FLW Announces 2015 College Fishing Program, Schedule
FLW Announces 2015 College Fishing Program and Schedule
Collegiate anglers take note. It’s time to gear up for the 2015 season, and FLW has several enhancements coming your way starting with the addition of a new FLW College Fishing Open. This special tournament offers a Ranger Z117 to the winning team and advances the top 10 teams directly to the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship. The event will be open to teams from any conference, and there is no limit on the number of boats each school can enter.
“Our goal is for this to be the single largest gathering of collegiate anglers in history,” says Kathy Fennel, FLW President of Operations.
The two-day tournament, featuring a full field both days, will be held March 20-21 on Kentucky Lake at a time when fishing action should be incredible given the lake’s well-deserved reputation for producing big catches that time of year.
To accommodate growing demand better, FLW will no longer restrict field sizes at qualifying events. In addition, participation is also open to full-time graduate students at four-year colleges and full-time undergraduate students at community colleges. Previously, participation was limited to full-time undergraduate students at four-year colleges and fields were limited to 50 boats.
Each FLW College Fishing conference will host three qualifying tournaments and a Conference Championship (previously called an Invitational), except for the Western Conference, which will host two qualifying tournaments and a Conference Championship in 2015.
“This change, along with opening the fields, is intended to help cut travel costs for Western Conference teams, many of which have to travel substantially more miles than teams in other divisions in order to have representation in three tournaments,” notes Kevin Hunt, FLW College Fishing Tournament Director.
The top 15 teams from each qualifier will advance to a Conference Championship. From there the top 10 teams will advance to the 2016 FLW College Fishing National Championship, and one member of the national championship team ultimately will advance to the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to win $500,000 – the biggest payday in bass fishing. To determine who punches his or her ticket to the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the national champions will fish head-to-head on an undisclosed body of water the day after the 2016 National Championship is complete. In other words, they will switch from teammates to opponents for a final winner-take-all showdown that pays a minimum of $10,000 as a Forrest Wood Cup qualifier.
In a move that mirrors recent changes on the Walmart FLW Tour, FLW College Fishing anglers can wear their own jerseys beginning with the 2015 National Championship and going forward, greatly enhancing the value that each team’s local sponsors receive.
Registration for the 2015 season opens Dec. 15, 2014, for teams from clubs represented in the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Championship. All other teams may register beginning Dec. 16, 2014. Teams can register at CollegeFishing.com or by calling 270.252.1000. Teams fishing the 2015 FLW College Fishing National Championship will receive a travel allowance based on the distance traveled to the event, but all other travel allowances have been discontinued. There are no entry fees in FLW College Fishing tournaments. Phones are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.
“We are looking forward to a tremendous 2015 season as we continue to build on the momentum of ICAST, an incredible 2014 Forrest Wood Cup in Columbia, SC, newsstand sales that rank FLW Bass Fishing magazine as the best-selling title in its category, our recent NBC network broadcast success and our recent New York Times cover story on FLW College Fishing,” adds Trisha Blake, FLW President of Marketing. “All of this means more opportunity for students fishing FLW College Fishing, the nation’s largest collegiate tournament trail.”
FLW College Fishing Highlights:
- No entry fees
- NEW FLW College Fishing Open advances 10 teams directly to the National Championship
- No limit on the number of teams each club can enter in each tournament
- No off-limits prior to qualifiers, the FLW College Fishing Open or Conference Championships
- Teams fish from their own boats
2015 FLW College Fishing Schedule:
*NEW FLW College Fishing Open
Mar 20-21 | Kentucky Lake: Moors Resort & Marina, Gilbertsville, KY
Central Conference
Apr 11 | Table Rock Lake: Port of Kimberling Marina & Resort, Kimberling City, MO
Jun 13 | Kentucky Lake: Kentucky Dam Marina, Gilbertsville, KY
Jul 25 | Mississippi River – La Crosse: Clinton Street Landing West, La Crosse, WI
Central Conference Championship
Oct 3-4 | Carlyle Lake: Dam West Boat Ramp, Carlyle, IL
Northern Conference
May 9 | Smith Mountain Lake: Parkway Marina, Huddleston, VA
Jul 11 | Indian Lake: Indian Lake State Park, Lakeview, OH
Aug 1 | Chautauqua Lake: Long Point State Park, Bemus Point, NY
Northern Conference Championship
Sep 12-13 | Chesapeake Bay: Anchor Marina, North East, MD
Southeastern Conference
Feb 14 | Lake Seminole: Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin, Bainbridge, GA
May 2 | Lake Guntersville: Civitan Park, Guntersville, AL
May 30 | Lake Hartwell: Gum Branch Park, Hartwell, GA
Southeastern Conference Championship
Sep 26-27 | Pickwick Lake: McFarland Park, Florence, AL
Southern Conference
Jan 24 | Sam Rayburn Reservoir: Umphrey Family Pavilion, Brookeland, TX
Feb 21 | Lake Texoma: Highport Marina, Pottsboro, TX
Sep 19 | Red River: Grand Ecore Recreation Area, Natchitoches, LA
Southern Conference Championship
Oct 17-18 | Grand Lake: Wolf Creek Park, Grove, OK
Western Conference
Feb 7 | Lake Havasu: Lake Havasu State Park/Windsor Beach, Lake Havasu City, AZ
May 9 | California Delta: Russo’s Marina, Bethel Island, CA
Western Conference Championship
Sep 26-27 | Clear Lake: Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina, Lakeport, CA
FLW College Fishing National Championship
Apr 17-19 | Lake Murray: SCE&G North Recreation Area at Dreher Shoals Dam, Columbia, SC
FLW College Fishing Open Payout:
Unlimited field – Open to teams from all conferences
Place Club
1 Ranger Z117 with 90 horsepower outboard
Top 10 teams advance to the 2016 National Championship
Qualifier Payout:
Unlimited field – Open to teams from the specified conference
Place Club
1 $2,000
2 1,000
3 500
4 500
5 500
Top 15 teams advance to a Conference Championship
Conference Championship Payout:
45 boat field Central, Northern, Southern & Southeastern – Top 15 teams from each qualifier
30 boat field Western – Top 15 teams from each qualifier
Place Club
1 $4,000
2 2,000
3 1,000
4 1,000
5 1,000
Top 10 teams advance to the 2016 National Championship
2015 National Championship Payout:
50 boat field – Top 10 teams from each 2014 Conference Championship
Place Club
1 Ranger Z117 with 90 horsepower outboard
+ 2015 Forrest Wood Cup entry
2 5,000
3 4,000
4 3,000
5 2,000
Team member fishing the Forrest Wood Cup as a pro also receives use of a wrapped Ranger boat. All prize money earned in the Forrest Wood Cup goes directly to the individual who earns it.
Every team receives a travel allowance based on the distance traveled to the tournament.