FLW announces 2013 Walmart FLW Tour schedule

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – FLW, the world’s premier tournament fishing organization, has announced the 2013 Walmart FLW Tour schedule. The 2013 season will be comprised of six tournaments featuring up to 160 of the best bass anglers in the world. The Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing, will be held on the Red River in the Shreveport-Bossier City area of Louisiana.

Along with the FLW Tour schedule, FLW also announced that the 2013 Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy will be held on Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn., in conjunction with the FLW Tour event on Lake Chickamauga in Dayton, Tenn. The annual Will Fish for Kids Charity Bass Tournament benefiting Arkansas Children’s Hospital will be held April 15 immediately following the FLW Tour event on Beaver Lake in Rogers, Ark.

2013 Walmart FLW Tour Majors schedule

Weigh-ins will be held lakeside on days one and two at all qualifying events then at the local Walmart on days three and four in conjunction with the FLW Expo, except for the Beaver Lake tournament. Weigh-ins on days three and four at Beaver Lake as well as the FLW Expo will be held at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. Forrest Wood Cup weigh-ins will be held all four days at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City with the FLW Expo at the Shreveport Convention Center on days two, three and four.

Qualifying tournament payouts are unchanged, with pro anglers competing for a top award of up to $125,000, and co-anglers vying for a top prize of up to $25,000 in each tournament. With a full field, the paybacks will be $10,000 through 50th place and $4,000 through 60th place on the pro side and $1,000 through 50th place and $700 through 60th place on the co-angler side. Entry fees will also remain unchanged at $4,000 per tournament for pros and $700 per tournament for co-anglers.

The 2013 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart will consist of 46 pros and 46 co-anglers. In 2013, the top 35 ranked pros and as many co-anglers from the FLW Tour, along with the top five in the rankings from the 2012 FLW Tour Opens will qualify for the Cup along with the 2012 FLW Tour Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year and 2012 Forrest Wood Cup pro and co-angler champions. The 2013 Walmart BFL All-American boater and co-angler champions, 2012 EverStart Series pro and co-angler champions, 2013 National Guard FLW College Fishing champions and 2013 TBF National Championship winners will round out the field.

The FLW Tour Opens have been discontinued for 2013 as an adjustment to the current market demand.