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FLW announces 2017 Bass Fishing League Schedule, Rules
MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 28, 2017) – FLW announced Wednesday the schedule, rules and payouts for the 2017 Bass Fishing League, which includes 128 tournaments in 24 divisions offering nearly $8 million in awards, including as much as $120,000 to the winning boater and $60,000 to the winning co-angler in the nationally-televised BFL All-American, plus advancement to the Forrest Wood Cup for a shot at winning the world championship of bass fishing.
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Among the key changes for 2017 is the new “Win and You are In” format that automatically qualifies the winners of each of the 96 one-day qualifying tournaments to one of six no-entry-fee regional championships along with the top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division based on point standings.
“With the new format, you are never out of the running to qualify for a regional championship if you enter all five tournaments in a division,” said Daniel Fennel, director of BFL operations. “The most consistent anglers in each division are still rewarded with advancement based on points, but now you can have a bad tournament or two and still qualify with a late-season win.”
Each regional championship features a guaranteed payout that includes $20,000 and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard for the winning boater and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard for the winning co-angler. Regional payouts include $10,000 for second and $5,000 for third on the boater side and $5,000 for second and $2,500 for third on the co-angler side.
“FLW was founded upon providing first-class tournaments for the weekend bass angler,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. “We have always considered our BFL anglers as being the heart and soul of FLW. We take great pride in continuing to grow the sport of bass fishing by providing these opportunities for weekend anglers as well as a clear pathway for advancement to the sport’s highest levels for boaters and co-anglers who qualify for the Costa FLW Series and ultimately the Walmart FLW Tour.”
Entry fees will remain the same as 2016 – $230 per qualifier for boaters and $115 per qualifier for co-anglers. Two-day Super Tournament entry fees will also remain the same – $345 for boaters and $175 for co-anglers.
For the complete 2017 BFL schedule, rules and payouts, visit FLWFishing.com.
The BFL is the nation’s largest and most popular weekend bass-fishing circuit. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division and the winners of each qualifying tournament and super tournament receive priority entry into the 2018 Costa FLW Series while All-American champions may advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour, the world’s top professional bass-fishing circuit.
Anglers can register for the 2017 season at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000 on the dates listed below:
- November 14, 2016 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City and Volunteer
- November 15, 2016 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi
- November 16, 2016 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Mountain and Ozark
- November 17, 2016 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie
- November 18, 2016 – Gator, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.›
B.A.S.S. Raises Maximum Rod Length To 10 Feet In 2017
The 8-foot length limit on Bassmaster tournament competitors’ fishing rods will be changed for 2017, allowing anglers to use rods as long as 10 feet. Elite Series pro Skeet Reese was one of the main proponents of the change.
Photo by James Overstreet/Bassmaster
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 40-year-old rule that has limited Bassmaster tournament competitors to rods that were 8 feet or shorter will be changed for 2017, allowing competitors to use rods as long as 10 feet.
The new rule will apply to all B.A.S.S. trails, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens and all B.A.S.S. Nation and youth events.
“This is something that the anglers wanted,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “After discussing it during our annual rules committee meeting, we saw no reason not to expand to 10 feet.”
The rule in question is tournament rule C8, which currently reads in part: “Only one casting, spin casting or spinning rod (8-foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) and reel may be used at any one time.”
Bassmaster Elite Series angler Skeet Reese of California said during the ICAST trade show in Orlando, Fla., in July that he planned to suggest a change to the rule, believing it would help the sport grow. The change was formally proposed and discussed during last month’s Elite Advisory Board meeting in Waldorf, Md.
“You can fish a 16-inch swimbait with a 400-pound-test leader if you wanted,” Reese said. “There are no reel-speed restrictions. Having the length limit makes no sense. It’s antiquated.”
Some rod makers agreed with Reese about the rule change’s impact on the industry.
“St. Croix is excited about the change B.A.S.S. is making to increase rod lengths,” said Jesse Simpkins, marketing director for St. Croix Rod. “It grows the market and broadens product lines. It will be interesting to see what this opportunity does in the hands on the world’s best bass anglers. Ultimately — as it has always been — it will be the anglers who drive the development process.”
Restrictions on rod length began in the West, and they were the catalyst for the development of the popular and effective “flippin’” technique. Dee Thomas of California, the “Father of Flippin’,” began winning tournaments in that state by “dipping” jigs in stands of tules with a 14-foot surf casting rod. When competitors complained, Thomas developed the flipping presentation, which delivered the lures to the same spots with a 7 1/2-foot rod.
The 8-foot maximum was added to B.A.S.S. rules by B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott and Tournament Director Harold Sharp in 1976. Back then, competitors were paired by random draw and took turns controlling the boat. There were no pro anglers and co-anglers; everyone was fishing for the same prize, two to a boat.
Scott and Sharp believed a rod longer than 8 feet gave the angler operating the boat a distinct advantage over the other.
Today’s Elite Series events pair one angler with a marshal or cameraman who is not fishing. Opens tournaments involve a pro angler or “boater” who is fishing for a larger prize and a co-angler or “non-boater” who is restricted to the back of the boat.
With the format changes, anglers like Reese have long wished for a change to the rule.
“It has bothered me for years,” he said. “I’ve never understood it. I’ve always wanted an 8 1/2-foot spinning rod for fighting smallmouth in open water. With a longer crankbait rod, we could cast a lure longer distances and get the rod down further to help it dive. Think of what you could do with a longer punching rod — that kind of leverage over the fish would be amazing.
“I don’t see any disadvantage, and it would give the industry new products and new techniques.”
An article in the September 2016 B.A.S.S. Times Magazine — written well before the rule change was formally proposed — noted that some tournament circuits in the Western United States began allowing longer rods years ago to accommodate the growing popularity of large, heavy swimbaits. Elite Series anglers also like longer fishing rods for smallmouth bass techniques, including the float-and-fly method, which is impractical with a rod shorter than 9 or 10 feet.
The float-and-fly technique involves using a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jig suspended 10 or more feet beneath a plastic bobber on line as light as 4-pound test, and it is particularly popular on smallmouth fisheries during the cold winter months. That means it could come into play early, as the Bassmaster Elite Series begins its 2017 regular season on Tennessee’s Cherokee Lake, Feb. 9-12.
Weldon said he is pleased with the rules committee’s decision regarding rod length.
“We always listen when anglers make suggestions or express concerns,” he said. “Obviously, we can’t accommodate all of the requests. But this was one that made sense, and we think it’s a good change.”
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
FLW announces 2017 Costa FLW Series Rules, Entry Dates
MINNEAPOLIS (Sept. 27, 2016) – FLW announced Tuesday the Costa FLW Series rules, entry fees and payouts for the 2017 season. The season will again consist of three events in each of the five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the no-entry-fee Costa FLW Series Championship to be held on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee.
The top 40 pros and co-anglers who fished all three qualifiers in each U.S. division advance to the no-entry-fee FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard in the pro division. The second-place championship pro earns $25,000 followed by $20,000 for third and $15,000 for fourth. The winning co-angler at the championship earns as much as $32,000, including a Ranger Z175, while the second-place championship co-angler earns $12,500 followed by $10,000 for third and $7,500 for fourth.
The highest finishing pro from each of the five U.S. FLW Series divisions and the FLW Series International division based on final results at the 2017 FLW Series Championship will qualify for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup along with the overall top five finishers not already selected as the highest finisher in a division. A total of 11 FLW Series pros will advance to the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
Entry fees for the Costa FLW Series are unchanged for 2017 at $1,600 per tournament for pros and $550 per for co-anglers.
Each qualifying tournament pays as much as $85,000, including a Ranger Z518C with a 200 HP outboard, to the winning pro and $32,000, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90 HP outboard, to the winning co-angler based on a 150 boat field. As the number of participants increases, so do the awards. At the maximum field size of 250 boats, the payout jumps to $105,000, including a Ranger Z518C with a 200 HP outboard, for the winning pro and $34,500, including a Ranger Z175 with a 90 HP outboard, for the winning co-angler. The depth of the payout also grows with participation from 40 places paid at 150 boats to 67 places paid at 250 boats.
“The Costa FLW Series is incredibly popular,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations. “We introduced the sliding payout last year to ensure that anglers are rewarded proportionally when fishing events with more than 150 boats, and it was very well received. Now, the more boats that fish, the more you win, and we are proud of the fact that no other circuit offers higher rewards for a lower entry fee.”
The top pro and co-angler from the point standings in each division after three events (ties resolved by total weight) win the Strike King Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year titles, respectively. The top 10 pros and co-anglers from each division receive priority entry into the 2018 FLW Tour, the world’s top professional bass-fishing circuit.
Complete rules can be found online at FLWFishing.com.
Registration for the 2017 Costa FLW Series season is open for the top 40 pros and co-anglers from the 2016 FLW Series and the top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division of the 2016 Bass Fishing League (BFL). These anglers have until Nov. 28, 2016 to secure their priority entry. Ranger boat owners and sponsor entries may register beginning Nov. 29, 2016 followed by TBF members Nov. 30, 2016. All other entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 1, 2016. Qualified anglers can register by calling 270.252.1000 or online at FLWFishing.com.
2017 Costa FLW Series Payouts:
Qualifying Event Payout – 150 Boats:
Place Pro Ranger Cup Co-angler Ranger Cup
1 $40,000 Ranger Z518C Ranger Z175 $5,000
with 200 HP outboard with 90 HP outboard
2 15,500 5,000
3 12,000 4,000
4 10,000 3,500
5 9,000 3,000
6 8,000 2,500
7 7,000 2,000
8 6,000 1,750
9 5,000 1,500
10 4,000 1,250
11 3,750 1,000
12 3,500 1,000
13 3,000 1,000
14 3,000 1,000
15 3,000 1,000
16-20 3,000 800
21-25 2,750 700
26-30 2,500 600
31-40 2,000 500
Big Bass: Day 1 300 200
Big Bass: Day 2 300 200
Entry Fee $1,600 $550
Qualifying Event Payout – 250 Boats:
Place Pro Ranger Cup Co-angler Ranger Cup
1 $60,000 Ranger Z518C Ranger Z175 $5,000
with 200 HP outboard with 90 HP outboard + 2,500
2 25,500 7,500
3 17,000 6,000
4 15,000 4,500
5 14,000 4,000
6 10,500 3,500
7 9,000 3,000
8 8,000 2,250
9 7,000 1,700
10 5,000 1,450
11 4,700 1,100
12 4,000 1,100
13 3,500 1,100
14 3,500 1,100
15 3,500 1,100
16 3,500 900
17 3,500 900
18 3,500 900
19 3,500 900
20 3,500 900
21-25 2,850 800
26-30 2,600 700
31-40 2,200 600
41-43 2,180 590
44-45 2,160 580
46-48 2,140 570
49-51 2,120 560
52-53 2,120 550
54-56 2,080 540
57-59 2,080 530
60-61 2,040 520
62-64 2,020
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Kerr Lake Set to Host FLW Bass Fishing League Regional Championship
HENDERSON, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2016) – The FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) is headed to Kerr Lake Oct. 6-8 for the second of six BFL regional championships. The three-day tournament, which is presented by Evinrude, will feature the top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers from each of the Northeast, Savannah River, Shenandoah and Volunteer divisions.
The winning boater will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard and a check for $20,000, while the winning co-angler will receive a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower outboard. The top six boaters and co-anglers at each regional will advance to one of the longest-running championships in bass fishing – the BFL All-American.
“In the fall, the fishing on Kerr Lake depends on the water levels,” said Walmart FLW Tour pro Shane LeHew, of Mooresville, North Carolina. “I think we’ll see anglers using spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs and square-billed crankbaits to fish bushes up the river. If the water is lower, Carolina-rigged soft plastics on long points could be productive as well.
“Both Nutbush creeks and Grassy Creek are going to be popular in this event,” continued LeHew. “If there’s good grass, competitors will catch them on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits or a variety of Texas-rigged soft-plastics. A lipless crankbait may also come in handy. It all depends on the water levels.”
LeHew said that green-pumpkin-colored baits tend to do well in clearer water, while black and blue shades are preferable in more stained areas.
“White and chartreuse-colored vibrating jigs and spinnerbaits should be a good bet,” said LeHew. “There may be some baitfish in the backs of creeks, so colors like Sexy Shad will clean up.”
LeHew finished by estimating that a three-day catch totaling 46 pounds would be enough to win the tournament.
Anglers will take off from Nutbush North, located at 115 Jack Wade Farm Road in Henderson, at 7:30 a.m. EDT each day. Weigh-in each day will be held at the ramp beginning at 3:30 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The BFL Regional Championship event on Kerr Lake is being hosted by the Vance County Department of Tourism.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.
Matt Herren Discusses Gamma Fishing Line
Line failures can be frustrating to say the least… if your looking for a line that won’t let you down when it counts, choose GAMMA. Elite Series Pro Matt Herren talks about his line of choice.
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