(Editor's note: On Friday of this week FLW Outdoors issued a revised Rule 19 and clarified that the logo restrictions only pertain to days 3 and 4. For the clarification, click here.)

FLW Outdoors recently issued a press release with details of its 2011 FLW Tour and published the 2011 Tour rules on FLWOutdoors.com.

The long-awaited news also hints at what should be further announcements concerning Tour sponsorship.

New Logo Policy

The FLW Tour has long featured an ultra-restrictive logo policy, under which anglers fishing the final "TV" day or days wore FLW-supplied uniforms and fished from FLW-supplied boats.



The policy was slightly loosened last year to allow pros to attach small patches on TV days, provided such patches didn't compete with the Tour's exclusive sponsor categories.

The new policy goes a step further and allows anglers to wear their own jerseys every day, again provided the signage doesn't compete with any of the FLW Tour's exclusive categories. That's both good and bad news for some pros.

On the one hand, the list of exclusive categories is extensive, which would seem to signal an exceptionally healthy base of Tour sponsors soon to be announced. On the other hand, there's little room for pros to add sponsors to their fold, as the exclusive-category list is so extensive.

Exclusive categories do include boats, motors, vehicles and a host of sundries and consumables, but notably do not include fishing tackle.

For reference, here's the full text of the new FLW Tour Rule 19:

19. Logo usage and television coverage

FLW Tour, Majors and Opens and Forrest Wood Cup: During all days of competition any and all tobacco logos are prohibited and may not be worn or displayed. On day 4 of the FLW Majors and Opens (collectively and hereinafter "FLW Tour") and the Forrest Wood Cup, anglers who make the final-day cut must use boats and use camera equipment if supplied by FLW Outdoors. Anglers may wear their own jersey every day of the tournament so long as the main logo/design and any additional logos on the jersey do not conflict or compete in any way with the exclusive categories/companies below. If an angler wears his or her own jersey, that jersey must include the following logos on days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour and Forrest Wood Cup: A 5-inch wide FLW Fantasy Fishing logo and on the upper left chest a 5-inch wide FLW Outdoors logo. Additionally on day 4 jerseys must include a 5-inch wide logo of the FLW Outdoors sponsor that corresponds with the FLW Outdoors sponsor boat (e.g. Walmart) that the angler will compete from. FLW Outdoors will provide these logos. Jerseys worn on days 3 and 4 may not include logos of another fishing tournament organization (e.g. BASS or PAA). If the angler does not have his or her own sponsor jersey he/she must wear one provided by FLW Outdoors.

Exclusive Categories:

  • Automotive
  • Boats
  • Marine electronics
  • Outboard engines
  • Trolling motors
  • Retailer – outdoor or other
  • Armed services/military
  • Coffee
  • Donation centers
  • Breakfast, including cereal, frozen breakfast, breakfast pastry
  • Snack crackers
  • Cookies
  • Cell-phone service provider
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Meat, including but not limited to, chicken, hamburger, hot dogs, bratwurst
  • Boxed/shelf stable meals
  • Soup/stew
  • Invisible tape, painters tape
  • Fabric guard, stain guard
  • Bread
  • Paper products including but not limited to paper towels, paper plates, paper napkins, note paper
  • Salty snacks including but not limited to chips, pretzels, popcorn, nuts
  • Confectionery products including but not limited to chocolate, gum, mints, chewy candy, licorice
  • Dairy products including but not limited to ice cream, milk, cheese, butter
  • Condiments including but not limited to, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, marinade sauces
  • Soft Drinks including but not limited to ice tea, water, sports drinks, juice, energy drinks
  • Pet food
  • Household cleaning products
  • Hygiene products including but not limited to shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash
  • Lip balm
  • Over the Counter medications including but not limited to analgesics, cough and cold, sinus, allergy, antacid, proton pump inhibitor
  • Automotive tires and oil
  • Hardware tools
  • Fast food chains
  • Financial institutions including but not limited to banks, credit cards, brokerage firms
  • Electronics including but not limited to batteries, televisions, cameras, computers

    FLW Outdoors reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to prohibit any angler’s jersey that it finds to be offensive or in any way competes with any of the above referenced categories/companies. Anglers that would like to wear their own jersey must get all jerseys approved by FLW Outdoors the night before day 3 competition for the FLW Tour and Forrest Wood Cup. Only approved jerseys may be worn or displayed during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in. Any angler displaying a non-approved jersey may be disqualified. On days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour and Forrest Wood Cup, anglers may wear any hat or rain suit that does not in any way compete with the above referenced categories/companies or FLW Outdoors. On days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour and Forrest Wood Cup, competitors may not fish while using tobacco products. Smoking is not allowed in the weigh-in line during all days of competition. On days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour and Forrest Wood Cup, FLW Outdoors may, at its sole discretion, place a camera operator in a tournament boat. During the 2011 season FLW Outdoors reserves the right to add sponsors and categories/companies to the above list; however, if an angler has made FLW Outdoors aware of all anglers’ sponsors prior to FLW Outdoors adding the category/company to the list then the angler may be allowed to display the competing logo for the remainder of the year. All decisions are in FLW Outdoors sole discretion. For any questions regarding logos please contact Aaron Hall at 870.704.2276.

    Immediate Effects

    The fact that there's no exclusive category for fishing tackle (excepting boats/motors/electronics) could either mean that FLW Outdoors purposely left this category open to support anglers, or that the league does't have a fishing-tackle sponsor at a requisite dollar level to guarantee exclusivity.

    Either way, such an arrangement allows pros like Mark Rose (Strike King) and Bryan Thrift (Damiki) to wear their own jerseys.

    However, such an arrangement would appear to bar pros like Andy Morgan and Brian Travis from wearing their own jerseys. Morgan's title-sponsored by Timberghost, an outdoor retailer, while Travis is title-sponsored by Frog Tape, which is a painter's tape. Both compete with exclusive categories.

    Although FLW does reserve the right to add exclusive categories during the competition year, Rule 19 grants leniency to anglers who inform FLW Outdoors of their sponsor portfolio prior to such a category being added.

    Also of interest is the reference to an exclusive alcoholic-beverages category. Until this year, FLW Outdoors outright barred the display of alcohol logos. Display of tobacco logos is still prohibited.

    About the new logo policy, FLW Outdoors marketing president Trisha Blake noted: "The adjustments made to the rules for 2011 are a reflection of the open dialogue between anglers, our staff and sponsors. The modifications will benefit anglers immediately and for the long-term, and have a positive impact on everyone involved in the sport of fishing."

    Pay In, Pay Out

    Also included in the announcement were some additional entry-fee and payout details.

    The 2011 FLW Tour includes six Majors and four Opens. Entry fees are set at $4,000 for each Major and Open, or $40,000 for the entire 10-event season, which is payable over separate schedules for the Majors and Opens.

    The 1st-place prize at each Major and Open is $100,000 and the purse pays $10,000 through 50th and $4,000 through 60th. A $25,000 Ranger bonus is available for each winner.

    That payback is based on a full 150-boat field, although the rules state that the fields for each Major and Open will be 150 to 160 boats.

    Additionally, the FLW Tour Angler of the Year will win $100,000.

    The 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, which will be a smaller field than this year's Cup, will again pay $500,000 to the winner (plus an available $100,000 Ranger Bonus). The Cup pays $10,000 through 40th and $7,000 through 58th.

    Formats

    During both Tour Majors and Opens, the full pro field fishes the first 2 days. There's a cut to 20 for day 3, then a cut to 10 for day 4. Combined 4-day weight determines the winner.

    That's a significant change from this year, when the full field competed for 3 days, then only the Top 5 made the cut to fish the final day.

    The same format will be used for the 2011 Cup, again a departure from this year's Top 5 format.

    Notable

    > The full 2011 FLW Tour rules can be found here.