So here is what I eluded to in my earlier posts. FLW Tour is going the way of marshals at the tour level. I would be curious to what you all think about this shift in bass fishing at the top levels. Please read and respond politely.
I got the formal letter today, keep in mind several people I know have fished this for over five years straight traveling to every event. One of My concerns is how it will effect the towns they visit economically. 1/2 the hotels, 1/2 the people eating out etc. :(
Dear RICH,
Thank you for fishing with FLW as a co-angler. Co-anglers like you are incredibly important to us. In fact, they are so important that FLW first coined the term "co-angler" in 1999 because "amateur" and "non-boater" did not adequately describe the quality of angler fishing from the back of the boat in our tournaments. Today no other organization provides the depth and breadth of co-angler opportunities that FLW offers, and we are proud of that.
Since we first printed the word "co-angler," FLW has introduced the nation's largest College Fishing and High School Fishing programs. The Costa FLW Series has skyrocketed in stature, and the FLW Tour has become the most competitive bass-fishing circuit on the planet. The competition comes from pros who grew up with FLW and sustained a drive to be the absolute best. The stakes are high at the top of the sport. Perform, and you are richly rewarded. Falter, and the slide can be painful. That is why we have decided that FLW Tour pros must be in complete control of their destiny and, starting in 2019, will fish with Marshals instead of co-anglers.
This change, announced today at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), will, undoubtedly, be concerning to some loyal co-anglers who have fished the FLW Tour for a long time, but it is necessary. Co-anglers will continue to win as much as $32,000 in each of 15 Costa FLW Series tournaments plus $6,550 in Co-angler of the Year awards in each of five U.S. FLW Series divisions, all for a $575 entry fee. Co-anglers also have the no-entry-fee Costa FLW Series Championship offering another $32,000 top award and international media coverage. In the T-H Marine Bass Fishing League, co-anglers will continue to have 96 tournaments in which to earn a $3,000 top award for a $125 entry fee and another 24 Super Tournaments with a top award of $4,500 for a $175 entry fee. Additionally, co-anglers can win a Ranger Z518C with a 200 HP Evinrude or Mercury outboard in each of six no-entry-fee BFL regionals and $60,000 cash in the no-entry-fee All-American. All told, FLW co-angler awards will top $3.9 million through 144 tournaments in 2019.
While the change from co-anglers to Marshals in the FLW Tour may seem drastic, the reality is that it only affects seven tournaments. Fishing the FLW Tour as a co-angler is not the stepping stone to the professional ranks that it once was. Today anglers with professional aspirations start out in High School Fishing, continue through FLW College Fishing and then advance to the FLW Series or directly to the FLW Tour. Going forward, FLW will continue to provide the very best opportunities for co-anglers while expanding our offerings to include FLW Tour Marshals looking for incredible learning and networking opportunities of their own. Additionally, pros who come up through the FLW ranks will have a permanent home in which to build their brand, promote their sponsors and cash in on the sport's largest payouts.
The move to Marshals in the FLW Tour will allow us to focus more media attention on our top anglers. It will allow pros to build their own brands and enhance the learning opportunities for Marshals. Co-anglers will have seven fewer tournaments, but they will retain 144 tournaments providing $3.9 million in awards – the greatest co-angler program available anywhere.
FLW is the home for all bass anglers, pros and co-anglers alike. FLW is Fishing League Worldwide, and we appreciate your continued support. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kathy Fennel | President of Operations
Trish Blake | President of Marketing