Fantasy fishing, real cash

Plenty of people play fantasy football and baseball — building a roster and following the real games to see how players perform.

But who knew fantasy bass fishing existed?

The contest most certainly does exist, as Lodi resident James Brown can attest: He won a $5,000 Wal-Mart gift card this weekend and is the current leader in points for the seven-tournament game. The winner in the August finale will take home $1 million.

"That's kind of a lifesaver," Brown said Wednesday, adding that his wife, Tessa, already has plans for $1,000 of the winnings.

The rest of the gift card will go toward things like diapers for the couple's 6-month-old daughter, Taitam.

"I'll probably buy a laptop now because then I can cruise around and do my online bass fishing," the former Tokay High School student said with a laugh.

In other words, he's not quitting his day job at Central Valley Sewer and Septic, where he installs sewer systems.

Brown, 26, loves bass fishing, and he has followed tournaments locally and nationally. He watches "FLW Outdoors" on TV, and checks it out online, and that's where he learned about the FLW Fantasy Fishing tournament.

The game is simple: Pick 10 professional anglers, guess where they'll score in the real-life tournament, and wait for the results. If you're Brown, that got you third place and the Wal-Mart gift card in Sunday's tournament.

Some players, like Brown, are bass fishing addicts. Then there are others, like the Philadelphia woman who won third place in the tournament this year. She had fished as a child but knew nothing about bass angling and only joined the game because her co-workers did, said Stephen Dupont with FLW Outdoors.

Winners in each tournament, including a Concord high school student in the last round, get $100,000. Other prizes include bass fishing boats and Chevrolet trucks.

With 200 professional anglers in each tournament, it does involve quite a bit of luck. Brown takes it a lot further, based on his own experience fishing in the Delta with his cousin, who does it competitively.

"Bass fishing is like a science; you really have to figure it out," Brown said. "The wind, the sun, the rain, the temperature, water clarity — everything matters — what the fish are eating."

To pick his 10 anglers in each tournament, Brown does extensive Internet research, looking for statistics on the fishers as well as the lakes they are using. June's tournament, for instance, is being held in a lake that doesn't have a lot of history, so that's already driving Brown nuts.

And lingering in the back of his mind is that ultimate $1 million prize.

What will Brown do with the money if he does win?

"I still have to work, I know that," he said.

"First thing, I'd buy my wife another band for her wedding ring," Brown said of his wife, who goes to his weigh-ins to take pictures of his catches.

Next on the list would be a trip back to Jamaica, where the couple spent their honeymoon two years ago. And he'd set up a college fund for the his daughter.

Last, but definitely not least, Brown would love to follow his dream of becoming a professional bass fisher.

The last tournament isn't until August, and a lot can change in point totals during the next two tournaments in June and July.

"Now I'm going to be a basket case for the next three months," Brown said.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.

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Fantasy fishing, real cash

Lodi man reels in $5,000 gift card; could land $1 million

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