Rogers, Ark. – On day one of the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake, Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas, made a prophetic remark: “We’re on the winning pattern, there’s no doubt about that; it’s just a matter of who is going to get the better bites off those places.”

Pack made that statement after taking the lead on day one of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event. The allusion was to the fact that he and several other competitors were dialed in to the same pattern and same places on a high and muddy Beaver Lake.

Over the next two days, Pack took a trip backward in the standings. He drifted to third on day two and then back to sixth on day three.

But even then he still maintained his belief: “It may not be me, but someone is going to win the tournament fishing this pattern … there are several guys doing it.”

Today, Pack proved he was right by bringing in 14 pounds, 5 ounces of Beaver Lake bass to the scales to win the Wal-Mart Open and $200,000 with a two-day total of 21 pounds, 10 ounces.

Pack’s big limit rocketed him from sixth place to first and gave him an untouchable 3-pound, 7-ounce margin of victory.

“It’s great to win a major league tournament like this,” said Pack, who has fished the FLW Tour for nine years without a win. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was young.”

Pack’s journey to his Wal-Mart Open victory actually began several years ago when he fished this event in high water. During that event he scored a top-10 by fishing road beds and long rock points that stuck way out in the main river.

The series of bars, points and road beds were located within five miles of the Highway 12 Bridge. This week he fished those exact same places for the win.

“Each of these places had some kind of hard structure up on top – rock, asphalt, concrete, even old submerged boat ramps – and the fish were relating to those hard places,” he said. “The reason why they bit so much better today was because of the current. Yesterday there was no current, and the lake was backing up; it had the fish really scattered. But today the current was running, and it had the fish congregated. I had a limit by 7:30 this morning and probably caught 35 keepers all day.”

Pack, who is the owner of Lake Fork Trophy Tackle, used some of his own creations to catch his fish. He used a homemade 3/16-ounce jig teamed with one of his new Hyper Worms, which features a big paddle tail on a segmented body.

He also credited a Lucky Craft RC 2.5 crankbait for producing his big fish today, which weighed about 5 pounds.

When he did occasionally flip, he used a jig teamed with a Lake Fork Hyper-Freak trailer.

“Most of the fish came on the 3/16-ounce jig with the Hyper Worm,” he said. “I was kind of swimming the jig over the bottom in 3 feet of water. With the water being so muddy, that paddle tail on the worm helped the fish find the bait.”


Article courtesy of Rob Newell - FLW Outdoors.

FLW Outdoors, BassMedics help preserve America’s fisheries
_{Portion of Rejuvenade sales to go toward FLW Outdoors conservation projects}

MINNEAPOLIS — FLW Outdoors announced today a multiyear conservation agreement with Outdoor Specialty Products, LLC, parent company of BassMedics. Starting immediately, a portion of Rejuvenade® Next Generation sales will go directly toward FLW Outdoors conservation projects. Rejuvenade Next Generation is the official livewell additive for all FLW Outdoors-administered tournament trails.

Rejuvenade has become the No. 1 livewell additive on tour and is used in both freshwater and saltwater FLW Outdoors circuits . Rejuvenade Next Generation is a new and improved proactive livewell formula that revitalizes and rejuvenates bass, redfish, walleyes and other freshwater and saltwater game fish under tournament conditions.

Rejuvenade Next Generation was formulated with the tournament fisherman in mind, producing a truly innovative product designed to further address the needs of game fish under tournament conditions. World-class anglers such as Wal-Mart FLW Tour pros Dion Hibdon, Kevin Vida and Scott Suggs use and recommend Rejuvenade as well as Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series pros Rick Murphy and Andrew Bostick.

According to Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors: “It’s our job to ensure that we leave a fishery in better condition than when we arrive. Rejuvenade has played an important role in helping establish our historical 98-percent live-release rate. We use this product exclusively and highly advise it to both the tournament and recreational angler.”

Richard Burton, co-owner of OSP, LLC-BassMedics, said: “At OSP, LLC, we are dedicated to building the most innovative products in the sport-fishing industry. Our conservation partnership with FLW Outdoors presents us with an opportunity to improve upon the already outstanding fish-care techniques being used in tournament fishing. This agreement also gives us the ability to contribute resources back to the industry and address conservation agendas.

“We are proud of our affiliation with FLW Outdoors and look forward to the next few years with great anticipation. Rejuvenade, our first product under the BassMedics line, has become the benchmark for fish care in tournament angling. Although it was originally designed for bass, it soon made its way into livewells for all game-fish tournaments. Rejuvenade is now used in most major tournament trails for bass, walleye, crappie, redfish, stripers and speckled trout.”

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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.

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 Walmart.com.

BassMedics donation to help fund FLW Outdoors conservation efforts

ROGERS, Ark. — BassMedics presented a $5,000 donation to FLW Outdoors during Sunday’s final weigh-in at the $1.5 million Wal-Mart Open in Rogers. The donation, which will help fund conservation projects administered by the tournament organizer, was generated from sales of BassMedics’ Rejuvenade® Next Generation lievewell additive as part of a recently announced multiyear conservation agreement with FLW Outdoors.

Rejuvenade, the first product in the BassMedics line, is the No. 1 livewell additive used by FLW Outdoors pros in both freshwater and saltwater tournaments . Rejuvenade Next Generation is a new and improved proactive livewell formula that revitalizes and rejuvenates bass, redfish, walleyes and other freshwater and saltwater game fish under tournament conditions. A portion of the proceeds from every bottle of Rejuvenade Next Generation sold goes to fund FLW Outdoors conservation projects.

Richard Burton, co-owner of OSP, LLC, BassMedics’ parent company, said: “Our conservation partnership with FLW Outdoors presents us with an opportunity to improve upon the already outstanding fish-care techniques being used in tournament fishing. This agreement also gives us the ability to contribute resources back to the industry and help fund conservation projects nationwide. We are proud of our affiliation with FLW Outdoors and look forward to working with the organization for many years to come.”

In 2000, FLW Outdoors announced its partnership with the FishAmerica Foundation, the conservation arm of the American Sportfishing Association. Since then, FLW Outdoors has helped to generate more than $2 million for local conservation projects.

“It’s our job to ensure that we leave a fishery in better condition than when we arrive,” said FLW Outdoors President and CEO Charlie Evans. “Rejuvenade has played an important role in helping establish our historical 98-percent live-release rate. Now, with a portion of Rejuvenade sales directly funding FLW Outdoors’ conservation projects, our partnership with BassMedics is even more beneficial to our goal of promoting healthy and sustainable fisheries.”

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, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, 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 of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.

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 Walmart.com.