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Kansas Fishing Records

Copyright 1999 

World's Top Bass Anglers Vie for Fishing's
Top Cash in Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship

WAGONER, Okla.--(BW SportsWire)--Sept. 20, 1999--The largest
first place cash prize in bass tournament competition - $250,000 - is
at stake when the world's best 50 professional bass fishermen compete
in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour World Bass Fishing Championship
September 22-25, 1999, on Ft Gibson Lake at Wagoner, Oklahoma.

The championship, presented by CITGO, that also showcases the
world's best 50 co-anglers, boasts a $450,000 purse, and is the
culmination of the fourth year, seven event, 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour,
the most lucrative series in bass fishing history. The 1999 tour
awarded anglers $3.97 million in cash.

The Wal-Mart FLW Tour, in four years, has become the premier tour
in professional bass fishing, elevating competitive angling to a new
realm of national awareness and capturing the imagination of outdoor
enthusiasts throughout the country by offering huge cash purses
rivaling those of mainstream, traditional sports.

The championship field is comprised of the tour's top performing
anglers throughout the year, including: Mike Wurm, Pete Thiliveros,
Mickey Bruce, Joel Richardson, Gary Klein, and Clark Wendlandt,
winners of the six previous tour events, the top five finishers in the
$1 million Forrest Wood Open, and the top 40 tour fishermen based on a
system of points and pounds awarded during the first two competition
days in the six qualifying tournaments leading up to the championship.

The format for the championship includes four days of elimination
competition, with the full field narrowing to the top 10 pros and
co-anglers at the conclusion of the second day of competition.

The anglers then fish for one day (weights do not carry over from
the first round) with the top five pros, based on that day's catch
weight, advancing on to the final round. Co-angler competition is
concluded Friday. In the final round, each of the five pro anglers are
paired with an ESPN camera crew that films each angler's entire
fishing day. The Wal-Mart FLW Tour Bass Championship is scheduled to
air on ESPN Sunday, October 24, 1999, at 1 p.m. (EST) and ESPN 2,
Sunday, December 26, 1999, at 1:00 p.m.

Land O' Lakes Angler-of-the-Year David Walker of Cannon,
Kentucky, heads into the championship as one of the most recognized
anglers in the field. Walker is the second angler in history to be
featured on the Wheaties cereal box. The box is due out in October.

Daily launch ceremonies will commence at 6:30 a.m. from Paradise
Cove Marina in Wagoner, Oklahoma. Tournament weigh-ins will be held
Wednesday through Saturday at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 410
South Dewey in Wagoner, Oklahoma. Wednesday and Thursday's activities
begin at 3:30 p.m., Friday's weigh-in starts at 5:00 p.m., and
Saturday's final weigh-in and ESPN television taping begins at 3:30
p.m. A Family Fun Zone, with activities including: casting contests,
seminars from pro anglers, manufacturers displays, and a trout pond
will be open to the public beginning at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Sponsors of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour include: Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola,
Land O'Lakes, CITGO Petroleum Products, Chevy Trucks, Uniroyal Tires,
Fujifilm, EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights, Black and Decker,
Coleman Company, Ranger Boats, Mitchell Rods and Reels, Spiderwire,
Evinrude Outboard Motors, Evinrude Electric Trolling Motors, Eagle
Electronics, Timex Expedition, Wrangler, Chex Mix, Hamburger Helper,
US Bank VISA, and Wheaties.

Kansans Cecil Kingsley and Ron Chapman will compete
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship Field Set;
World Champion Anglers Ready For Shot At $250,000
GILBERTSVILLE. Ky.--(BW SportsWire)--July 22, 1999--The biggest
names in the world of competitive bass angling are set to compete in
the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, September 22-25, 1999, on Ft.
Gibson Lake located near Wagoner, Oklahoma, where they will vie for a
share of the $450,000 purse and the largest first place cash award in
competitive bass angling -- $250,000.

Two Kansans will be competing in the event. Cecil Kingsley, Lawrence, will compete in the pro division while Ron Chapman of Lake Quivira will compete in the amateur side.

The world class anglers represent the top 50 competitors from the
1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour's Professional Division and the top 50 anglers
from the tour's Co-Angler Division competing in three elimination
rounds to determine which bass angler will reign as competitive bass
fishing's world champion.

The championship field is comprised of winning professional and
co-anglers from the previous six, 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour tournaments,
the top five professional and co-anglers from the $1 million Forrest
Wood Open, with the remainder of the field consisting of the top 40
professional and co-anglers, based on a system of accumulated points
and pounds awarded during the first two days of competition in the six
qualifying tournaments leading up to the championship.

David Walker of Cannon, Kentucky, accumulated the most points
during the regular season in the Professional Division with 313 out of
a possible 450 to lead all professional anglers. Walker was named the
Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year as the points leader for the 1999
Wal-Mart FLW Tour season and will be featured on a special edition box
of Wheaties later this year. Walker is only the second angler in the
cereal's 75-year history to receive the honor; Denny Brauer of
Camdenton, Missouri, was the first.

The North Carolina and Florida contingents dominate the
Professional Division field with six representatives apiece, followed
by Kentucky and Missouri with four anglers from each state holding
championship berths. Two father/son combinations have qualified for
the prestigious championship, presented by CITGO. Keith and Ricky
Green of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and Guido and Dion Hibdon of Gravois
Mills and Stover, Missouri, will all compete for the incredible
$250,000 first place cash, as will Roland Martin of Clewiston,
Florida, whose son Scott, the Spiderwire Co-Angler of the Year,
qualified to compete in the Co-Angler Division of the Wal-Mart FLW
Tour's season finale. First place in the Co-Angler Division will be
$25,000. In the Co-Angler Division, four anglers who have qualified
for this year's championship, David Hudson of Jasper, Alabama, Rick
Parnell of Casselberry, Florida, John Van Cleave of Eufaula, Alabama,
and Leon Williams of Fairdale, Kentucky, will be participating in
their fourth consecutive Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship.
The championship field will compete for two days, Wednesday and
Thursday, for one of 10 berths (pro & co-angler) available in the
second round of action on Friday. Weights do not carry over to
Friday's round; Co-Angler competition concludes at the end of Friday's
fishing. The Professional Division field is trimmed to the top five
after Friday's action. The final five start fresh in Saturday's round.
On Saturday, each finalist is paired with an ESPN camera crew.
ESPN is filming the championship as part of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour
television series. The championship segment is scheduled to air
Sunday, October 24, 1999, at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Sponsors of the 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour include: Wal-Mart,
Coca-Cola, Land O'Lakes, CITGO Petroleum Products, Chevy Trucks,
Uniroyal Tires, Fujifilm, EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights,
Black and Decker, Coleman Company, Ranger Boats, Mitchell Rods and
Reels, Spiderwire, Evinrude Outboard Motors, Evinrude Electric
Trolling Motors, Eagle Electronics, Timex Expedition, Wrangler, Chex
Mix, Hamburger Helper, US Bank-VISA, and Wheaties. The Wal-Mart FLW
Tour Championship, presented by CITGO, is hosted by the Wagoner Area
Chamber of Commerce.

Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship
Presented by CITGO
Qualifiers

Pro Division City State
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ALVIN SHAW STATE ROAD NC
STEVE DANIEL CLEWISTON FL
MIKE TERRY OBION TN
GUIDO HIBDON GRAVOIS MILLS MO
BILL SMITH PRESTONSBURG KY
ROLAND MARTIN CLEWISTON FL
LARRY NIXON BEE BRANCH AR
PETE THLIVEROS JACKSONVILLE FL
BO FRASER LORTON VA
DION HIBDON STOVER MO
DAVID REAULT LIVONIA MI
KEVIN VAN DAM KALAMAZOO MI
ART FERGUSON III ROCHESTER MI
DAVID FRITTS LEXINGTON NC
WESLEY STRADER SPRING CITY TN
DON STEVENS OTSEGO MI
CHRIS BAUMGARDNER GASTONIA NC
KEITH GREEN ARKADELPHIA AR
JIM TUTT LONGVIEW TX
CURT LYTLE SUFFOLK VA
ERIC HOLT CAPE FAIR MO
TERRY BOLTON PADUCAH KY
JOEL RICHARDSON KERNERSVILLE NC
GARY KLEIN WEATHERFORD TX
RICKY GREEN ARKADELPHIA AR
CECIL KINGSLEY LAWRENCE KS
DENNY BRAUER CAMDENTON MO
JERRY RHYNE DENVER NC
RICK LILLEGARD ATKINSON NH
MARK HARDIN CANTON GA
MICKEY BRUCE BUFORD GA
CRAIG POWERS ROCKWOOD TN
RANDY HOWELL TRUSSVILLE AL
MIKE WURM HOT SPRINGS AR
DAVID DUDLEY MANTEO NC
CLARK WENDLANDT CEDAR PARK TX
ALTON JONES WACO TX
BEN LEE COLUMBIA SC
TONY COUCH BUCKHEAD GA
JIM MOYNAGH CARVER MN
DARRELL ROBERTSON JAY OK
JIM BITTER FRUITLAND PARK FL
JOHNNY MCCOMBS MORRIS AL
BERNIE SCHULTZ GAINESVILLE FL
DAN MOREHEAD PADUCAH KY
CHRIS III MONTEITH COLUMBIA SC
KEN COOK MEERS OK
CHUCK ECONOMOU PALM BAY FL
TOM JR MANN BUFORD GA
DAVID WALKER CANNON KY

Co-Angler Division City State
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RICK PARNELL CASSELBERRY FL
RON CHAPMAN LAKE QUIVIRA KS
STEVEN TRAYLOR HILLSBORO IL
RICK MARSH HIGH POINT NC
BRYAN JOHNSON SALISBURY NC
LARRY COLEMAN JASPER TX
SCOTT MARTIN CLEWISTON FL
BRAD CLINE SHAKOPEE MN
DAVID HUDSON JASPER AL
TERRY CHAPMAN CORNELIUS NC
JOHN SISEMORE FARMINGTON AR
BEN KRON JR MARYVILLE TN
TROY PICKETT ROBERTA GA
EDDIE AMOS DALTON GA
DAVID COOKE DAVIDSON NC
JOHN VAN CLEAVE EUFAULA OK
DAVID JR SMITH EDMOND OK
LEON WILLIAMS FAIRDALE KY
T FULLER AUBURN AL
JOHN CANTALE PANAMA CITY FL
DAVID LAUER SOUTH BEND IN
HOMER STEPHENS NOBLESVILLE IN
JOHN BRUCE BUFORD GA
MIKE MCKINNIS LITTLE ROCK AR
ROB NEWELL TALLAHASSEE FL
TOM HUNLEY STAMPING GROUND KY
BUD GOEKE PINCKNEYVILLE IL
QUINTEN STACY BASSETT VA
QUINT BOURGEOIS KNOXVILLE TN
BILL HALTER ANNA IL
RONALD OTT INDIANAPOLIS IN
CHRIS RAND DAVIE FL
CHARLES TICHENOR WHEATON MO
STACEY SMITH STEPHENS CITY VA
KEITH BURDEN ST. PETERSBURG FL
JACK LADD UNION CITY MI
ANDY HEINKELEIN CINCINNATI OH
AL LITTLE GREENSBORO NC
TIM IRWIN KNOXVILLE TN
JOHN LITTLE HOPE AR
JIM SHORT OCEAN PINES MD
RAY BECK BEAUMONT TX
RICK GUNTER HOLLY HILL FL
ANTHONY GAGLIARDI PROSPERITY SC
RICHARD PRESTIGIACOMO AVON PARK FL
ERIC ISRAEL SANDY HOOK CT
DARRELL STEVENS ROSELAND VA
RICHARD PERSSON MIAMI FL
ROBERT VOGELSANG JESSUP MD
DOUG CALDWELL KANE PA

FOX Sports to broadcast world's richest
bass tournament; Historic $3.5 million event slated for live telecast on Sunday, November 7
LOS ANGELES--(BW SportsWire)--July 6, 1999--For the first time in
history, FOX Sports and production partner Intersport, Inc., televise
a major competitive bass fishing championship live when it broadcasts
the $3.5 million Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament, Sunday,
November 7, from Florida's Cypress Gardens. The historic event is the
world's richest bass fishing tournament, and offers the winning angler
a potential $1 million.

The 90-minute broadcast will run either before or after that
day's NFL on FOX regional coverage. The program airs from
4:30-6:00 p.m. EST for markets receiving an early NFL on FOX game,
and 2:30-4:00 p.m. EST for markets scheduled for the late game. The
program airing at 2:30 p.m. EST consists of one-half hour of taped
coverage and, for the first time in network history, one hour of live
bass fishing tournament action.

"A number that is hard to ignore is that over 55 million people
in the United States consider themselves anglers," said Ed Goren,
Executive Producer, FOX Sports. "Noting the high-profile companies
already signed to sponsor this event, it is marketing friendly. That's
exactly what they were saying about NASCAR just a few years ago."

"This is another huge development for competitive fishing and
fishing overall," said Irwin L. Jacobs, Chairman of Operation Bass,
Inc. "There is no doubt that competitive angling is becoming one of
the most popular sporting pastimes in America today, due to its
universal appeal and accessibility."

While production logistics are being planned, FOX Sports will
employ a small army of radio frequency camera crews to follow each
finalist during Sunday's championship round and will catalogue every
moment of the champion angler's day. Each competitor fishes from a
newly-designed, special edition Ranger Comanche fishing machine.

FOX Sports is producing the telecast with Chicago-based
Intersport, Inc. Intersport creates, markets and produces innovative
television content, including the Compaq College Football All-Star
Challenge during Super Bowl week on FOX; the College Slam Dunk &
Three-Point Championships on the eve of basketball's Final Four; and
the State Farm Women's Tip-off Classic and Honda Elite 4 Holiday
Classic women's college basketball doubleheaders.

"Exposing the competitive and entertaining elements of bass
fishing to a national television audience on a fall Sunday afternoon
will elevate this great sport to unprecedented heights," said Charles
N. Besser, President and CEO of Intersport, Inc. "This is a property
that is sure to be one of the marketing success stories of the next
decade and beyond."

The format of the prestigious bass tournament is designed
specifically for television, with the full field of anglers (200 in
the Professional Division and 200 in the Co-Angler Division) competing
for two days. The top 50 anglers from each division, based on the
accumulated catch weight, advance to the second round of competition
on Saturday. The field will be cut at the end of Saturday's
competition, and the top 10 professionals will move on to Sunday's
championship round.

The winner of the Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament receives
the largest cash award ever paid - a minimum of $400,000. If the
winning angler has met each of the event's sponsor bonus cash
requirements, the winner receives $1 million.

The Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament is the culmination of a
year-long qualification process. More than 20 bass fishing
organizations throughout the United States are holding competitions to
determine the participants to qualify for the premier bass tournament.
Participants in this lucrative tournament receive their Professional
or Co-Angler Division designation based upon their finish in the
qualifying tournaments. The highest finishing Ranger boat owner, as
determined by the individual organization's qualifying criteria, is
eligible to compete in the Pro Division, with the second highest
finishing Ranger owner eligible to compete in the Co-Angler Division.

Sponsors of the Ranger Millennium M1 tournament include:
Wal-Mart, Ranger Boats, CITGO, Evinrude Outboards, Garmin and Watkins
Incorporated. Associate sponsors are: Black & Decker, Coca-Cola,
EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights, Land O' Lakes, Wheaties,
Uniroyal, Wrangler, Coleman, Chevy Trucks, Fenwick, Berkley, Abu Garcia and Wheaties.

Wal-Mart FLW Tour angler lands Wheaties
box spot; Kentuckian David Walker joins superstar athletes' elite
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky.--(BW SportsWire)--June 29, 1999--Bass fishing
great, 34-year-old David Walker of Cannon, Kentucky, will soon be seen
at the breakfast table of millions of Americans when he joins the
ranks of America's other top sports celebrities as the newest
attraction on the cover of the Wheaties cereal box. David Walker, the
winner of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour points title, will be the second
fishing champion in as many years to be featured on the cereal box
whose name has become synonymous with "Breakfast of Champions."

Walker earned the distinction after being crowned the Land
O'Lakes Angler-of-the-Year Points Champion at the conclusion of the
second day of competition during the $1 million Forrest Wood Open, the
sixth event of the $3.97 million, 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour, that was
held on Lake St. Clair June 23-26, 1999, near Detroit. The tour is
the most lucrative fishing series in history.

In the cereal's 74-year history, Walker is only the second angler
to be featured on the Wheaties box, an honor shared by sports icons,
Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and other champion athletes. Camdenton,
Missouri's Denny Brauer was the first angler featured in the box's
history last year.

"Obviously, I am delighted about the honor and recognition I am
receiving," said Walker, the most consistent angler in Wal-Mart FLW
Tour history. "Being on the Wheaties box is the highlight of my
fishing career."

Walker began fishing when he was old enough to hold a fishing
pole. His father was an early influence in his fishing career and
remains a devoted fan to this day. Walker was born in 1965 in Detroit,
Michigan. His earliest exposure to fishing came when his father took
him fishing on Lake St. Clair. Walker returned to the lake for the
recent $1 million Forrest Wood Open, where he placed seventh and
earned $25,000. The finish also marked the tenth time that he had
advanced to the finals in an FLW Tour event, more than any angler in
the tour's history.

David Walker has always dreamed of fishing full-time for a
living. In October of 1998, he made that dream a reality by quitting
his full-time job as a punch press operator in a machine shop and
committing himself to the traveling life of a professional bass
angler. He started fishing competitively in 1985, and since that time
has been a top performer on many of the nation's top bass fishing
circuits, most notably, the Red Man Tournament Trail, where he
qualified for the prestigious Red Man All-American Championship in
1998. He was the top angler in the Red Man Mountain Division in 1994
and 1998, and is currently in second place in the Angler-of-the-Year
standings in the EverStart Series' Eastern Division.

Irwin L. Jacobs, Chairman of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour said, "This is
another major milestone in the evolution of fishing. Featuring the
Wal-Mart FLW Tour's points champion on the cover of the Wheaties box,
a spot reserved only for those who have achieved legendary status in a
particular sport, is an acknowledgment that fishing is taking its
rightful place alongside other professional sports relative to
prominence and awareness in our society."

The Land O'Lakes Angler-of-the-Year points race was initiated for
participants in the professional division of the seven-venue Wal-Mart
FLW Tour, currently in its fourth season. Anglers received points
based upon their position in the standings at the end of the first
round of competition at each Wal-Mart FLW Tour qualifying event,
including the Forrest Wood Open. The angler amassing the highest
accumulated point total after six events won the points title. In
addition to appearing on the Wheaties box, Walker will receive an
Evinrude-powered Ranger bass boat for winning the Land O'Lakes
Angler-of-the-Year points title.

"Wheaties is arguably the first and still foremost brand image in
sports marketing," said Jim Murphy, Wheaties marketing manager. "The
brand captures the championship spirit better than any other brand in
America. That's why we are pleased to add David Walker to the list of
great sports heros who have appeared on our package."

The 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour will culminate with the $450,000
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, presented by CITGO, September 22-25,
1999 on Ft. Gibson Lake in Wagoner, Oklahoma. First place will be
$250,000 - the largest first place cash prize in angling history.

Sponsors of the 1999 Wal-Mart FLW Tour include: Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Land O'Lakes, CITGO Petroleum Products, Chevy Trucks, Uniroyal Tires, Fujifilm, EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights, Black and Decker, Coleman Company, Ranger Boats, Mitchell Rods and Reels, Spiderwire, Evinrude Outboard Motors,
Evinrude Electric Trolling Motors, Eagle Electronics, Timex Expedition, Wrangler, Chex Mix, Hamburger Helper, US Bank-VISA, and Wheaties.