DETROIT, Mich. — When 350 of the nation's top bass anglers visit Lake St. Clair Wednesday through Saturday for the Wal-Mart FLW Tour's $1 million Forrest Wood Open, there will be more than money on the line. The elite anglers from 36 states will also be fishing for the coveted Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year title.

Leading the charge for the title, which is annually presented to the best, most consistent bass anglerin the world, is Chevy Pro Staff fisherman and local favorite Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich. VanDam has a solid 74-point lead over fishing powerhouse Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., thanks to two second-place finishes in five events this season.

It would be a mistake, however,to count Clunn out at this point. In the last half of 2000 and the first half of 2001, Clunn strung together a remarkable six top 10 Wal-Mart FLW Tour finishes in seven tournaments. In five of those events he finished fifth or better.

If history is any indication, though, the tour's return to St. Clair bodes well for VanDam. He finished second on the lake in 1999 during his first Forrest Wood Open.

Should VanDam win Angler of the Year, he would be the third professional bass angler to appear on Kellogg's cereal boxes. Team Timex angler and 1999 Angler of the Year David Walker of Cannon, Ky., along with Team Kellogg's angler and 2000 Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, also have appeared on collectors Kellogg's boxes. VanDam would also receive $25,000 and a Mercury- or Yamaha-powered Ranger 518 VX bass boat.

In the Pro Division, a win on St. Clair is worth $200,000 and 200 points; second place is worth $100,000 and 199 points; and third place is worth $50,000 and 198 points. Points diminish in the same fashion down to 26 points for 175th place. In the Co-Angler Division, a win is worth $40,000, second place is worth $20,000 and third place is worth $10,000. Scoring is the same as in the Pro Division.

Wesley Burnett of Hot Springs, Ark., is leading the Eagle Co-Angler of the Year points race with 892 points followed by Chris Rand of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with 871 points. The Co-Angler of the Year will receive a Ranger R91 bass boat powered by Mercury or Yamaha along with priority entry into the Pro Division of the 2002 Wal-Mart FLW Tour.

During competition each pro fishes from the front of his or her boat and controls its movement throughout the four-day tournament while co-anglers fish from the back of each boat. Anglers in both divisions will compete for two days to make the opening round cut. Only the top 10 anglers in each 175-person division will fish during the one-day semifinal round.

Co-angler competition ends after the semifinal round, and the top five pros advance to the final day of competition. Catch weights carry over during the opening round but are cleared for the semifinal and final rounds.

The St. Clair tournament is the sixth and final qualifier for the 2001 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by CITGO. Tournament winners plus the top 44 pro and co-anglers based on year-end point totals will qualify to fish for up to $250,000 in the championship Sept. 12-15 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. More than $4.45 million will be awarded to anglers this season.

Competition begins at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Metro Beach Metropark in Mt. Clemens, Mich. Metro Beach will also host weigh-ins both days starting at 3 p.m.

Takeoff from Metro Beach on Friday is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. followed by the semifinal round weigh-in at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 29240 Van Dyke Ave. in Warren, Mich. The final takeoff on Saturday is scheduled for 6 a.m. at Metro Beach followed by the weigh-in at Wal-Mart starting at 3:30 p.m.

The Wal-Mart FLW Tour Family Fun Zone will be open in the Wal-Mart parking lot from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The Family Fun Zone is a festival featuring free children's games, interactive displays and product samples.

Fishing fans also have the opportunity to win $1 million without leaving home. Fans who enter the Visa $2 Million Challenge at www.flwtour.com are eligible to win valuable sponsor prizes and one lucky fan could win $1 million if her Wal-Mart FLW Tour angler catches a state record largemouth, smallmouth or spotted bass during the tournament. The angler catching the record bass would also receive $1 million.

No matter who wins the tournament, the children of Detroit will benefit from a $5,000 donation from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and the FishAmerica Foundation. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will use the money to stock a children's fishing pond in Pocket Park with 5,000 hybrid sunfish.

Situated in the Michigan State Fairgrounds, the pond provides fishing opportunities for participants in Michigan's Urban Fishing Program and the Detroit Recreation Department's Day Camp Program. This year's contribution is part of a $100,000 conservation partnership between Operation Bass, Wal-Mart and FishAmerica that is used to benefit fisheries and anglers across the
country.

For more information on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, visit www.flwtour.com. For more information on the FishAmerica Foundation, visit the American Sportfishing Association Web site at www.asafishing.org.