2009

Berkley and Abu Garcia pro team member Clark Wendlandt earned his third FLW Angler of the Year title, more than any other angler. The Leander, Texas native earned a cool $25,000 and a Ranger 198VX powered by a

Berkley and Abu Garcia pro team member Clark Wendlandt earned his third FLW Angler of the Year title, more than any other angler. The Leander, Texas native earned a cool $25,000 and a Ranger 198VX powered by a 200-horsepower Yamaha outboard for the title. Wendlandt secured the crown on Lake Champlain with 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 7 ounces over the final two days of the final FLW Tour qualifying event of the season in a race that went down to the last day of the regular season.

“There are so many great anglers on the FLW Tour and to come away with another AOY title is very special,” said Wendlandt. “I made the switch to Berkley and Abu Garcia this year and their support means the world to me; without them as a key sponsor this would have been a tough year. The Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon is unmatched and the REVO STX reels are the real deal. The castability of the 100% Fluorocarbon matched with the STX is unstoppable.”

A 13-year veteran of the FLW Tour, Wendlandt claimed his first Angler of the Year title in 1997 and received his second title in 2000. The Berkley and Abu Garcia pro has accumulated 34 top-10 finishes and three victories while earning a staggering $1.6 million.

“The FLW Tour trail is getting tougher,” said Wendlandt. “There are a ton of young guns coming up and nipping at the veteran’s heels. Guys like Stetson Blaylock are making tournament wins hard to come by, but the veterans of the sport are still putting together some wins of their own.”

Berkley and Abu Garcia Pros dominated the FLW Angler of the Year race with four out of the top five positions. Rounding out the top spots for Angler of the Year were; Berkley team pros Luke Clausen of Gainesville, Ga. (2nd), Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif. (3rd) and Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C. finishing in fifth place.

Pure Fishing pro team member Stetson Blaylock achieved one goal that didn’t register on his radar at the beginning of 2009 FLW Tour season – win the Rookie of

Pure Fishing pro team member Stetson Blaylock achieved one goal that didn’t register on his radar at the beginning of 2009 FLW Tour season – win the Rookie of the Year title. He completed this goal by finishing in 39th place overall with 853 points on the FLW Tour. Blaylock attributed his success throughout the year to the strong support of his Pure Fishing sponsorship and the winning products that they produce each year.

“I had a ton of success with all my gear,” said Blaylock. “I utilized the strength and durability of the Abu Garcia Vendetta paired with the Revo STX, which is simply a tournament-winning combination. I know everyone raves about the Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, but there is a reason why – it works. I drag it over rocks, stumps and laydowns without hesitation. It is the toughest, most reliable fluorocarbon that I’ve ever used. I have also had a lot of success with the PowerBait Crazy Legs Chigger Craw. The double-action craw is unbeatable in any condition.”

Blaylock, who earned $1,000 for the title, secured the crown on Lake Champlain with 10 bass weighing 24 pounds and 11 ounces over the first two days of the final FLW Tour qualifying event of the season.

“It hasn’t really set in yet,” said Blaylock. “It’s a one-time deal. You can only do it once in your life and to accomplish that is amazing. I hope it’s the first of a lot of things to come. I’ve had the support of my sponsors from my early days as a co-angler and I appreciate Pure Fishing. They gave me a shot to prove my worth. I look forward to a successful future with them.”

The young pro has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Early in his career, Blaylock won the 2008 Walmart Open on Beaver Lake in Rogers, Ark., as a co-angler and captured the 2008 FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year award. He has a total of five victories in FLW Outdoors events, 19 top-10 finishes and more than $393,000 in career earnings.

The Rookie of the Year annually goes to the FLW Tour Pro Division rookie who has the highest year-end point total in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season.

The 2009 Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series ended June 14 much the same as it did in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Miller’s Ale House team led by Berkley Pro

Columbia, SC, June 17, 2009 - The 2009 Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series ended June 14 much the same as it did in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The Miller’s Ale House team led by Berkley Pro Staffer Captain Artie Price was once again named "Team of the Year.”

Price and team relied on Berkley for line and baits for their tarpon success. For clear water conditions the team spooled 40-pound Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon as their main line combined with 80-pound Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon leaders. In cloudy situations or when stained water was experienced the team switched to heavier line, 50-pound Vanish main line and 100-pound Vanish leaders.

A proven smallmouth and redfish bait, the watermelon red Berkley Gulp! Goby, was used to lure the tarpon.

“Vanish is the absolute best line solution for catching tarpon from May through August in the Boca Grande Pass,” proclaimed Price. “The water is very clear and the current is exceptionally strong. Monofilament is too visible and braid does not work because it gives off too much noise (harmonics), when fished in the current.”
The Miller’s Ale House team includes Capt. Price, Frank Massaro, Greg DeVault and John Turner.

The Championship Competition, the culminating event after a five-tournament qualifying series, was at Boca Grande Pass on the west coast of Florida, arguably the tarpon fishing capital of the world. The 25 qualifying teams were allowed only five hours on the water beginning at 7 am and each team was allowed to record two tarpons. Points are allocated for each tournament and total points at the end of the year denotes the Team of the Year. Price and team collected 1904 points during the season, over 300 points more than the second place team, and were awarded a $35,000 inshore boat with engine and trailer.

The 2nd Annual Berkley Big Bass Challenge on the Delta is in the record books. The event, hosted by Vince Harris and Anglers Press, saw more than 300 anglers

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 10, 2009) - The 2nd Annual Berkley Big Bass Challenge on the Delta is in the record books. The event, hosted by Vince Harris and Anglers Press, saw more than 300 anglers vying for over $16,000 in cash and a new 2009 Toyota Tundra truck valued at over $25,000. Also on the line was a day on the water with 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese, which was won in a raffle by Brett Walsh. Tony Ragona, Tracy, Calif. native, won the Toyota Tundra against the other hourly winners of the tournament.

The tournament was held on the prolific California Delta that is known for producing large bass. The scales saw many good size bass during the hourly weigh-ins, but many anglers also cashed checks with smaller fish.

“The purpose of the tournament was to have a blast and expose as many anglers, from novices to weekend tournament warriors, to the entire spectrum of Berkley baits,” said Andrew Marks, Berkley Sr. Marketing Manager. “We believe that our products truly catch more fish. I was excited to see the field grow from 105 anglers last year to over 300 anglers. The turnout was a true testament for what Berkley wants to see happen to the entire fishing industry - growth. Plus, getting to see the joy of these anglers and their families made this tournament worth the effort.”

The event started with the Berkley Experience Trailer setting up at Russo’s Marina. Partnering with the Hook, Line and Sinker, the Berkley Experience was open all during the tournament. Product demonstrations and pro staff were on hand to help the anglers with selecting their Berkley baits for the upcoming tournament. Each angler received a goodie bag with a Berkley hat, 2 baits including the new Crazy Legs Chigger Craw and a box of the world’s first color-changing nylon monofilament Trilene Transoptic line – recently introduced by Berkley.

Seven hourly prizes and the Tundra were guaranteed to be awarded regardless the number of anglers or weights, but when the field grew to over 300 anglers Berkley added an additional chair that paid $50 each hour. Only Berkley baits were used in the two-day event. The baits that brought the fish to the scales varied from top-water Frenzy Walkers to PowerBait 10” Power Worms, Chigger Craws, Beast, Heavyweight SinkWorms and the new Crazy Legs Chigger Craw.

Berkley Pros Randy Pringle and Jeff Huth, emcees of the event, watched as Chris Schland brought in the largest bass caught, a 10-pound, 8-ounce hawg during the first hour of competiton.

Complete results can be found at www.anglerspress.net. A video of the final winners attempting to start the truck can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FueKaTKxUqg

The 2010 dates are being set for the 3rd Annual Big Bass Challenge on the Delta and will be announced soon. The Texas Berkley Big Bass on Lake Fork is set for October 17th-18th.