(Editor's note: After this Dock Talk entry was published on Thursday, FLW informed BassFan one other angler had been given a sponsor exemption for the 2015 FLW Tour. The information below has been updated to reflect that.)
An article published in Wednesday’s Dothan (Ala.) Eagle newspaper featuring angler Clay Elliott says he will compete on the FLW Tour this season under a sponsor exemption through Livingston Lures, which has been an FLW sponsor for three years.
Elliott, who hails from Ozark, Ala., has only fished one FLW-sanctioned event in the past (he fished a BFL Super Tournament at Lake Eufaula last year). He will be an FLW Tour rookie in 2015. Click here to read the complete article.
FLW confirmed to BassFan today that Elliott gained entry into this year's Tour field via a sponsor exemption as did Tracy Adams, Darrell Davis and Tommy Martin, but it would not disclose which sponsors each angler was connected to.
For several years, Davis has been sponsored by Power-Pole, which last month announced it would return as an FLW sponsor in 2015. Martin, meanwhile, has had a long relationship with Zoom Bait Co., which announced today it was signing on as an FLW sponsor.
Elliott will be one of 17 Tour rookies this year.
