Ex-Champ, Home-State Favorite Battle in Sudden Death

Permitted use provided by: MajorLeagueFishing.com

TULSA, Okla. – A former champion and the odds-on event favorite see if they can continue to advance during Jack Link’s Major League Fishing’s 2013 GEICO Challenge Cup from Florida’s Lake Istokpoga. Brent Ehrler, winner of the 2012 Challenge Cup, and Lakeland, Florida’s Bobby Lane try to move one step closer to this season’s title as they compete on this week’s Sudden Death Day One episode, which begins airing tonight at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Outdoor Channel, America’s Leader in Outdoor TV.

Lane is the lone Floridian remaining in the event. Shaw Grigsby, of Gainesville, was defeated in the first round. Lane and Ehrler join Ish Monroe, Takahiro Omori, Gary Klein and Tommy Biffle in the field. This week’s airing shows the first of two Sudden Death days.

Adding a wild-card element to this day’s competition is the weather. Hurricane Sandy had begun moving up the East Coast and was beginning to throw wind and some rain on Lake Istokpoga.

“Weather played a big factor as the week wore on, and on this day the anglers were getting their first real test of battling the elements,” said Major League Fishing Commissioner Don Rucks.

“This was also the first sudden death round, which means the anglers were competing against a cutline. The first three anglers to reach the assigned number of pounds would advance to the finals. And I think every angler will tell you that adds a huge layer of stress.”

This Sudden Death also features several large bass caught during the early part of the day.

“Lake Istokpoga is famous for giving up the big fish, but up to now we had hit water and conditions that didn’t allow the anglers to catch the really big ones. That changes,” Rucks said.

Challenge Cup coverage will air six times per week on Outdoor Channel throughout the second quarter of 2013. For air times, please check HERE.

Major League Fishing also offers EXTENDED CAST, a web-based, significantly expanded version of the Challenge Cup television episodes. EXTENDED CAST can be accessed by clicking HERE. The first episode of EXTENDED CAST is offered free.

Jack Link's Major League Fishing Show Page

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