Eastern Series Eliminated, Strens Reworked, BFLs Merged

The long-awaited announcement from FLW Outdoors concerning the 2010 season landed near close of business today Eastern time. Although a good part of the changes were expected, the overall scope is nonetheless shocking.

A statement issued by FLW Outdoors noted the changes were made to benefit anglers and make the sport more affordable, but it's clear FLW Outdoors has felt the economic climate as well. Several major sponsors

have left or are leaving, and Ranger Boats – the foundation of FLW Outdoors – currently has its hands tied in the Genmar bankrupcty.

FLW Outdoors president and CEO Charlie Evans said in the press release: "Many of our anglers have been directly affected by the current economic downturn. We thoroughly studied every aspect of our tournaments and carefully developed our 2010 programs to minimize the time and expense required to compete while at the same time visiting quality fisheries that will provide exciting events that anglers and fans alike will enjoy. We're confident that the adjustments we made will serve our anglers well and position the sport for continued prosperity."

A few notable changes announced today include:

> The FLW Tour will move to a 4-day cumulative-weight format with only the Top 5 pros fishing the final day (Saturday). Only 30 Tour pros will qualify for a smaller-field 2010 Forrest Wood Cup, and the Cup will shrink to about 50 boats in 2011. There are no Opens listed and entry fees, as well as payouts, are reduced.

> Title sponsors Walmart and BP, long rumored to be departing, are mentioned nowhere in the announcement. Contingency prizes, such as Ranger and Yamaha bonuses, are not outlined.

> The Eastern FLW Series, Western Strens, Stren Championship and Walleye League have all been shuttered.

> The Western FLW Series lives on with a reduced entry fee and payout.

> The Stren Series will now offer only three events per division, with the points winner from each division and the new Invitational receiving Cup berths.

> Four divisions of the BFLs have merged into other divisions.

> Plus plenty more...

FLW Tour

It's difficult to predict how purses will shake out for next year's FLW Tour, and other circuits for that matter, because no contingency prizes were announced. Contingencies have played a central role in FLW's strategy the past half-decade, with bonuses regularly paid to Ranger, Yamaha and Evinrude owners, as well as smaller prizes for big bass, distance traveled, Angler of the Year and more.

Evinrude and FLW Outdoors are currently in litigation over an alleged failure to pay sponsor fees, so there'll be no Evinrude contingency next year. The hope is that Yamaha, despite a bottomed-out motor market, will return with contingency awards, and that the bankruptcy court will agree to let Ranger continue to market its product through lucrative contingency prizes.

Instead, what the news release lays out is a simple pay-in/pay-out structure. FLW Tour fees will be slightly lower at $4,000 per event, or $24,000 for the full season. The result is a more modest purse at each event. And with no Opens, which traditionally offered larger payouts, the total purse has shrunk considerably. However, 1st-place in each event still pays $100,000 and 50th still earns $10,000. To see the pay table, click here.

In addition, the Tour is back to its old Wednesday through Saturday schedule, and with Walmart out of play, weigh-ins for the first 3 days will be held at lakeside.

The Top 5 pros advance to fish the final day, and winner's determined by cumulative weight (no more zeroing after the cut). Such a move appears to be a significant cost saver for the league. It's assumed that TV camera work will be light on day 3 with a full field, which means the producers will need just five camera crews the final day. Compare that to 10 camera crews for 2 days under this year's format.

Additionally, practice has been shortened to 3 days.

Forrest Wood Cup

This year's Forrest Wood Cup fielded 77 pros, but that won't be the case next year when 10 fewer pros make it from the Tour. The year after, there's be 30 less boats from the FLW Series. Here's how the Cup field, in part, will shake out in 2011.

> Top 30 from the FLW Tour
> Five from the Strens (same as this year)
> Ten from the Western FLW Series (down from cumulative 40 from both Series divisions this year)
> One from College Fishing (unknown at this point whether they'll be pros or cos)
> There's no Cup slot named for the BFL All-American winner, although this may have been an oversight.
> It's assumed the TBF National Champion will still fish the Cup.

As contingencies have yet to be announced, there's no news on whether the Cup will still offer a $500,000 Ranger bonus. First-place remains $500,000 and each pro qualifier will earn at least $10,000.

FLW Series

As noted, the Eastern FLW Series is no more, but the Westerns live on.

In the weeks preceding the news, there was speculation that the National Guard, which title-sponsors the Western Series, might also title the Eastern Series in the wake of BP's retreat. And there's at least some curiosity as to why FLW would cancel the successful Easterns yet keep the struggling Westerns. However, insiders note that the Guard is interested primarily in the Western demographic to drive enlistment.

The loss of the Eastern Series deals a significant blow to tour pros who need to bolster their schedule beyond the six-event Tour or eight-event Bassmaster Elite Series. The Strens are available, but with just three (rather than four) events per division, and no true championship, it's likely not a relevant option.

The loss of the Series also affects the FLW Outdoors TV show on the Versus network. It wouldn't be a surprise if the TV show went to a half-year schedule, or was shortened to a half-hour.

The Western Series is now the sole western circuit remaining between FLW Outdoors and BASS. Entry fees and payouts have been effectively cut in half ($2,000 pro, $350 co), and the Series thus sits more as an amplified Stren.

The Western Series field will be capped at 150 boats, the off-limits period will be 6 days (rather than 11), practice has been reduced to 3 days, only the Top 5 fish the final day (rather than 10), and 10 anglers qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup (down from 20 this year).

To view the pay table, click here. Here's a look at the schedule:

> Jan. 13-16 -- Lake Shasta -- Shasta Lake, Calif.
> May 5-8 -- Lake Mead -- Las Vegas, Nev.
> June 9-12 -- California Delta -- Stockton, Calif.
> Sept 22-25 -- Lake Roosevelt -- Payson, Ariz.

Strens

The Strens continue to undergo changes. Previously, the events were shortened from 4 days to 3 and converted to a cumulative-weight format. Now, each division will fish just three events.

As noted, the Western Strens and the Stren Championship have been discontinued. The new Invitational will invite the Top 50 from each division and the winner will get a berth in the Forrest Wood Cup.

Entry fee for the Invitational is the same as a Stren qualifying event ($825 pro, $325 co).

Events will be capped at 150 boats, and the points winner from each division, plus the Invitational winner, will get a Cup berth.

To view the pay table, click here. Here's a look at the schedule:

Central
> March 18-20 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- Osage Beach, Mo.
> April 15-17 -- Lake Ouachita -- Mount Ida, Ark.
> May 13-15 -- Kentucky Lake -- Gilbertsville, Ky.

Northern
> June3-5 --Potomac River -- Marbury, Md.
> July 15-17 -- Lake Champlain -- Plattsburgh, N.Y.
> Sept. 9-11 -- Lake Erie -- Erie, Pa.

Southeast
> Feb. 25-27 -- Lake Okeechobee -- Clewiston, Fla.
> April 29-May 1 -- Lake Eufaula -- Eufaula, Ala.
> Sept. 30-Oct. 2 -- Pickwick Lake -- Florence, Ala.

Texas
> Jan. 7-9 -- Lake Falcon -- Zapata, Texas
> Feb. 4-6 -- Sam Rayburn -- Jasper, Texas
> June 17-19 -- Toledo Bend -- Manning, La.

Invitational
> Nov. 4-6 -- Wheeler Lake -- Decatur, Ala.

BFLs

The news that several BFL divisions would disappear seemed a foregone conclusion when FLW Outdoors made staff reductions, including the layoff of two BFL directors, several weeks ago.

Everglades and Gator will merge, as will Empire with Northeast, Texas-Louisiana with Cowboy, and Dixie with Bama.

Payouts, formats and entry fees for qualifiers and Super Tournaments remain unchanged. There was no reference made of Regionals, but the pay tables for 2010 include a breakdown for the Regionals. As well, there was no mention of a Cup berth for the All-American champ, although again, that's likely an oversight.

For the 2010 BFL schedule, click here. To view the pay tables, click here.

College Fishing

The College Fishing program seems pretty much unchanged. Here's a look at next year's schedule:

Central
> March 20 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- Osage Beach, Mo.
> April 17 -- Lake Ouachita -- Mount Ida, Ark.
> May 15 -- Kentucky Lake -- Gilbertsville, Ky.
> July 24 -- Mississippi River -- La Crosse, Wis.
> Oct. 30-Nov. 1 -- Lake Monroe (Regional) -- Bloomington, Ind.

Northern
> March 27 -- Mt. Island Lake -- Mount Holly, N.C.
> June 5 -- Potomac River -- Marbury, Md.
> July 17 -- Lake Champlain-- Plattsburgh, N.Y.
> Sept. 11 -- Lake Erie -- Erie, Pa.
> Nov. 6-8 -- Lake Jordan (Regional) -- Raleigh, N.C.

Southeast
> Feb. 27 -- Lake Okeechobee -- Clewiston, Fla.
> March 13 -- Old Hickory Lake -- Gallatin, Tenn.
> May 1 -- Lake Eufaula -- Eufaula, Ala.
> Oct. 2 -- Pickwick Lake -- Florence, Ala.
> Nov. 13-15 -- Lake Murray (Regional) -- Columbia, S.C.

Texas
> Jan. 9 -- Lake Falcon -- Zapata, Texas
> Feb. 6 -- Sam Rayburn -- Jasper, Texas
> March 6 -- Red River -- Natchitoches, La.
> June 19 -- Toledo Bend -- Manning, La.
> Nov. 13-15 -- Lake Austin (Regional) -- Austin, Texas

Western
> Jan. 16 -- Lake Shasta -- Shasta Lake, Calif.
> May 8 -- Lake Mead -- Las Vegas, Nev.
> June 12 -- California Delta -- Stockton, Calif.
> Sept. 25 -- Lake Roosevelt -- Payson, Ariz.
> Oct. 9-11 -- Folsom Lake (Regional) -- Sacramento, Calif.

Championship (For 2009 Qualifiers)
> April 10-12 -- Ft. Loudoun–Tellico -- Knoxville, Tenn.

Walleye

Last year, FLW Outdoors discontinued its saltwater offerings. Many felt the walleye circuits to be in jeopardy as well, which turned out to be true. The Walleye League has been canceled, but the Walleye Tour survived, somewhat.

Similar to the Western FLW Series, the Walleye Tour entry fees and purses have been cut substantially. Pro entry fee next year is $750 (down from $1,750), while co-anglers ante up $250 (down from $400). The 1st-place pro payout is capped at $25,000 and the co side at $5,000, with $1,000 and $400 payouts extending through 50th place, respectively.

The championship pays $25,000 to the winning pro (down from $70,000 this year) and $5,000 to the winning co (down from $7,000).

Fields will be capped at 150 boats. To view the pay tables, click here. Here's a look at the schedule:

East Division
> April 8-10 -- Detroit River -- Trenton, Mich.
> April 29-May 1 -- Illinois River -- Spring Valley, Ill.
> July 15-17 -- Lake Winnebago -- Oshkosh, Wis.

West Division
> May 20-22 -- Mississippi River -- Red Wing, Minn.
> June 24-26 -- Lake Oahe -- Pierre, S.D.
> July 29-31 -- Devils Lake -- Devils Lake, N.D.

FLW Walleye Tour Championship
> Sept. 23-25 -- Leech Lake -- Walker, Minn.

Notable

> The full press release, which includes information on registration, can be found below.

_____________________

Official Press Release

MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 27, 2009) – FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading tournament fishing organization, announced its 2010 schedules and tournament details; many of which have been modified to address the challenges many anglers are facing at all levels of the sport.

“Many of our anglers have been directly affected by the current economic downturn,” said Charlie Evans, President and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “We thoroughly studied every aspect of our tournaments and carefully developed our 2010 programs to minimize the time and expense required to compete while at the same time visiting quality fisheries that will provide exciting events that anglers and fans alike will enjoy. We are confident that the adjustments we made will serve our anglers well and position the sport for continued prosperity.”

The FLW Tour, whose schedule was released earlier this year and is listed below, culminates with the Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, in Atlanta.

FLW Tour

> Feb. 10-13 -- Red River -- Shreveport, La.
> March 3-6 -- Table Rock Lake -- Branson, Mo.
> March 24-27 -- Lake Norman -- Charlotte, N.C.
> April 21-24 -- Ft. Loudoun/Tellico Lakes -- Knoxville, Tenn.
> May 26-29 -- Lake Ouachita -- Hot Springs, Ark.
> June 23-26 -- Lake Guntersville -- Huntsville, Ala.
> Aug. 5-8 -- Lake Lanier (Forrest Wood Cup) -- Atlanta, Ga.

The FLW Tour will feature a cumulative weight format in 2010. The field of 150 pros and 150 co-anglers will compete Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with the top five pros advancing to Saturday. The total weight from the first three days will determine the winning co-angler Friday, and the total weight from all four days will determine the winning pro on Saturday. Weigh-ins will be held lakeside the first three days, moving to an arena in conjunction with the Tour’s popular Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show on day four. Practice for each event has been condensed from four to three days – Saturday, Sunday and Monday – and tournament waters will go off-limits 13 days prior to practice, with registration on Tuesday.

Pro entry fees will be $4,000 per tournament and deposits have been reduced to $1,000 for each event. Pro anglers will continue to compete for a $100,000 top award in each event, with payouts of $10,000 through 50th place. Co-angler entry fees are $700 per event, and the top co-angler award in each tournament is $20,000 with payouts of $800 through 50th place.

The top 30 pros and co-anglers from the 2010 season will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup. The 2010 Forrest Wood Cup champion will earn $500,000 in the pro division and $50,000 in the co-angler division, unchanged from last year. Every pro that qualifies and fishes will earn a minimum of $7,000 while every co-angler earns a minimum of $1,500.

Sponsor contingency awards are being developed with our partners and will be announced for all circuits in the near future.

The top 100 pros and top 100 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Tour and the 2009 FLW Series, top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers from each division of the 2009 Stren Series and the boater and co-angler champion from the 2009 BFL All-American may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Dec. 7 in order to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Dec. 7, followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Dec. 8. General public entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 9. Deposits for all six events will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

FLW Series

The FLW Series will be adjusted with the Eastern Division being discontinued. The 2010 National Guard FLW Series will serve anglers in the Western United States and its schedule is below.

> Jan. 13-16 -- Lake Shasta -- Shasta Lake, Calif.
> May 5-8 -- Lake Roosevelt -- Payson, Ariz.
> June 9-12 -- California Delta -- Stockton, Calif.
> Sept 22-25 -- Lake Mead -- Las Vegas, Nev.

The FLW Series field of 150 pros and 150 co-anglers will compete Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with the top five pros advancing to Saturday. The total weight from the first three days will determine the winning co-angler Friday, and the total weight from all four days will determine the winning pro Saturday. Practice for each event has been condensed from four to three days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday – and tournament waters will go off-limits six days prior to practice.

Pro entry fees have been reduced to $2,000 per tournament and co-angler entry fees have been reduced to $350 per event. Anglers will compete for top awards of $50,000 in the pro division and $10,000 in the co-angler division, with awards of $5,000 and $400, respectively, extending through 50th place. The top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers at the end of the season will qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.

The top 100 pros and top 100 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Series and the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers from the 2009 Stren Series may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Dec. 15 in order to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Dec. 15 followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Dec. 16. General public entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 17. Pros and co-anglers who enter all four tournaments with a counterpart by Dec. 17 will be given priority over anglers who enter less than four events. Deposits for all four events will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

Stren Series

The current Stren Series will consist of four divisions in 2010 – Central, Northern, Southeast and Texas – with the Western division being discontinued. Each division will consist of three tournaments and the full schedule is below.

Central
> March 18-20 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- Osage Beach, Mo.
> April 15-17 -- Lake Ouachita -- Mount Ida, Ark.
> May 13-15 -- Kentucky Lake -- Gilbertsville, Ky.

Northern
> June3-5 --Potomac River -- Marbury, Md.
> July 15-17 -- Lake Champlain -- Plattsburgh, N.Y.
> Sept. 9-11 -- Lake Erie -- Erie, Pa.

Southeast
> Feb. 25-27 -- Lake Okeechobee -- Clewiston, Fla.
> April 29-May 1 -- Lake Eufaula -- Eufaula, Ala.
> Sept. 30-Oct. 2 -- Pickwick Lake -- Florence, Ala.

Texas
> Jan. 7-9 -- Lake Falcon -- Zapata, Texas
> Feb. 4-6 -- Sam Rayburn -- Jasper, Texas
> June 17-19 -- Toledo Bend -- Manning, La.

Invitational
> Nov. 4-6 -- Wheeler Lake -- Decatur, Ala.

The fields will consist of 150 boats fishing Thursday and Friday and the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advancing to Saturday. Winners will be determined by total weight from all three days. The points champion from each division will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup and a fifth Forrest Wood Cup qualifier will advance from an Invitational event that is open to the top 50 anglers from each division.

Pro entry fees remain $825 per tournament and co-angler entry fees remain $325 per tournament. Anglers will compete for top awards of $25,000 in the pro division and a Ranger Boat in the co-angler division, with awards of $800 and $350 extending through 50th place, respectively. The entry fee in the Invitational is the same as a tournament entry fee.

The top 40 pros and top 40 co-anglers from each division of the 2009 season and the top 40 boaters and top 40 co-anglers from each division of the 2009 Bass Fishing League may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2 and must enter by Dec. 10 to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Dec.10 followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Dec. 11. General public entries will be accepted beginning Dec. 14. Pros and co-anglers who enter all three tournaments in a division with a counterpart by Dec. 15 will be given priority over anglers who enter less than three events. Entries are accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000 beginning Monday, Nov. 2. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

BFL

The Bass Fishing League continues its longstanding tradition as the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home tournaments in 2010 with 24 divisions serving weekend anglers. There will be four divisions merging and they are the Everglades with Gator; Empire with Northeast; Texas/Louisiana with Cowboy; and Dixie with Bama. Payouts, formats and entry fees for qualifiers and Super Tournaments remain unchanged.

The 2010 All-American presented by Chevy will be held on DeGray Lake in Hot Springs, Ark., May 27-29. This no-entry-fee tournament will pay the winning boater $100,000 and the winning co-angler $50,000. Every angler will cash a check, with the 54th place boater earning $1,500 and the 54th place co-angler earning $750.

Entries for the 2010 season will be accepted by division on the following dates: Dec. 7 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City, and Volunteer; Dec. 8 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi; Dec. 9 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Gator and Mountain; Dec. 10 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie; and Dec. 11 – Ozark, Piedmont, Savannah River, South Carolina and Shenandoah. Entries are accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For additional information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

College Fishing

FLW Outdoors launched National Guard FLW College Fishing in 2009 and the success has been unparalleled. The national championship for the first season will take place at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., on Fort Loudoun/Tellico lakes, April 10-12, 2010.

The 2010 schedule will consist of four qualifying events and one regional tournament in each division – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western – and is below.

Central
> March 20 -- Lake of the Ozarks -- Osage Beach, Mo.
> April 17 -- Lake Ouachita -- Mount Ida, Ark.
> May 15 -- Kentucky Lake -- Gilbertsville, Ky.
> July 24 -- Mississippi River -- La Crosse, Wis.
> Oct. 30-Nov. 1 -- Lake Monroe (Regional) -- Bloomington, Ind.

Northern
> March 27 -- Mt. Island Lake -- Mount Holly, N.C.
> June 5 -- Potomac River -- Marbury, Md.
> July 17 -- Lake Champlain-- Plattsburgh, N.Y.
> Sept. 11 -- Lake Erie -- Erie, Pa.
> Nov. 6-8 -- Lake Jordan (Regional) -- Raleigh, N.C.

Southeast
> Feb. 27 -- Lake Okeechobee -- Clewiston, Fla.
> March 13 -- Old Hickory Lake -- Gallatin, Tenn.
> May 1 -- Lake Eufaula -- Eufaula, Ala.
> Oct. 2 -- Pickwick Lake -- Florence, Ala.
> Nov. 13-15 -- Lake Murray (Regional) -- Columbia, S.C.

Texas
> Jan. 9 -- Lake Falcon -- Zapata, Texas
> Feb. 6 -- Sam Rayburn -- Jasper, Texas
> March 6 -- Red River -- Natchitoches, La.
> June 19 -- Toledo Bend -- Manning, La.
> Nov. 13-15 -- Lake Austin (Regional) -- Austin, Texas

Western
> Jan. 16 -- Lake Shasta -- Shasta Lake, Calif.
> May 8 -- Lake Roosevelt -- Payson, Ariz.
> June 12 -- California Delta -- Stockton, Calif.
> Sept. 25 -- Lake Mead -- Las Vegas, Nev.
> Oct. 16-18 -- Folsom Lake (Regional) -- Sacramento, Calif.

Full-time students at four-year institutions with a bass fishing club are eligible to compete. There is no entry fee, boats are provided and each team receives a travel allowance. Each qualifying event will accept up to 40 teams with the top five teams from each division advancing to their respective regional championship. The top five teams from each regional championship advance to the national championship. The team that takes home the national championship title qualifies for the Forrest Wood Cup.

Each team consists of two students competing for awards that are split between their bass fishing club and their respective school. Entries will be accepted online at CollegeFishing.com beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 8 a.m. Central time. For additional information, please visit CollegeFishing.com.

FLW Walleye Tour

The FLW Walleye Tour will consist of two divisions: East and West. Each division will host three tournaments with a field of 150 boats and these tournaments will culminate with the FLW Walleye Tour Championship. The schedule is listed below.

East Division
> April 8-10 -- Detroit River -- Trenton, Mich.
> April 29-May 1 -- Illinois River -- Spring Valley, Ill.
> July 15-17 -- Lake Winnebago -- Oshkosh, Wis.

West Division
> May 20-22 -- Mississippi River -- Red Wing, Minn.
> June 24-26 -- Lake Oahe -- Pierre, S.D.
> July 29-31 -- Devils Lake -- Devils Lake, N.D.

FLW Walleye Tour Championship
> Sept. 23-25 -- Leech Lake -- Walker, Minn.

Pro entry fees will be $750 per tournament and co-angler entry-fees will be $250. Anglers will compete for top awards of $25,000 in the pro division and $5,000 in the co-angler division, with awards of $1,000 and $400, respectively, extending through 50th place. Anglers that participated in the FLW Walleye League, which will be discontinued, are encouraged to participate in the FLW Walleye Tour.

The top 50 pros and top 50 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Walleye Tour and the top 10 boaters and top 10 co-anglers from the 2009 FLW Walleye League may register beginning Monday, Nov. 2, and must enter by Jan. 11 in order to secure their priority entry position for the 2010 season. Ranger boat owners may enter beginning Jan. 11 followed by Champion and Stratos boat owners and TBF members Jan. 12. General public entries will be accepted beginning Jan. 13. Pros and co-anglers who enter all three tournaments in a division with a counterpart by Jan. 13 will be given priority over anglers who enter less than three events. Deposits for all three events will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000 beginning Monday, Nov. 2. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player's Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.