Big Changes Coming to 2016 FLW Tour Events

FLW announced Thursday its planned enhancements and key changes for the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour season. Among the major changes are the additions of two fall FLW Tour Invitational tournaments and changes to Rule No. 19 to now allow competitors to fish in their own wrapped boats on all four days of FLW Tour competition.

Key points from the recently updated rules:

 Fall FLW Tour Invitationals

Two fall FLW Tour Invitational tournaments will be held after the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup at locations yet to be announced. The tournaments will feature a three-day format and a 125-boat pro field (no co-anglers) with a $4,000 entry fee. The field will consist of the top 100 professionals and top five co-anglers from the 2016 FLW Tour Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year standings, respectively, along with the top four pros from the Angler of the Year standings in each of the five 2015 Rayovac FLW Series divisions. Co-anglers accepting invitations to compete in the Invitational tournaments will compete as pros. The winner of each Invitational will receive a top prize of $100,000 cash along with automatic qualification into the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup.

 Angler Boats, Boat Wrap Exclusivity, Jersey Exclusivity

Also new for 2016, pros will use their own boats on every day of competition. Sponsor exclusivity for boat wraps will no longer exist, and the list of FLW exclusive categories for logo display on jerseys during the final two days of competition has been reduced from nine to five.

Casey Ashley Wins the 2014 FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Event.

Texan Redington wins co-angler title, $25,000

FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Pro angler Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., brought the largest stringer to the scale on Sunday – for the third time in four days of competition – to win the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell presented by Ranger Boats. Ashley weighed in a five-bass limit worth 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the $100,000 prize after leading wire-to-wire in the four-day event that showcased 176 of the best bass-fishing professionals in the world.

Casey went wire to wire to win this event by 15 pounds!
(Photos: FLW)

Ashley’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 68 pounds, 5 ounces gave him an impressive 14-pound, 8-ounce margin of victory over second-place finisher Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., whose four-day total of 20 bass weighed 53 pounds, 13 ounces and earned him $30,000.

“This week has been magical,” said Ashley, who earned the first Walmart FLW Tour victory of his career. “I’m not taking away from any major tournament that I’ve won, but it really means a lot to win at home. When you win at home, everybody you know is here. A lot of times my family gets to travel to my closer tournaments, but at home everybody gets to be there. A lot of them were out on the water watching me. I think the whole town of Donalds is here. It’s just an awesome feeling.”

Ashley said that he concentrated his efforts this week fishing the lower end of Lake Hartwell in the clear water. He targeted deep brush piles from 25 to 40 feet deep.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Day 3: Casey Ashley Advances with 10 Pound Lead!

Fog shortened day 3 makes for difficult day.

FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Walmart FLW Tour competitors arrived to Lake Hartwell early Saturday morning only to find a thick blanket of fog that forced FLW Tournament Director Bill Taylor to delay takeoff. After approximately a three-hour delay, anglers were allowed to start day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell presented by Ranger Boats. Local pro Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., increased his lead after again bringing the largest five-bass limit of the day to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

Casey working his first bass of the day to the boat.
(Photo: FLW)

Ashley’s three-day total of 52 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a commanding 9-pound, 10-ounce lead over pro Clent Davis of Montevallo, Ala., heading into the fourth and final day of competition in the tournament that features the world’s best bass-fishing anglers casting for the top cash award of up to $125,000.

“I was really worried because we had such a short day today,” said Ashley, who is seeking his first Walmart FLW Tour win. “I’m not catching a lot of fish in one place, and I’m having to move around a lot. I’ve still got some stuff that I haven’t even fished yet, just because of time. It takes some time to keep fishing how I have been, and there is just not enough time in the day, especially today.

Ashley said that he wasn’t really doing anything special, and most of his fish were still coming on a jig and a shaky-head rig. After weighing in all largemouth bass on day one and mostly spotted bass on day two, Ashley brought a mixed bag to the scale on day three consisting of two largemouth and three spots.

On Tour with Spiro: SMITH LAKE EPISODE 2

If you ever wanted to see the co-angler perspective on the FLW Bass Fishing tour then you need to check out Spiro on On Tour with Spiro Agouros. He offers the rare glimpse of what it takes to fish as a co-angler.

2014 BASSMASTER OPENS Announced!

By B.A.S.S. Communications

SEP 18, 2013

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The 2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series has something for everyone — whether they’re a top professional angler, an aspiring pro or simply a fan of the sport.

Nine events in nine states covering three geographic regions will send winners to the 2015 Bassmaster Classic, top performers to the Bassmaster Elite Series and thousands of fans to weigh-ins where they can catch the action.

The Opens Series consists of nine events — three tournaments each in Southern, Central and Northern divisions — covering rivers, natural lakes and man-made reservoirs and running from January to October.

For the fourth season in a row, Opens tournament winners who compete in all three events in a single division will earn a berth in the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.

And for those anglers hoping to take the next step in their careers, the Opens are the way to reach the most prestigious professional fishing circuit in the world, the Bassmaster Elite Series. Opens competitors earn performance points at each tournament, and at the end of the season the Top 5 ranked anglers in each division who aren’t already qualified for the Elites will be invited to join the premier tour. In recent years, Ott DeFoe, Hank Cherry and Jason Christie followed this path and have made their marks as Elite pros.

2013 FLW Cup Logistics

By FLW Outdoors

The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup competition consists of 46 pros and 46 co-anglers who have qualified through six different tournament circuits over the past two seasons. This year's prestigious group includes: the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup pro and co-angler champions, the 2012 FLW Tour Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year winners, the top 35 pros and 35 co-anglers from the 2013 Walmart FLW Tour, the top-five pros and co-anglers from the 2012 FLW Tour Opens, the pro and co-angler winners from the 2012 EverStart Series Championship, the 2013 BFL All-America boater and co-angler champions, the boater and co-angler champions from the 2013 TBF National Championship and the 2013 FLW College Fishing National Champions.

During Forrest Wood Cup competition, the full pro and co-angler fields will compete for two days. After Friday's weigh-in, the co-angler champion will be crowned while the pro field will be cut down to the top-20 anglers based on overall accumulated weight. After Saturday's weigh-in, the pro field will be cut down to the top 10 pros, based on their three-day total weight. The remaining pro field will then compete during Sunday's final round of Forrest Wood Cup action. The pro winner ultimately will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.

Pros will be fishing for a first-place award of $500,000 while co-anglers will be competing for a top prize of $50,000.

2013 Walmart FLW Lewis Smith Lake Day 1: Ehrler Grabs Lead

FLW PRESS RELEASE

JASPER, Ala. – A full field of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals began competition in the Walmart FLW Tour on Lewis Smith Lake presented by Evinrude on Thursday. After the final fish was weighed at the Lewis Smith Lake Dam Access, Keystone Light pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., sat atop the leaderboard and now has his sights set on the top cash award of up to $125,000.

Ehrler using both finesse and power to capture the day's best bag.
(Photo: FLW)

“My weight doesn’t really show the whole story of exactly what went on out there,” said Ehrler, the second-place finisher at the FLW Tour season opener at Lake Okeechobee. “It was pretty interesting how my day went. I mixed it up and did a bunch of different things. I was fortunate enough to get a couple of big bites.”
Ehrler brought a five-fish limit of spotted bass to the scales that weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces. He holds a slim 8-ounce lead over Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., who weighed in 17 pounds even.
“I pulled up to a spot today that I didn’t get a bite on in practice, but it just looked right,” Ehrler said. “There were some good laydowns, and the bank just looked right. I saw some fish on my Humminbird, but I didn’t catch any. I fished quite a few areas and covered a lot of water. I was fishing near the area again later in the afternoon and decided to take another shot at it. That time, it worked.
“It just takes time, though,” Ehrler continued. “I had a long day today and didn’t have to weigh in until 5 p.m. Tomorrow, I weigh in at 3 p.m. That could change the outcome of how I will catch them. Having a long day let me fish relaxed, while having a short day tends to push you and make you fish a little faster.”

2012 FLW Open Wheeler Lake Day 3: Mark Rose Continues to Dominate!

Missouri’s Loeffelman Jr. Wins Co-Angler Title, $20,000

FLW Press Release
DECATUR, Ala. – National Guard pro Mark Rose slipped a bit and only weighed in the second-biggest stringer of the day at the Walmart FLW Tour Open on Wheeler Lake presented by Ranger Boats. It was still enough to increase his lead to a near-insurmountable 7 pounds, 1 ounce heading into the fourth and final day. The top cash award of $125,000 is now his to lose as the world’s best bass-fishing pros continued their four-day battle at Wheeler Lake on Saturday.

Rose does a little kneeling and reeling while keeping
a keen eye on the depth finder.
(Photos: FLW)

The West Memphis, Ark., native moves on to the final day of competition as the No. 1 seed with a five-bass limit Saturday of 15-10. Rose’s three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 54-8 gives him a dominating lead heading into Day 4.
“It’s awful special to be able to come out and be in the lead here,” said Rose, who is hunting for his sixth FLW tournament championship. “The Tennessee River just has a really special place in my heart. I’m fishing with a lot of confidence right now, just doing what I love to do.”
Rose said the bites were hard to come by Saturday and he really credits his Lowrance Structure Scan as being the key to his success.
“You have to idle and find these fish, and see where and how they’re set up,” Rose said. “You have to use your Lowrance to find the depths and positioning, and then decide what baits to throw. I couldn’t be doing this without it.

2012 Forrest L. Wood Cup Day 3: Wheeler Commands for Another Day!

Indianapolis pro widens lead at Forrest Wood Cup

11.Aug.2012 by Brett Carlson

(FLW Outdoors Press Release)

DULUTH, Ga. – Despite being a 21-year-old rookie pro, Jacob Wheeler implements and executes a game plan like a savvy veteran. After whacking a huge stringer on opening day, day two of the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier was all about getting a limit. On day three, he planned to push the pedal a little more in hopes of catching a bag in the mid-teens. Thus far, Wheeler is batting three for three and with one more successful day he’ll become the youngest pro ever to claim the Cup.

Fishing wood with heavy equipment is Wheeler's game plan.
(Photos: FLW outdoors)

Wheeler started day three just like the first two – running up the Chattahoochee River in search of quality largemouths. The bite was steady, but unspectacular until a mini-flurry around 10 a.m. brought a 3-pounder and then a 4-pounder 15 minutes later. Wheeler saw Jay Yelas leave the area about an hour earlier and decided enough was enough – he wasn’t going hammer anymore. 

2012 FLW CUP: Wheeler Still Leading Cup!

Illinois’ Krekovich Paces Co-Anglers
FLW Press Release

10.Aug.2012

Overcast skies and wind greeted anglers on the second day of competition. After weighing a massive 21 pounds, 15 ounces on the opening day of competition, Fatheadz pro Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Ind., retained his lead after Day 2 by weighing a five-bass limit for 11 pounds, 12 ounces. Wheeler’s two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a 3-pound, 3-ounce lead heading into the third day of the tournament.

“I just never got that big bite,” said Wheeler, who won the Bass Fishing League All-American in 2011. “It was a struggle this morning to catch what I caught. I pulled into the area that I really thought was a good area where I caught three big ones yesterday and didn’t catch any good ones there today.”

Wheeler said he had only three fish at 1 p.m. He started to scramble, and managed to eke out seven keepers during the day.

2012 FLW CUP: Young Pro Take Lead with Largemouth

Hensley grabs top spot in Co-angler Division

09.Aug.2012

(FLW Outdoors Press Release)

DULUTH, Ga. – Forty-six of the best professional bass anglers from all over the world began their four-day battle for a top cash award of $500,000 at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing, on Lake Lanier on Thursday.

Surprise Largemouth take big lead on day 1.
(Photo: David Hunter Jones FLW)

Fatheadz pro Jacob Wheeler of Indianapolis, Ind., weighed a five-bass limit for 21 pounds, 15 ounces to take the early lead in the tournament. Wheeler now holds an impressive 5-pound, 6-ounce lead over Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., who caught five bass weighing 16-9.

FLW Tour on Red River Day 2: John Cox Still Rocks

Florida pro takes FLW Tour Red River lead into second day, Lauer takes co-angler lead

20.May.2011
by Patrick Baker
FLW Press Release

SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY, La.  He had to run the gauntlet to do it, but Debary, Fla., pro John Cox was able to access his Red River sweet spot again Friday, where he caught another five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds to hang on to the Walmart FLW Tour lead on day two with a total weight of 28-10.
“Today I had to get on my spot pretty quick,” he said, adding that he barely made it to the lock on time this morning to enter Pool 4 downstream before making yet another long haul to his backwater area that is only accessible through a narrow, shallow culvert.
In order to make it through this seemingly impassable tunnel underpass, he is fishing in a relatively small aluminum boat with a light outboard engine. He has even taken a few batteries out of the boat to lighten the load and is relying on only one to start the engine and run his trolling motor.
“Everybody else is going like 60, 70 (mph), and we’re going about 30,” he said with a laugh. “Then the takeoff after the lock has just been crazy ? about 10 boats wide.”
In other words, Cox is getting left in their wakes. But eventually he made it to the culvert, and then the real work began, including trying to blast his way through the tunnel with little water for the propeller to grab and then using a 2-by-4 to push the boat the rest of the way out.
“Today (the water) was super low … we were just fighting our way in there,” he said. “The boat bottomed out. We really only fished a couple hours. Then it took us 45 minutes to get out.”
But they were a productive couple of hours, and Cox was able to get a good limit fishing the conditions, which was rapidly falling water. Yesterday Cox relied on flipping to bag his limit, and today he found success with a swimbait and ChatterBait.