MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 27, 2015) – FLW announced today the schedule, rules and payouts for the 2016 Bass Fishing League, which includes 128 tournaments in 24 divisions offering nearly $8 million in awards, including as much as $120,000 to the winning boater and $60,000 to the winning co-angler in the nationally-televised All-American, plus advancement to the Forrest Wood Cup for a shot at winning the biggest payday in bass fishing.
Among the key changes for 2016 are enhanced payouts for the no-entry-fee regional tournaments that double the second and third place awards to $10,000 for boaters and $5,000 for co-anglers finishing second and $5,000 for boaters and $2,500 for co-anglers finishing third. Top awards in each regional remain a Ranger Z518C and $20,000 for boaters and a Ranger Z518C for co-anglers. All regional championship payouts are guaranteed.
Entry fees have increased slightly from $220 to $230 per qualifier for boaters and from $110 to $115 per qualifier for co-anglers. Super Tournament entry fees increased from $330 to $345 for boaters and from $165 to $175 for co-anglers.
The BFL is the nation’s largest and most popular weekend bass-fishing circuit. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division receive priority entry into the 2017 Rayovac FLW Series while All-American champions may advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour, the world’s top professional bass-fishing circuit.
Anglers can register for the 2016 season at FLWFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000 on the dates listed below:
- December 7, 2015 – Hoosier, Michigan, Music City and Volunteer
- December 8, 2015 – Bulldog, Cowboy, Great Lakes, Illini and Mississippi
- December 9, 2015 – Bama, Buckeye, Choo Choo, Gator and Mountain
- December 10, 2015 – Arkie, LBL, North Carolina, Northeast and Okie
- December 11, 2015 – Ozark, Piedmont, Savannah River, Shenandoah and South Carolina