FLW announced today the 2019 Costa FLW Series schedule, consisting of three tournaments in five different divisions (Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western) along with the no-entry-fee Costa FLW Series Championship to be held on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Ky.
The most notable event on the schedule is the first stop of the Western Division at Lake Mead (Feb. 28-March 2), which hasn't hosted an FLW event since 2007. The top 40 pros and co-anglers in the final point standings in each division after three qualifying tournaments will advance to the 2019 FLW Series Championship, provided they fished all three qualifiers in a division. Complete rules and entry dates will be announced in early October.
FLW also announced Ron Lappin, the longtime Director of Tournament Operations for the FLW Series, will step down from his current role at the conclusion of the 2018 season and will be succeeded by current T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Tournament Director Mark McWha.
Lappin, along with his wife Joan, however, will still be onsite at 2019 FLW Series events in a new role as Assistant Director of Tournament Operations for the FLW Series, a position created to ensure a seamless transition for McWha and allow the Lappins more flexibility as they prepare for retirement.
“I probably know the anglers on a more personal basis than anyone at FLW, except [FLW emcee] Chris Jones,” said Lappin, who has headed the FLW Series since 2007. “I think when you’ve got someone with my experience helping with the transition to a new Director of Tournament Operations, the anglers know that the playing field will remain consistent.
“I’ve got the utmost confidence in Mark McWha and his ability to do the job well,” continued Lappin. “I’ve watched him over the years at tournaments and in the office – he manages tournaments and his staff very much like I do. He has the respect of the anglers, and he understands that they can fish any circuit they want, so it’s a privilege to us when they choose to fish with FLW.”
McWha has served FLW as a tournament director since 2006.
“I have some extremely big shoes to fill in trying to follow Ron Lappin, but I’m very confident in my abilities and look forward to traveling the country working with some of the top anglers from around the world,” McWha said. “Having Ron and Joan on-site throughout the season as a resource to myself and the anglers will make the transition smoother. I’m excited to get the 2019 season under way in January.”
Here is how the schedule shapes up:
Central Division
> April 4-6: Kentucky Lake (Gilbertsville, Ky.)
> May 9-11: Table Rock Lake (Branson, Mo.)
> Oct. 10-12: Lake of the Ozarks (Osage Beach, Mo.)
Northern Division
> July 18-20: Lake Champlain (Plattsburgh, N.Y.)
> Aug. 22-24: Potomac River (Marbury, Md.)
> Sept. 19-21: St. Lawrence River (Massena, N.Y.)
Southeastern Division
> Jan. 31-Feb. 2: Lake Okeechobee (Clewiston, Fla.)
> March 21-23: Lake Chickamauga (Dayton, Tenn.)
> April 25-27: Santee Cooper (Summerton, S.C.)
Southwestern Division
> Jan. 3-5: Lake Amistad (Del Rio, Texas)
> June 13-15: Grand Lake (Grove, Okla.)
> Oct. 3-5: Sam Rayburn Reservoir (Brookeland, Texas)
Western Division
> Feb. 28-March 2: Lake Mead (Las Vegas, Nev.)
> May 16-18: Clear Lake (Lakeport, Calif.)
> Sept. 26-28: California Delta (Bethel Island, Calif.)
FLW Series Championship
> Oct. 31-Nov. 2: Lake Cumberland (Burnside, Ky.)