The 2007 version of Ultimate Match Fishing will debut on the Outdoor Channel on July 2, and this year's winner's-bracket round will feature Bassmaster Elite Series pros squaring off against FLW Tour anglers.
The first six episodes will pit anglers against others from their own circuit at Alabama's Lake Guntersville. Here are the opening-round matchups:
> Elite Series – Kelly Jordon vs. Dave Wolak; Greg Hackney vs. Boyd Duckett; Zell Rowland vs. Jason Quinn.
> FLW Tour – Larry Nixon vs. Gabe Bolivar; Anthony Gagliardi vs. Dave Lefebre; Luke Clausen vs. Brent Ehrler.
Winners will advance to take on an angler from the other circuit, and the series finale will feature a two-part championship match. After the first round, all competition will take place at Kentucky Lake.
The total prize purse is $103,000, with $50,000 going to the winner.
As always, UMF will place two competing anglers in the same boat, with each getting the front of the boat for half of the fishing day. The back-of-the-boat angler will be prohibited from moving to or fishing from the front half of the boat, and vice versa for the angler who has the bow. Anglers will switch positions every 90 minutes over four periods.
Veteran angler Joe Thomas will again serve as host of the series.
"The NFL has the Super Bowl, Major League Baseball has the World Series, now it's time to bring together the top pro bass anglers from the FLW and BASS for a showdown on the water," he said. "And Ultimate Match Fishing is the best way to do it. The line has been drawn between these two premier tournament trails, and the only place to see them clash one-on-one is on the Outdoor Channel."
The show will air at 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EST as part of the Outdoor Channel's new Monday Night Fishing Block.
