Major League Fishing (MLF) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) announced today the expanded 2020 FLW Series and Bass Fishing League (BFL) details, schedules, rules, entry fees and payouts, highlighted by lower entry fees in both circuits and an expanded FLW Series schedule, along with upping the championship payout to $200,000 for first place and adding $10,000 bonuses for the highest-finishing pro from each of the eight U.S. FLW Series divisions and the International division.
The 2020 FLW Series season will consist of three events in eight divisions, up from five divisions in 2019. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a $30,000 17-foot bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard.
The new win-and-you’re-in format guarantees that anglers are never out of contention to qualify for the Championship, too. Anglers who all three qualifiers in a division and win a tournament will be on their way to the Championship.
FLW Series entry fees have been reduced to $1,700 (boater) and $550 (co-angler) per tournament, while top payouts in each event remain $40,000 for pros and a $30,000 17-foot bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard for co-anglers. As field sizes increase, so do payouts, with top awards reaching $65,000 (boater) and $35,000 (co-angler) at 260 boats, and awards of $2,000 (boater) and $550 (co-angler) extending through 65th place.
MLF and FLW are also rolling back entry fees in the BFLs the best payouts at the lowest cost available. Entry fees are now just $200 per boater and $100 per co-angler for one-day qualifiers and $300 per boater and $150 per co-angler for two-day Super Tournaments – the lowest levels since 2014. While entry fees have been lowered, BFL payouts remain the same as 2019 with boaters fishing for top awards of $6,000 plus contingency bonuses in each one-day qualifier and $9,000 plus contingency bonuses in each two-day Super Tournament. Co-anglers fish for top awards of $3,000 plus contingency bonuses in each one-day qualifier and $4,500 plus contingency bonuses in each two-day Super Tournament.
Anglers also have the opportunity to qualify for six no-entry-fee regional championships with top awards of $60,000 (boater) and $50,000 (co-angler), a no-entry-fee Wild Card regional, the no-entry-fee All-American with top awards of $100,000 (boater) and $50,000 (co-angler), and even the FLW Series Championship with top awards of $200,000 (boater) and $30,000 (co-angler).
“Major League Fishing was founded by tournament anglers, so we are an angler-driven league,” said Boyd Duckett, MLF co-founder and board director. “We respect and value the loyal FLW Series and BFL anglers, and we are very excited to announce the enhancements to what was already the best grassroots organization on the planet. I am confident that the anglers will be extremely satisfied with both the FLW Series and BFL circuits moving forward.”
The BFL is the steppingstone to the FLW Series, which is now the pathway to the new 150-angler FLW Pro Circuit and ultimately MLF’s Bass Pro Tour, where 80 of the world’s top pros compete with no entry fees. The FLW Series and BFL also put anglers in front of the sport’s largest fan base, with coverage on FLWFishing.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter reaching more than 1 million fans each month.
Earlier this month, MLF announced an agreement to acquire FLW. This deal, which brings together the largest grassroots organization in the world with the best pro anglers in the world, is expected to close in the coming days.
"It’s the best of both worlds for FLW anglers – what you’ve come to know and expect from FLW, now with the power of Major League Fishing behind us," said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. "We are proud of the fact that no other organization offers higher rewards for lower entry fees.”
For FLW Series schedules and payouts, click here. For BFL schedules and payouts, click here.
