When the FLW walleye tour makes its championship stop in Bismarck-Mandan next week, there will be plenty of names fans will be familiar with.

Flights will launch from Graner Bottoms (Sugar Loaf) at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday with weigh-ins at the Bismarck Civic Center starting at 4:30 p.m.

The format of the championship will be 54 pros who qualified through the FLW tour over the course of four tournaments this past summer, the nearest on Lake Sharpe, S.D. Pros earn 150 points for a first-place finish, 149 for second and so on.

Fifty of the pros qualified on a points-based system in the four tournaments; the top boater and amateur, or co-angler, from each of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League division made the cut.

Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers.

The full field competes for two days and then is cut to the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers for day three.

Anglers in both divisions start from zero on day three, and co-angler competition concludes with the winner determined by the day's heaviest catch.

Pros carry their weights over to day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.

The winning pro at the FLW Walleye Tour Championship is guaranteed a cash award of $100,000.

If the winner is a qualifying Ranger or G3 boat owner, he will earn a $25,000 bonus, and if the boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $25,000 bonus, for a total cash award of $150,000.

The winning co-angler is guaranteed $10,000 cash and is eligible for a $5,000 bonus from Ranger or G3 if he is a registered owner.

The winning co-angler will also receive a $5,000 bonus from Evinrude or Yamaha if his boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard.

Anglers can weigh five fish a day with a 14-inch limit and there is no culling, or upgrading, permitted.

Standard North Dakota fishing regulations apply; two rods per angler, live bait is allowed, non-releasable fish will eight ounces per fish and boats missing their appointed check-in time will be penalized one pound per minute and receive a "zero" after 15 minutes.

There are plenty of things for the family to take part in during the week, including Ressler Chevy Pro Night on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m., Wal-Mart Pro Night at the north location Wednesday night, the Evinrude Mobile Museum Friday and Saturday at the Civic Center, and the Family Fun Zone at the Civic Center from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and from noon to 4:30 Friday and Saturday.

Saturday is the free fishing rod day with the first 200 kids 14 and younger getting a free rod and reel.

The event will be televisedNov. 30 as part of the "FLW Outdoors" show on FSN (Fox Sports North).

(Reach reporter Brian Gehring 250-8254 or brian.gehring@bismarcktribune.com.)