FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) announced today that entries into the FLW Series have increased over last year, and nearly one-third of those competitors are new to the Series. In the first 43 days of tournament registration, the number of entrants into the 2020 FLW Series has increased 63% compared to 2019 and 29% of those have not fished an FLW Series tournament in the last five years.
“Coming off of a successful 2019 season, we knew that the expanded schedule and reduced entry fees would be very well received by the thousands of tournament anglers that FLW serves,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW Executive Vice President and General Manager. “Our professional tournament experience appeals to both veteran anglers and anglers just starting out in the sport, and we’re seeing that in these early registration numbers.”
In late 2019, FLW announced a reduction in FLW Series entry fees to $1,700 for pros and $550 for co-anglers per tournament along with an expanded FLW Series schedule for 2020. The FLW Series championship payout was increased to $200,000 for first place and an additional $10,000 bonus for the highest-finishing pro from each of the eight U.S. divisions and the International division.
“We’re ecstatic with these registration numbers as it validates our decision to return nearly $3 million in revenue to anglers through Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine and FLW Series entry fees,” commented Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “Our acquisition of FLW forced us to take a long, hard look at how to sustain and grow the sport, and we believe that business decisions like these bring long-term stability to competitive bass fishing for all anglers.”
The 2020 FLW Series season will consist of three events in eight divisions, up from five divisions in 2019. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee FLW Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at more than $30,000).
Top payouts in each regular-season event remain $40,000 for pros and a new Phoenix bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at more than $30,000) for co-anglers. As field sizes increase, so do payouts, with awards reaching a maximum of $65,000 for the winning pro and $35,000 for the winning co-angler at 260 boats, and awards of $2,000 for pros and $550 for co-anglers extending through 65th place.
Registration for the 2020 FLW Series is open for all divisions. Visit FLWFishing.com for complete details. The season kicks off Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2020 at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, Louisiana.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.