Wirth worth a lot

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Kevin Wirth will be fishing Sept. 25 for a million bucks. One small catch: if he won, he would not be able to keep any of that money. It would all go to his fishing partner.

That’s the deal for Wirth in a consumer contest set up by one of the Kentucky pro’s major sponsors, Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Called Reel in a Million, the contest offers one winner a fishing trip with Wirth on Lake Erie, where the two can pool their skills to catch any one or all of 25 tagged bass.

One of the bass — Big Cash Bass — wears a tag that says it is worth a million dollars. If Wirth boated Big Cash, his partner of the day would win the prize. Not Wirth.

Ditto for other prizes, such as a Triton VT17 bass rig.

Consumers can enter the contest to fish with Wirth and have a shot at the big prizes. Entries are being accepted online at www.earlytimes.com or by mail using entry forms available in stores. The winner will be announced in early August, in plenty of time to plan strategy and prep tackle for the Sept. 26 trip.

Of course, a fishing trip with an Elite pro is worth quite a lot in itself.