Berkley Welcomes Courts to Pro Angling Team
Category: press release
Mar 6th, 2006 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Mar 6th, 2006 at 12:00 AM
MINNEAPOLIS (March 6, 2006) – Berkley announced today that Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour pro Mark Courts has been added to its professional angling team. In 2006 Courts can be seen chasing the elusive marble eye from a Berkley-branded Ranger boat. In September FLW Outdoors announced that Pure Fishing(r) – with its leading portfolio of fishing brands including Berkley(r), Abu Garcia(r), Stren(r), Spiderwire(r), Fenwick(r), Sevenstrand(r), Mitchell(r) and Johnson(r) – signed the largest, most comprehensive endemic sponsorship agreement in FLW Outdoors history. Courts has competed successfully on the FLW Walleye Tour since 2002. In his FLW Outdoors career, he has notched five top-10 finishes and earned over $70,000. One of the more consistent anglers on tour, Courts finished 19th out of more than 200 pros in the 2005 FLW Walleye Tour Angler of the Year race. Last season the Harris, Minn., pro finished seventh in the season-opening event on Bull Shoals Lake by casting crankbaits on main-lake points in shallow water. At the final qualifying event of the season on Devils Lake, Courts placed fourth by bobber-fishing with leeches and pitching Weed-Weasels into thick trees. In both events, Courts was armed with Fenwick rods and Abu Garcia reels spooled with Berkley Fireline. The veteran walleye angler said he was honored to have been chosen to fish on Team Berkley. “I’ve had a long-term relationship with Berkley, and I’ve been using their products throughout my career,” Courts said. “They were one of my first sponsors more than seven years ago. With what Berkley has done with plastics, walleye fishing is really beginning to transform. The general public doesn’t realize how often we’re using artificials.” “Mark is a gifted angler with a wealth of experience,” said Eric Naig, Berkley field services manager. “We’re thrilled to have Mark on the Berkley pro staff and look forward to watching him compete on the FLW Walleye Tour for years to come.” Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.9 million through 241 events in 2006. 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 Wal-Mart.com