Could
This Be The Strongest Circuit In The State? FPT Tour Rocks
Classic
Anglers head to the Konacti Harbor Spa and Resort
Kelseyville,
Calif - It is for sure that on next Saturday all eyes will turn
to the resort town of Kelseyville California and the exciting
Future Pro Tour Classic event to be held at it's premier attraction,
Konocti Harbor Spa and Resort. On that weekend, one team out of
65 qualifying teams will be crowned the 2005 Future Pro Tour champions,
a team that can truly be considered the best amateur team in the
west.
And
the stage is also being set for some real excitement outside the
normal tournament venue as well. 5-time CMA winners Rascal Flatts
will be in concert at the resort that weekend (Sat night), along
with “ol school”
rockers Judas Priest (Friday night), bringing over 10,000 people
through the lodge for that weekend, helping it to achieve a "sold-out"
status.
Add
to this, the fact that most of the Future Pro Tour's major sponsors,
such as Ranger Boats representative Keith Tripp, People's Folsom
Lake Chrysler/Jeep/Hyundai General Manager Troy Pelz, C&C
Marine's Mike Van Wagner, West Marine Products reps, and Minnkota/Humminbird
western representative Len Vinci will be in attendance, and you
have enough to make even the best anglers buckle under the pressure
of the limelight.
But
distraction in it's various forms are all part of the game, and
a critical piece of the training puzzle necessary for the successful
grooming of these anglers and their aspirations of someday moving
up to pro-level competition. “Pressure is a good thing for
these Future Pro Tour anglers as it relates to their growth in
this sport” comment Skeet Reese, 5-time B.A.S.S. Classic
qualifier and brother of John Reese who qualified 27 th for the
event with partner Scott Gabaldon. “You have no idea how
distracting it can be when you have a lot on the line, and you
have to deal with press, media, and the expectation pressures
put on you by friends an spectators.
But it's all part of the game, and fishing success more often
than not, can be determined by how you deal with those pressures”.
Gary
Dobyns, the west's all-time money winner and pro-support staff
speaker at the Future Pro Tour Classic awards banquet the evening
before the event, recalls his first Bassmaster Classic appearance
in 1999 in New Orleans, and the effects an overwhelming amount
of “hype” coupled with fan adulation can create for
anglers, even those like himself, that have won over 30 fully-rigged
bass boats.
“Man..everyday
there were press conferences to attend, or sponsors to meet up
with, and so many people to meet. It never stopped! It's a wonder
we had any time to even prepare for the event. But it was a great
experience that really brought to light how popular this sport
is in other regions of the country”.
Classic
qualifiers will also be thrown another twist as they try to prepare
for this all-important event. The lake will be divided in two
parts, where competitors on the first day will have to fish the
north end and the second day they will be limited to fishing the
south end of the lake. Because the north end and south ends of
the lake are totally opposite of each other as far as depth, cover,
and structure are concerned, it will create a challenge not unlike
that of the two previous Classic events, where the venue was Folsom
Lake on the first day and the California delta on the final day.
With this format in place you can bet that the winning team will
truly be proud of their accomplishments and will know they EARNED
the keys to the fully-rigged Ranger boat with Evinrude outboard
being offered as 1st prize, if they can fight though the challenges
presented in this Classic event!
The
1st day weigh-in is scheduled for Saturday 3pm at Konocti Harbor
Spa and Resort, with final day weigh-in and presentation of the
Future Pro Tour Classic champions being scheduled for 3pm the
following day.
Live
internet updates with minute-by-minute weigh-in stats will be
available via the Future Pro Tour website ( www.futureprotour.net
), so make sure you follow all the “swing by swing”
action as it happens!
See
you all at the Classic!
Vince
Harris
Future
Pro Tour Tournament Trails
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
- All Species, All Delta
The
Ultimate Resource For California Delta Fishing
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