The well-known "Operation Bass" name is no more, BassFan.com has learned. Instead, in line with its new TV and other efforts, the former Operation Bass is now FLW Outdoors.

Few Reasons

FLW Outdoors chairman Irwin Jacobs told BassFan.com that the change is being made for "a couple of reasons. First of all, of all of our tournaments, clearly the FLW (Tour) is what really established this new image for Operation Bass."

The name change also avoids potential confusion, Jacobs said. "When you talk about Operation Bass, it's very specific -- it talks about bass. We're in walleye now, and you will shortly be hearing (about) us in another segment of the market.

"The 'Outdoors' part of it means this is where we broaden the whole thing, whether it's camping, whether it's fishing, whether it's another species," he said. "We needed something that broadened us."

Jacobs added that FLW Outdoors "is all about the outdoors, about family. That's what our whole emphasis is going to be."

More Than Just a Name Change

"FLW Outdoors is more than a new name for our magazine, television series and web site," said Charlie Hoover, FLW Outdoors president. The new name "embodies a way of life that 77 million other outdoor enthusiasts subscribe to, a way of life that we wholeheartedly support.

"Over the past 22 years, our members have helped us grow into the world's leading promoter of professional bass fishing tournaments," he said. "And last season we made a huge splash in the world of walleye fishing with the introduction of the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit. Now, as FLW Outdoors, we're poised to further advance the cause of outdoor enthusiasts around the world."

Will Be Everywhere

"You're going to see (FLW Outdoors) everywhere now," Jacobs said. "All of our sponsors will be putting it on their packaging and everything else next year. There will be clothing, T-shirts and all kinds of stuff coming out with (the new logo)." As of today, the new logo had not been finalized.

2 Tours, 2 Outdoors

As a side note for those BassFans who are keeping score:

> The FLW Tour has been around for five years. This year the BASSMASTER Top 150 trail was renamed the BASSMASTER Tour.

> ESPN's outdoor programming block, which includes bass fishing, has been called ESPN Outdoors. Now there's FLW Outdoors.