COLUMBIA, S.C. - Eric
Nichols never thought he would be chosen to have a shot at winning $100,000,
but that is exactly what happened at the 2015 Bassmaster Classic. The Berkley PowerBait Cast for Cash is an annual event that randomly
selects one angler from the crowd of thousands to pitch a lure into a fish's
mouth. This year the Classic was held on South Carolina's Lake Hartley
near Greenville.
The Bessemer City, N.C. retired school teacher was randomly
selected from a packed Bon Secours Wellness Arena crowd to test his casting
skills in the Berkley PowerBait Cast for Cash contest
at the final weigh in of the Bassmaster Classic.
Although the avid angler fell just a bit short on his
attempt and was very close on his second attempt for $25,000, but Nichols
didn't go home empty handed. For his effort Berkley awarded him with a
$5,000 check.
"Each year the team at Berkley looks forward to putting
on the Berkley PowerBait Cast for Cash. It surprises
me how close these anglers get to winning the whole thing," said Chris
Hockley, Berkley Marketing Manager. "Eric really had us excited during his
practice session with Hank Parker. He had a great practice and we all thought
he had a really good shot, but fell just a bit short in the arena."
Nichols chose a new Berkley E-Motion rod and an Abu Garcia Revo SX baitcast reel spooled
with Trilene XL for his cast. Hank Parker, legendary
Bass angler, was on hand to provide one-on-one assistance and casting tips,
ensuring Nichols had the best chance to win the cash prize.
"I was pretty nervous, but my time with Hank Parker
backstage helped ease that," said Nichols. "I really appreciate
Berkley PowerBait giving me the opportunity. My mind
was racing about what I might do with the money if I won it, but I was really
shocked when Berkley gave me $5,000 after missing both casts."
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing, Inc. is a leading global provider of fishing
tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu
Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Hardy®, Hodgman®,
Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, Sebile®,
Shakespeare®, SpiderWire®, Stren®,
Trilene® and Ugly Stik®.
With operations in 19 countries and a dedicated workforce conversant in 28
languages, Pure Fishing, Inc. is part of Jarden
Outdoor Solutions, a leader in developing outdoor and active lifestyle products
and a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation. Additional
information can be found at http://purefishing.com.
About Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of
consumer products with a portfolio of over 120 trusted, quality brands sold
globally. Jarden operates in three primary business
segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor
Solutions: Abu Garcia®, AeroBed®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®,
Fenwick®, Greys®, Gulp!®,Hardy®, Invicta®,
K2®, Madshus®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, PENN®,
Rawlings®, Ride®, Sevylor®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Völkl®, Worth® and Zoot®; Branded
Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy
Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First
Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Lifoam®,
Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®,
NUK®, Pine Mountain®, ProPak®, Quickie®, Spontex®, Tigex® and Yankee
Candle®; and Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Breville®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®,
Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®,
Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare®
and White Mountain®. Headquartered in Florida, Jarden
ranks #356 on the Fortune 500 and has over 30,000 employees worldwide. For
further information about Jarden, please visit http://jarden.com.
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