the National Guard and Shinichi Fukae, Anthony Gagliardi and Dion Hibdon for leading the most days of competition throughout the season, and $5,000 provided by FLW Outdoors through the FishAmerica Foundation, will be used to help replace outdated fish-stocking equipment and supplies at the Marion State Fish Hatchery, vital to the state’s successful Florida-strain largemouth bass stocking plan. During the 1980s, Alabama’s Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries initiated a Florida-strain largemouth bass stocking strategy that successfully introduced Florida genes into the largemouth bass populations in several Alabama reservoirs. In spring 2007, the state will initiate the first of several stocking cycles on Logan Martin Lake using the new stocking equipment. In addition to the Logan Martin Lake project, FLW Outdoors also raised $1,500 that was donated to the FishAmerica Gulf Fund. The winning pro angler jerseys from each of the seven FLW Tour events this season were auctioned off at the 2006 FLW Tour Championship. The proceeds will help restore Gulf Coast sportfisheries and fishing access facilities devastated during the 2005 hurricane season. The Gulf Fund will provide grants to community-based sportfishing and conservation organizations to help restore sportfish populations, their habitats and fishing facilities. FLW Outdoors is an organization devoted to giving something back to the communities that host its tournaments. As it has in the past, FLW Outdoors donated at least $5,000 at each of its seven FLW Tour events in 2006. In 2000, FLW Outdoors announced its partnership with the FishAmerica Foundation, the conservation arm of the American Sportfishing Association. Since then, FLW Outdoors has directly donated more than $285,000 and helped to generate more than $2 million for local conservation projects. In 2006 alone, FLW Outdoors has already donated over $50,000. “It’s our job to ensure that we leave a fishery is in better condition than when we arrive,” said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “We do this by maintaining an extremely high live-release rate and by contributing funds for conservation efforts in the host cities where our tournaments are held. Our long-term relationship with the FishAmerica Foundation demonstrates our commitment to continually improving America’s finest waters.” Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. ####  FSN to air conclusion of $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship on Oct. 1 FOX Sports Net 25.Sep.2006 MINNEAPOLIS — Tune in Sunday, Oct. 1, to “FLW Outdoors” on FSN for the conclusion of the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Logan Martin Lake in Birmingham, Ala. Watch as co-hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz take viewers through the final weigh-in and award the winning pro angler $500,000, the largest first-place award in professional bass fishing. The one-hour show is the second of a two-part series covering the final event of the $7.6 million FLW Tour season. Anglers from 28 states and Japan qualified for the championship after competing in six events stretching from Lake Okeechobee in Florida to Lake Champlain in New York. After the two-day opening round, the field is narrowed to 24 pro anglers. Head-to-head competition continues on day three, after which 12 pros advance to the final round on day four. The 12 finalists start from zero and compete for one day to determine the winner. The Oct. 1 show features Castrol pro David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va. After two days of competition, Dudley finds himself in a familiar position: poised to cash a big check. Earlier this season, Dudley, 30, surpassed $2 million in career winnings, making him the youngest angler to accomplish that feat. He also holds the distinct honor of being the youngest angler to surpass $1 million in career winnings, a milestone he reached in March of 2002 at 26 years of age. Having won the 2003 FLW Tour Championship, Dudley knows what it takes to win on bass fishing’s biggest stage. Learn about his unique fishing philosophy as FSN takes a closer look at this emotional angler. Fishing fans will also be treated to an all-access feature with Poulan-Weed Eater pro Ray Scheide. The 2006 season has proved to be a breakout year for the Russellville, Ark., angler. Scheide finished fourth in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race and is in contention for the second win of his young FLW Tour career. After two days on Logan Martin Lake, Scheide has caught 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 15 ounces. The show also recaps the 2005 FLW Tour Championship on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. Competing in front of a hometown crowd, pro George Cochran brought in a winning catch of five bass weighing 10 pounds, 3 ounces to win $500,000. In addition, Gain Rookie of the Year Gabe Bolivar participates in this edition of Fishing 101. Bolivar, of Ramona, Calif., reveals his two go-to baits for unfamiliar lakes and explains how one bait in particular, earned him a berth in the 2006 FLW Tour Championship. FSN is the industry leader in providing the most up-to-date technology in TV production. FSN puts viewers in the boats with the pros, shadowing them from sunrise until the final weigh-in using innovative camera work that gives fishing fans an intimate viewing experience. FSN broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon ET. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online show guide listing upcoming events on “FLW Outdoors.” During each tournament show, “FLW Outdoors” hosts Charlie Evans and Keith Lebowitz appear on location and provide on-the-water coverage. “FLW Outdoors” is tape-delayed to bring audiences nationwide the best tournament footage possible throughout the season. FSN reaches more than 81 million homes through its network of 20 regional sports channels. Established in 1996, FSN is the only cable network that supplies national, regional and local sports programming. FSN serves as the cable TV home to 62 of the 82 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States, and produces over 4,500 live events each year. FSN has an extensive catalog of original national programs, including “Best Damn Sports Show Period” and “Beyond the Glory” documentary series, along with national packages of collegiate sports. Based in Los Angeles, FSN is part of the vast FOX Sports television family. For the latest up-to-the-minute sports news and opinions, visit the FOX Sports/FSN website at www.FoxSports.com. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast internationally to more than 350 million households in many countries including Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world. Additionally, FLW Outdoors is proud to provide tournament coverage to more than 800,000 service men and women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard Navy ships through broadcasts on the American Forces Network. Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006. Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com.