FLW today announced today the 2017 FLW Tour will start with 165 boats as the circuit begins its 22nd season.
The season kicks off Feb. 2-5 at Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala.
While the usual FLW Tour headliners like three-time Angler of the Year (AOY) Andy Morgan, Scott Martin, Bryan Thrift, David Dudley, Mark Rose and reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion John Cox are back in the mix, several former Elite Series competitors will make their FLW Tour debuts. Among them are Carl Jocumsen, Billy McCaghren, Matt Reed, Casey Scanlon and Dennis Tietje.
The field of 165 also includes 30 Tour rookies.
“The talent level of the professional anglers on the 2017 FLW Tour roster is second to none,” said Bill Taylor, Senior FLW Tournament Director. “We are extremely excited to kick off the season next month at Lake Guntersville and I anticipate that this season will be one of the most competitive seasons that we have ever had in FLW Tour history.”
The top 100 pros and top 10 co-anglers from the 2016 FLW Tour, the top 10 pros from each of the five 2016 FLW Series divisions, the 2016 TBF National Champion, and the 2016 BFL All-American champion all received priority invitations to join the Tour.
In addition to the $125,000 paycheck that is awarded to FLW Tour winners, FLW will pay out at least $10,000 to pros down to 50th place along with one additional payout of $4,000 per boat over a 160-boat field. The season opener at Guntersville will pay out 55 places.
Below is the 2017 FLW Tour pro roster (* denotes FLW Tour rookie):
Jason Abram – Piney Flats, Tenn.
Tracy Adams – Wilkesboro, N.C.
Dean Alexander* – Georgetown, Texas
Matt Arey – Shelby, N.C.
Scott Ashmore – Broken Arrow, Okla.
Justin Atkins* – Florence, Ala.
Todd Auten – Lake Wylie, S.C.
Evan Barnes – Hot Springs, Ark.
Clayton Batts – Macon, Ga.
Robert Behrle – Hoover, Ala.
Cody Bird – Granbury, Texas
Zack Birge – Blanchard, Okla.
Daryl Biron – South Windsor, Conn.
Derrick Blake* – Rockwood, Tenn.
Randy Blaukat – Joplin, Mo.
Greg Bohannan – Bentonville, Ark.
Terry Bolton – Paducah, Ky.
Christopher Brasher – Longview, Texas
Jimmy Brewer – Marshall, Texas
Aaron Britt* – Yuba City, Calif.
Chase Brooks – Iraan, Texas
Keith Bryan* – Novato, Calif.
Grae Buck* – Harleysville, Pa.
Jamey Caldwell* – Carthage, N.C.
Jeff Cannon* – Douglasville, Ga.
Scott Canterbury – Springville, Ala.
Peter Cherkas* – Des Moines, Iowa
Joey Cifuentes – Clinton, Ark.
Brandon Cobb – Greenwood, S.C.
Ramie Colson Jr. – Cadiz, Ky.
Kyle Cortiana* – Broken Arrow, Okla.
John Cox – Debary, Fla.
Wade Curtiss* – Meadow Vista, Calif.
Alex Davis – Albertville, Ala.
Bill Day – Frankfort, Ky.
John Devere – Berea, Ky.
Jim Dillard – West Monroe, La.
Jeff Dobson* – Bartlesville, Okla.
Bradley Dortch – Atmore, Ala.
Josh Douglas* – Mound, Minn.
Kurt Dove – Del Rio, Texas
David Dudley – Lynchburg, Va.
Luke Dunkin – Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
Charlie Evans – Berea, Ky.
Ronald Farrow* – Rock Hill, S.C.
Austin Felix – Eden Prairie, Minn.
Mark Fisher – Wauconda, Ill.
Tim Frederick – Leesburg, Fla.
Shinichi Fukae – Palestine, Texas
Anthony Gagliardi – Prosperity, S.C.
Nick Gainey – Charleston, S.C.
Chris Gosselaar* – Fresno, Calif.
Matt Greenblatt – Port St Lucie, Fla.
Buddy Gross – Chickamauga, Ga.
Jeff Gustafson – Keewatin, Ontario
Bradley Hallman – Norman, Okla.
Dylan Hays* – Sheridan, Ark.
Jonathan Henry* – Grant, Ala.
Billy Hines* – Vacaville, Calif.
Joe Holland – Jefferson, Maine
Todd Hollowell – Fishers, Ind.
Jamie Horton – Centerville, Ala.
Jimmy Houston – Cookson, Okla.
Rex Huff – Corbin, Ky.
Bill Hutchison* – Bessemer, Ala.
Eric Jackson – Walling, Tenn.
Carl Jocumsen – Frisco, Texas
Jason Johnson – Gainesville, Ga.
Chris Johnston – Peterborough, Ontario
Cory Johnston – Cavan, Ontario
Jim Jones – Big Bend, Wis.
Cody Kelley – Conway, Ark.
Powell Kemp – Scotland Neck, N.C.
Jay Kendrick – Grant, Ala.
J.T. Kenney – Palm Bay, Fla.
Mike Kernan – Wylie, Texas
Rob Kilby – Hot Springs, Ark.
Brad Knight – Lancing, Tenn.
Daniel Kweekul* – Bryant, Ark.
Jason Lambert – Pickwick Dam, Tenn.
Brian Latimer – Belton, S.C.
Jeremy Lawyer* – Sarcoxie, Mo.
Shane Lehew – Catawba, N.C.
Richard Lowitzki – Hampshire, Ill.
Scott Martin – Clewiston, Fla.
Lendell Martin Jr. – Nacogdoches, Texas
Billy McCaghren – Mayflower, Ark.
Chris McCall – Palmer, Texas
Johnny McCombs – Morris, Ala.
Michael McCoy* – Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio
Bill McDonald – Greenwood, Ind.
Tim McDonald – Prestonsburg, Ky.
Brandon McMillan – Clewiston, Fla.
Brandon Medlock – Lake Placid, Fla.
Jason Meninger – Gainesville, Ga.
Cody Meyer – Auburn, Calif.
Kerry Milner – Bono, Ark.
Kurt Mitchell – Milford, Del.
Tom Monsoor – La Crosse, Wis.
Drew Montgomery – Maiden, N.C.
Harry Moore – Valley, Ala.
Dan Morehead – Paducah, Ky.
Andy Morgan – Dayton, Tenn.
Bob Morin – Seymour, Tenn.
Troy Morrow – Eastanollee, Ga.
Brandon Mosley* – Choctaw, Okla.
Jim Moulton* – Merced, Calif.
Jim Moynagh – Carver, Minn.
Shawn Murphy – Nicholasville, Ky.
Michael Neal – Dayton, Tenn.
Chris Neau – New Orleans, La.
Blake Nick – Trussville, Ala.
Larry Nixon – Bee Branch, Ark.
Jordan Osborne – Longview, Texas
Stephen Patek – Dallas, Texas
Robert Pearson – Herndon, Va.
Pete Ponds – Madison, Miss.
Chad Randles* – Elkhorn, Neb.
Tom Redington – Royse City, Texas
Matt Reed – Madisonville, Texas
Clark Reehm – Huntington, Texas
Jimmy Reese – Witter Springs, Calif.
Jason Reyes – Huffman, Texas
Curtis Richardson – Belleville, Ontario
Darrel Robertson – Jay, Okla.
Mark Rose – West Memphis, Ark.
Zell Rowland – Montgomery, Texas
Casey Scanlon – Lenexa, Kan.
Bryan Schmitt – Deale, Md.
Braxton Setzer – Montgomery, Ala.
Alvin Shaw – Roaring Gap, N.C.
William Shelton III – La Crosse, Va.
Blake Smith – Lakeland, Fla.
David Smith – Del City, Okla.
Bill Smith Jr. – Burlington, Ky.
Jeff Sprague – Point, Texas
Matthew Stefan – Junction City, Wis.
Wesley Strader – Spring City, Tenn.
Scott Suggs – Alexander, Ark.
Mike Surman – Boca Raton, Fla.
Austin Terry – San Angelo, Texas
Peter Thliveros – Saint Augustine, Fla.
Rodney Thomason – Maumelle, Ark.
Timmy Thompkins – Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Bryan Thrift – Shelby, N.C.
Dennis Tietje – Roanoke, La.
Rusty Trancygier – Hahira, Ga.
Jim Tutt – Longview, Texas
Andrew Upshaw – Tulsa, Okla.
John Voyles – Petersburg, Ind.
Chad Warren* – Sand Springs, Okla.
James Watson – Nixa, Mo.
Joshua Weaver – Macon, Ga.
Joseph Webster – Fulton, Miss.
Kyle Weisenburger* – Ottawa, Ohio
Clark Wendlandt – Leander, Texas
Chris Whitson – Louisville, Tenn.
Scott Wiley – Bay Minette, Ala.
Barry Wilson – Birmingham, Ala.
Matt Wittekiend – Angleton, Texas
Kenneth (Boo) Woods – London, Ky.
Michael Wooley – Collierville, Tenn.
Gary Yamamoto – Palestine, Texas
Jay Yelas – Corvallis, Ore.
Andy Young – Mound, Minn.
