Anglers face long odds for big bucks fish.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

MIAMI _ A beer company is giving Florida anglers the chance to hook a big, fat fish worth $1 million.

But before you get out your cane pole and night crawlers, think about this: You probably have a better chance at winning the lottery.

Next week, Busch Beer will release tagged bass and trout, including one worth a cool million called Big Jake, into 40 lakes and rivers across the country, including Florida's Lake Okeechobee and Lake Kissimmee. Thirty-nine of the scaly swimmers have a $1,000 prize.

Longtime Florida fishing guide Walt Williamon puts your odds at ''Golly, nil. I reckon none of them will be caught,'' Williamon said. ``I tell you what _ you're more likely to get hit by a pickup truck.''

Nonetheless, money-hungry fishermen bought it hook, line and sinker. The Catch Big Jake contest was so successful in its inaugural year last summer that Busch decided to bring it back and expand the game from 30 to 40 sites nationwide, said Keith Levy, director of Busch brands.

The contest has even gotten the thumbs-up from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which hopes to use Big Jake as bait to lure attention to the conservation of native fish.

BAITING THE HOOK