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Fun for Spectators at the FLW College Fishing Championship
Philpott Lake has long been known throughout the region as a perfect fishing destination and weekend getaway but now thanks to FLW Outdoors and NBC Sports, the world will be introduced to this pristine outdoor recreation resource.
On Wednesday, September 12th, college and high school fishermen from as far away as New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Vermont will arrive in Martinsville-Henry County to enjoy a weekend of competitive fishing on Philpott Lake.
The National Guard FLW College Fishing Northern Conference Championship is presented in partnership by Franklin County Commerce & Leisure Services, Martinsville-Henry County EDC's Tourism & Film Division, Patrick County Tourism and US Army Corps of Engineers-Philpott Lake.
Each day, Thursday through Saturday, the two-man teams will take off in their boats from Twin Ridge Recreation Area in Henry, Virginia at 7:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend the take offs and see the excitement as the boats depart the starting line.
After the teams spend a day of fishing among the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, FLW, Wal-Mart and the sponsoring organizations will host a Fan Expo. The Expo will be held at the Martinsville Wal-Mart on Commonwealth Boulevard from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. Spectators will enjoy seeing a variety of boats and fishing equipment on display, compete in games, register for prizes including Wal-Mart Gift Cards and see informative booths on fishing and amenities in the surrounding region.
The official on stage weigh-in will begin at 4 p.m. at Wal-Mart. where each team hopes that they have the heaviest bag of fish. The fish will be promptly and safely returned to Philpott Lake following the televised weigh-ins. Fans of competitive fishing can watch the weigh-in via webcast on "FLW Live" and NBC Sports will air the one-hour special later on in the fall. The tournament will also be broadcast internationally on Matchroom Sports and WFN to a combined audience of more than 500 million households.
"Martinsville-Henry County is proud to partner with Franklin and Patrick Counties on this tournament," said Jennifer Doss, Director of Tourism. "This is a perfect opportunity to highlight our area's bountiful outdoor recreational amenities to an international television audience while also providing an exciting event for residents and visitors to enjoy."
According to figures provided by the FLW's Economic Impact Analysis, the event is projected to bring an economic impact to the region of more than $600,000 in both direct expenditures and media coverage.
The mission of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation is to create new job opportunities and expand the tax base for the area. The organization strives to support and develop local industry, as well as market Martinsville-Henry County globally as an exceptional place to live, work and play.
The EDC is a public-private partnership between the City of Martinsville, Henry County, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber's Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) and the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont.