FLW Fantasy Fishing Winner and Arkansas Mom Lands $100K Via Fantasyfishing.com

Forget fantasy football if you're angling for the biggest cash prize payouts, as FLW Fantasy Fishing (www.fantasyfishing.com) tournament winner Shellee Kuykendal can attest. Kuykendal, a stay-at-home mom who resides in a Little Rock suburb, is the second Arkansas resident to win $100,000 from the FLW Fantasy Fishing contest since the fantasy fishing tournaments began in February 2008. This was the sixth tournament of a seven tournament series, so both new and veteran fantasy fishing participants have one more chance to win.

A 56-year-old grandfather from Rogers, Arkansas won the fourth FLW Fantasy Fishing tournament and another fantasy fisherwoman from Crosset, Arkansas reeled in a $2500 savings bond, landing in third-place.

Interestingly enough, Kuykendal "never caught a bass before" and instead fishes for trout, according to a fantasyfishing.com / FLW Outdoors press release. As both a female in a male dominated sport and an amateur, Kuykendal offers hope to novice players who may feel intimidated about the FLW fantasy fishing contest --albeit her husband, also on the fantasy fishing team, is deemed an "avid angler."

What is FLW Fantasy Fishing?

Free and open to the public, the goal is to select the best 10 pro bass anglers, from over 200 pros, who out fish the real life competition during the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Each of seven FLW Fantasy Fishing tournaments offers the chance to win; a grand prize of $1 million dollars awaits the FLW Fantasy Fishing participant with the most cumulative points.

Free fantasy fishing contest and prizes

Even if you haven't touched a treble hook, there is a fair chance to win cash and prizes -- including vehicles, ATVs and Wal-mart gift cards, to name a few -- which are awarded for fantasy fishing tournament winners and finalists. A $5 million dollar bonus is possible should a fantasy fishing player correctly rank the top seven finishers in the Wal-mart FLW Tour.

Fantasyfishing.com contest closer look, novices get a winning edge to win

Passionate about fishing and living nearby one of the Wal-mart FLW Tour events held at Beaver Lake -- a flooded, muddy mess this year-- I was both initially excited and discouraged about the FLW Fantasy Fishing contest. Playstation aside, I have not caught a bass -- worth mentioning -- either, but have instead landed some respectable trout and salmon.

Subsequently, it appeared that significant research was essential at fantasyfishing.com, or elsewhere, for novices to have more than a worm-on-a-hook's chance to win this fantasy fishing tournament.

Unless you follow bass tournaments, you can further increase your winning edge through the FLW Fantasy Fishing upgrade membership called Players Advantage, discounted to $14.95. Alternatively, a free venue to gain an edge at fantasy fishing is FLWOutdoors.com, which maintains winners lists, photos, tournament statistics and more. One can drool over the livewells of Mark Pack, George Cochran and Mike Hawks or root for an underdog in the standings.

Kuykendal's success shows that the playing field is somewhat level, perhaps to the chagrin of some avid bass pro tournament followers and anglers. So, this trout fisherwoman is going to throw my fantasy fishing line in and give the free version of FLW Fantasy Fishing another chance, perhaps with a serious eye on beng another Arkansas fantasy fishing winner next year.

How to enter the FLW Fantasy Fishing Tournament

The FLW Fantasy Fishing tournament series remains open to contestants worldwide who are age 18 and up and is free to the public at www.fantasyfishing.com, with triple points now available to all participants. Scheduled during August 14 to 17, the Forrest Wood Cup event, at Lake Murray in Columbia, South Carolina, is the final Wal-mart FLW Tour tournament this year. Participants must enter by August 13, 2008

Sources:
fantasyfishing.com
FLWOutdoors.com
PRNewswire via Marketwatch.com