Here’s an interesting contest that just got under way. Some anglers might not be too keen on sharing their favorite fishing spots with the rest of the country, but the winner gets a pretty hefty prize:
Ask any angler across the USA the best place to fish and most of them will tell you about a hidden gem right in their own backyard.
World Fishing Network is looking for nominations through a nationwide contest and awarding a $25,000 prize and more to the community selected as WFN’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA.
From now through April 8, WFN is accepting nominations from anglers across America who feel their town should be chosen as the winner. In addition to national recognition and a $25,000 donation to be used towards fishing–related causes, the town will also receive 10 WaveSpin Reels plus a tourism boost when they are featured on a 30-minute show on WFN about fishing in their town.
The promotion is being supported by gear and tackle company Eagle Claw, and WaveSpin Reels. Charter Communications is supporting the contest through multiple marketing tactics, as well as on-air, including a free preview of WFN for the month of March in the Northwest region. In addition, Knology will promote the winning community in four key markets (Sioux Falls, Iowa; Charleston, S.C.; Panama City, Fla.; and Pinellas Park, Fla.) and run a free preview of WFN in all Knology markets for the month of March. AT&T u-verse will be supporting the contest by broadcasting promo spots on their barker channel.
Last year, when WFN ran a similar promotion in Canada, the tiny fishing village of Port Alberni, B.C., with a population of just 18,000, earned the title of WFN Ultimate Fishing Town Canada because of their world-class salmon fishing and overwhelming community support. The result, according to the community’s tourism board, has been millions of dollars in free publicity and an immediate economic boom in tourism.
Baseball Hall of Famer and avid angler Mike Schmidt is serving as the national spokesperson for the promotion, appearing in promotional spots and conducting a media tour to encourage anglers to nominate and vote for their ultimate fishing town.
How to Nominate Your Ultimate Fishing Town:
People can nominate their town between March 1-April 8, 2011 by visiting www.wfnfishingtown.com. Nominations may include photos, videos and essays about why any town should be the winner. If a town is already nominated, people are encouraged to add to the nomination with additional photos, videos and essays.
For the preliminary round of voting, WFN divided the United States into seven voting regions: PACIFIC: Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada; ROCKIES: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado; SOUTHWEST: New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana; MIDWEST: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana; NORTHEAST: Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, District of Columbia; SOUTHEAST: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama; FLORIDA: State of Florida.
Following the March 1 – April 8 nomination period, the first round of public voting will be open from April 12 – May 3. To help spread the word and encourage voting, WFN will provide a variety of social media tools at the website. The 20 finalists, comprised of the two entries in each of the seven regions with the highest vote totals plus six “wild card” entrants, will advance to the final round of voting from May 10 – 31. The results will be announced in June at a ceremony in the winning community emceed by a WFN personality.
