FLW Outdoors
Encyclopedia
FLW Outdoors is the sanctioning organization for a series of sport fishing tournament tours, the best known being the WalMart FLW Tour of high-stakes bass fishing
tournaments.
The organization's initials are taken from Forrest L. Wood
, founder of Ranger Boats
and developer of the Ranger fishing boat. The top bass tournament on the FLW Tour, the Forrest Wood Cup, is also named for Wood; the tournament was the first to offer a $1 million prize for the winner, in 2007.
The FLW Tour was created by businessman Irwin L. Jacobs
, owner of Genmar, the world's largest manufacturer of recreational boats (including Ranger, Wood's former company). Jacobs bought a small fishing-tournament promotion company based in Gilbertsville, Kentucky
, and renamed the company's tour as the FLW Tour. Jacobs' plan was to turn the tour into the object of major media coverage, with larger cash prizes, a television-friendly competition format, and sponsorships from well-known corporations from outside the fishing industry. Jacobs promptly signed the biggest company of them all — WalMart — which became the title sponsor for the FLW Tour, which was the first such sponsorship in the giant retailer's history. The tour went without Walmart as a title sponsor in 2010, but the retailer signed a new deal that restored the title sponsorship beginning in 2011. That same day, Jacobs also announced that legendary oilman and investor T. Boone Pickens had taken an equity stake and a partnership in the company.
FLW Outdoors expanded beyond bass fishing, with a new tour for walleye
fishing created in 2001, for kingfish
and redfish
in 2005 and for striped bass
in 2006. All of these tours have a hierarchy somewhat similar to the farm system in Major League Baseball
, with lower-level tours that allow anglers to qualify for the top-level series. Many anglers in the FLW tour make a living doing it so it gets extremely intense, which makes it very entertaining to watch. The Walleye circuit is now spnosored by the national guard and coverage of the FLW Tour is seen on Versus
. The FLW bass tours compete with those operated by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS), which was formerly owned by ESPN
. (ESPN announced a sale of BASS to private investors in July 2010.)
Bass fishing
Bass fishing is the activity of angling for the North American gamefish known colloquially as the black bass. There are numerous black bass species considered as gamefish in North America, including largemouth bass , smallmouth bass , Spotted bass or Kentucky bass , Guadalupe bass Bass fishing is...
tournaments.
The organization's initials are taken from Forrest L. Wood
Forrest L. Wood
Forrest L. Wood is the founder of Ranger Boats, and widely acknowledged as the developer of the modern bass boat. He is also the namesake of the Walmart FLW Tour for sportfishing....
, founder of Ranger Boats
Ranger Boats
Ranger Boats are a popular line of bass fishing boats designed primarily for blackbass fishing. The company was founded in 1968 by Forrest L. Wood in Flippin, Arkansas. Ranger is generally credited with the introduction of the modern bass boat....
and developer of the Ranger fishing boat. The top bass tournament on the FLW Tour, the Forrest Wood Cup, is also named for Wood; the tournament was the first to offer a $1 million prize for the winner, in 2007.
The FLW Tour was created by businessman Irwin L. Jacobs
Irwin L. Jacobs
Irwin L Jacobs is an entrepreneur and the CEO of several large corporations, including Genmar Holdings, Inc. the worlds largest boat building company. He earned the nickname "Irv the Liquidator" for his aggressive business practices in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, owner of Genmar, the world's largest manufacturer of recreational boats (including Ranger, Wood's former company). Jacobs bought a small fishing-tournament promotion company based in Gilbertsville, Kentucky
Gilbertsville, Kentucky
Gilbertsville is an unincorporated community in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States. Its elevation is 351 feet , and it is located at . It is known as the closest village to Kentucky Dam...
, and renamed the company's tour as the FLW Tour. Jacobs' plan was to turn the tour into the object of major media coverage, with larger cash prizes, a television-friendly competition format, and sponsorships from well-known corporations from outside the fishing industry. Jacobs promptly signed the biggest company of them all — WalMart — which became the title sponsor for the FLW Tour, which was the first such sponsorship in the giant retailer's history. The tour went without Walmart as a title sponsor in 2010, but the retailer signed a new deal that restored the title sponsorship beginning in 2011. That same day, Jacobs also announced that legendary oilman and investor T. Boone Pickens had taken an equity stake and a partnership in the company.
FLW Outdoors expanded beyond bass fishing, with a new tour for walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
fishing created in 2001, for kingfish
Kingfish
-Fish:* King mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla* Kingcroaker Menticirrhus spp.* Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson * White croaker Genyonemus lineatus * Cobia Rachycentron canadum...
and redfish
Redfish
Redfish is a common name for several species of fish. It is most commonly applied to members of the deep-sea genus Sebastes, or the reef dwelling snappers, Lutjanus. It is also applied to the slimeheads or roughies , and the alfonsinos ....
in 2005 and for striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
in 2006. All of these tours have a hierarchy somewhat similar to the farm system in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, with lower-level tours that allow anglers to qualify for the top-level series. Many anglers in the FLW tour make a living doing it so it gets extremely intense, which makes it very entertaining to watch. The Walleye circuit is now spnosored by the national guard and coverage of the FLW Tour is seen on Versus
Versus (TV channel)
Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
. The FLW bass tours compete with those operated by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS), which was formerly owned by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. (ESPN announced a sale of BASS to private investors in July 2010.)