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Breaking News
Pittsburgh Will Host 2009 Forrest Wood Cup
Thursday, September 11, 2008
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Photo: FLW Outdoors
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As reported earlier, FLW Outdoors did announce this morning that Pittsburgh will host the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup. Competition will take place on the Three Rivers (Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela) from July 30–Aug. 2.
This will be the second major championship hosted by the city. The first was the 2005 Bassmaster Classic, won by Kevin VanDam. BassFans may recall that Classic as a low-weight battle in which VanDam edged Aaron Martens by 6 ounces with a 3-day total of 12-15.
While the venue received significant knocks for producing a 4 1/2-pound winning daily average (the lowest in Classic history), at the same time it provided for a tight Classic laced with drama and crowd excitement. Dropshots and other small plastics dominated the bite, although VanDam won with a vintage Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue.
The choice of Pittsburgh isn't a surprise, since rumors of a Pittsburgh Cup surfaced as early as January of this year, when FLW Outdoors officials toured the city and met with representatives. At that time, Pittsburgh news sources estimated it would cost the city $500,000 to land the Cup, which included a $200,000 tournament fee paid to FLW Outdoors. Financial terms were not disclosed in a press release issued by FLW Outdoors today, but local media will likely speculate on figures today or tomorrow.
Also notable is that the Three Rivers bass fishery has reportedly improved – the benefit of a strong 2001 year class.
Additional Notes
Pittsburgh marks the furthest point north for FLW Tour Championship (now Forrest Wood Cup) competition. The 2001 championship was to be held at Lake Champlain, a point further north, but that event was canceled due to the 9-11 attack. Former championship sites are:
> Lake Sinclair, Ga. (1996)
> Lake Ferguson, Miss. (1997)
> Mississippi River, Ill. (1998)
> Ft. Gibson Lake, Okla. (1999)
> Red River, La. (2000)
> Lake Champlain, N.Y. (2001, canceled)
> Cross Lake, La. (2002)
> James River, Va. (2003)
> Lake Logan Martin, Ala. (2004)
> Lake Hamilton, Ark. (2005)
> Lake Logan Martin, Ala. (2006)
> Lake Ouachita, Ark. (2007)
> Lake Murray, S.C. (2008)
FLW Outdoors stated that coverage of the Forrest Wood Cup will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the "FLW Outdoors" television program. That references total distribution, however, and not ratings (meaning, how many households actually tune in). As an example, the 2006 Toho Bassmaster Classic, at the time, was the highest-rated Classic since ESPN2 began airing the event in 2001. It achieved a 0.4 rating for its three telecasts, which translated into an average of 331,000 homes watching. FLW Outdoors does not publish ratings information for its shows.
The TBF's Junior World Championship will be held in conjunction with the Cup on the Allegheny River.
Ken Komoroski, an attorney with the Pittsburgh office of K&L Gates and member of the local organizing committee, said in the press release: "We're delighted to have the prestige and excitement of the Forrest Wood Cup coming to Pittsburgh. As a result of years of water-quality improvement efforts, substantial populations of smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass can now be found throughout the three rivers. Western Pennsylvania is now a world-class destination for recreation and tourism, and we're looking forward to the opportunity to showcase the beauty of our rivers to the nation. This is clearly the biggest game in the country and, in fact, is the largest fishing tournament in the world, and we're honored to be selected as the host."
In the same release, FLW Outdoors president and CEO Charlie Evans said: "The Forrest Wood Cup is more than a championship tournament. It's more than an outdoor show. The Forrest Wood Cup is a weeklong festival that engages the entire community. From young anglers showcasing their talents in the National Guard Junior World Championship, to promising rookies testing their mettle against the sport's legends, to the richest payout in all of fantasy sports, the Forrest Wood Cup showcases everything that makes bass fishing the greatest sport in the world, and we're honored to be visiting Pittsburgh."
Komoroski co-chairs the local organizing committee with Davitt Woodwell, vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. The committee also includes Craig Davis, vice president of VisitPittsburgh.
Daily weigh-ins will be held in Mellon Arena.
The scheduled date doesn't immediately conflict with the Bassmaster Elite Series, but competition does begin a few days after the Elite Series fishes Bays de Noc in Escanaba, Mich. If BASS pros do make the Cup, they'd likely miss at least part of practice. The schedule was similar this year, when both Steve Kennedy and Derek Remitz missed much of Cup practice while traveling from Lake Oneida. It's about 12 hours from Escanaba to Pittsburgh.
Castrol and BP are presenting sponsors of the Cup.
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