According to the Facebook page of FLW Tour tournament director Bill Taylor, the field size for the 2018 FLW Tour will be 186 boats.
While FLW hasn’t announced the Tour roster, Taylor’s disclosure Monday on social media sparked a debate in the comments section beneath the post about what an appropriate field size should be. Taylor was asked by Tour angler Zack Birge to confirm rumors that he’d heard the field size would be 190. Taylor replied soon after, “186.”
Taylor also indicated the larger field will open up 10 more places to receive a $10,000 paycheck on day 2 of Tour events. After Birge indicated his approval of the moves, Taylor responded, “it’s all for you and all the pros.”
Sources have told BassFan that FLW solicits angler input about preferred field size, among other topics, and the majority has favored a smaller field even if it meant paying higher entry fees.
The field size for the 2017 Tour opener at Lake Guntersville was 165 with finishers in places 21-50 receiving $10,000 and 51st through 55th getting $4,000. By going to 186 boats, FLW will be able to offer $10,000 payouts through 60th place in 2018.
Taylor's post was removed from his page Tuesday afternoon.
