January 12, 2019  by FLW Communications – Photo’s courtesy of FLW

BROOKELAND, Texas – It was more of the same Saturday on Day Three of the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented Polaris – big limits, big bass and big smiles from tournament leader Rapala pro Terry Bolton of Benton, Kentucky. Bolton weighed a solid five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 10 ounces to maintain his lead heading into Championship Sunday in the tournament which features 170 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals competing for a top prize of up to $125,000.

The field is now trimmed to the final 10 pros for Sunday, and Bolton (15 bass, 73-13) will start with a 4-pound, 12-ounce lead over second-place pro Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, (15 bass, 69-1) who led the first day of competition. Also in contention for the win in third place is the angler considered by many to be the best in the world, Bryan Thrift of Shelby, North Carolina, (15 bass, 68-14). Bolton and LeBrun are both seeking their first career Tour win – Lebrun in his first career Tour event – while Thrift has six career wins and surpassed Andy Morgan Saturday for the most career top-10 finishes in FLW Tour competition with 40.

“I’ve had a blast this week,” said Bolton, who is fishing in his 168th career FLW Tour event – tied for 5th most all-time. “This lake is fishing phenomenal. I mainly fished the same areas that I have been all week today, but I also tried some new ones. I caught some keepers, but nothing that would really help me. I probably didn’t catch quite as many today, but the wind was a factor.”

Bolton estimated that he caught around 40 fish Saturday, throwing the Rapala DT14 and DT16 crankbaits that used to bring 33 pounds to the scale Friday but also mixing in a ¾-ounce Accent spinnerbait.

“I weighed in one bass on it today,” Bolton said about the spinnerbait. “I caught them with it on the first day, but not the second. I throw it when it’s sunny, to see if I can get quality.”

Bolton has been in this position before, leading an FLW Tour event going into the final day. He has two second-place Tour finishes, two third-place Tour finishes, and four fifth-place Tour finishes. But, the victory has eluded him. His 168 career events without a victory is the most among active FLW Tour pros. Bolton, however, said that he’s not feeling the pressure and just enjoying the moment and going fishing.

“One thing that I’ve learned out here on the Tour is that when it’s your time, it’s your time – you can’t stop it. And if it’s not your time, there’s nothing that you can do about it. So I might as well enjoy it. I’m going to get to fish the final day, on a great fishery. Would I love to win? Sure, it’d be very big for me. But is it the end all, be all, stomp my feet and go home mad if I don’t win? No.

“I’ve been very fortunate this week and I’ve had a lot of fun. We’re going to do the same thing tomorrow.”

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:

1st: Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 15 bass, 73-13
2nd: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 15 bass, 69-1
3rd: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 68-14
4th: Evinrude pro Jim Tutt, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 62-13
5th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 15 bass, 60-11
6th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 56-12
7th: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 15 bass, 54-13
8th: Sam George, Athens, Ala., 15 bass, 54-3
9th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 15 bass, 52-9
10th: Charles Sim, Nepean, Ontario, Canada, 15 bass, 52-3

Finishing in 11th through 30th are:

11th: Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Va., 15 bass, 51-9, $12,000
12th: Miles Burghoff, Hixson, Tenn., 15 bass, 51-8, $12,000
13th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 50-6, $12,000
14th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 15 bass, 50-4, $12,000
15th: Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., 15 bass, 50-1, $12,000
16th: Timmy Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 15 bass, 49-9, $11,500
17th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 15 bass, 49-3, $11,500
18th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 15 bass, 49-3, $11,500
19th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 49-1, $11,500
20th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 15 bass, 48-15, $11,500
21st: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 48-0, $10,500
22nd: Andy Wicker, Pomaria, S.C., 15 bass, 47-14, $10,500
23rd: Derek Fulps, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 47-10, $10,500
24th: Billy Shelton III, La Crosse, Va., 13 bass, 46-11, $10,500
25th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 15 bass, 44-15, $10,500
26th: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 15 bass, 44-4, $10,500
27th: Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., 15 bass, 44-3, $10,500
28th: Christopher Brasher, Longview, Texas, 15 bass, 44-2, $10,500
29th: Jon Englund, Farwell, Minn., 15 bass, 43-14, $10,500
30th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 15 bass, 42-10, $10,500

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Overall there were 148 bass weighing 443 pounds, 11 ounces caught by pros Saturday, Twenty-nine of the final 30 pros were able to bring a five-bass limit to the scale.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advanced to fish on Saturday. Now, only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by the Jasper County Development District.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

Anglers will take off for the final day of competition at 7 a.m. CST Sunday from the Umphrey Family Pavilion, located at 5438 Sam Rayburn Parkway, in Brookeland. Sunday’s championship weigh-in will also be held at the pavilion, beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-in Sunday FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Umphrey Family Pavilion from 2 to 6 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris will premiere in 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

January 11, 2019  by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW

BROOKELAND, Texas – Rapala pro Terry Bolton of Benton, Kentucky, brought a five-bass limit to the scale Friday weighing 33 pounds, 9 ounces, to vault to the top of the leaderboard on Day Two of the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented Polarisafter starting the day in 10th place. Bolton’s two day total of 10 bass weighing 54-3 will give him a 5-pound, 15-ounce advantage over second place angler Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana, (48-4) who led the competition after Day One. The field of 170 anglers is now cut to just the top 30 as the world’s best bass fishing professionals continue their competition for the top award of up to $125,000.

“I think I caught more fish today than I caught all last year on Tour,” joked Bolton, a 13-time FLW Cup qualifier. “It was a really special day. I had a pretty good day yesterday and this was the same place that I caught my big ones. There is bigger fish there and it’s just a timing deal.

“I actually found the place in practice by pure luck,” Bolton continued. “I was idling along – I’m a Kentucky Lake ledge fisherman and I always watch my depth finder – and I happened to idle over the needle in the haystack. I thought there was some big ones there when I saw them, and I caught a 6-pounder and a keeper and left. Now that I’ve gotten to fish it for two days, I’m starting to figure it out.”

Bolton said that the fish are suspended, and he estimated that he caught more than 50 bass from the area on both Thursday and Friday. His baits of choice has been Rapala DT14 and Rapala DT16 crankbaits, in Demon and Caribbean Shad colors.

“It’s just something that happens here – early in the year those fish stage over the hydrilla,” Bolton said. “I’ve done it here in the past, and I know tournaments have been won here that way. When I got up around 26 to 27 pounds I started to leave. I thought, no, I’ll stay here just a little longer. Then I caught the 9-8 and I realized I was throwing back fish that were 5 pounds so I knew it was time to go.

“Tomorrow I’m going to do the exact same thing that I’ve done the last two days and just go fishing and enjoy myself. That’s what this year is all about – me having fun,” Bolton went on to say. “Last year, I had no fun. I thought about retiring. So this year I decided I’m going to come back and get back to just having fun. Now, of course, catching 33 pounds helps to have fun. But, regardless, the secret to doing well is enjoying yourself. Don’t let the highs get you too high – and this is definitely a high. But there will be lows, and you can’t let the lows get you too low.

“I may have to start over, tomorrow. But, I’m prepared for that and if so I’m going to enjoy myself.”

The top 30 pros that made the cut and will fish Saturday on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:

1st: Rapala pro Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., 10 bass, 54-3

2nd: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., 10 bass, 48-4

3rd: Evinrude pro Jim Tutt, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 45-4

4th: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., 10 bass, 44-6

5th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 10 bass, 43-15

6th: Miles Burghoff, Hixson, Tenn., 10 bass, 42-8

7th: Billy Shelton III, La Crosse, Va., 10 bass, 42-1

8th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 41-9

9th: Sam George, Athens, Ala., 10 bass, 39-9

10th: Andy Wicker, Pomaria, S.C., 10 bass, 38-14

11th: Charles Sim, Nepean, Ontario, Canada, 10 bass, 38-7

12th: Colby Schrumpf, Highland, Ill., 10 bass, 37-6

13th: Kyle Cortiana, Coweta, Okla., 10 bass, 36-10

14th: Bass Pro Shops pro Jeremy Lawyer, Sarcoxie, Mo., 10 bass, 36-8

15th: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, 10 bass, 35-14

16th: Joseph Webster, Winfield, Ala., 10 bass, 35-2

17th: Yamamoto Baits pro Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Va., 10 bass, 34-5

18th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 10 bass, 34-0

19th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 10 bass, 33-11

20th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 10 bass, 33-6

21st: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 10 bass, 33-4

22nd: Jon Englund, Farwell, Minn., 10 bass, 32-9

23rd: Derek Fulps, Broken Arrow, Okla., 10 bass, 32-8

24th: Strike King pro Andrew Upshaw, Tulsa, Okla., 10 bass, 32-5

25th: Timmy Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 10 bass, 32-0

26th: Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., 10 bass, 31-11

27th: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 10 bass, 31-10

28th: Billy McCaghren, Mayflower, Ark., 10 bass, 31-7

29th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., 10 bass, 31-6

30th: Christopher Brasher, Longview, Texas, 10 bass, 31-5

Full results for the entire field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Wicker earned Friday’s $500 Big Bass award in the pro division thanks to an 11-pound, 2-ounce largemouth. The fish was the 9th largest Big Bass Award winner in FLW Tour history.

Overall there were 750 bass weighing 1,902 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 164 pros Friday. The catch included 136 five-bass limits.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers competed in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight now advance to fish on Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by the Jasper County Development District.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11, and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CST each day from the Umphrey Family Pavilion, located at 5438 Sam Rayburn Parkway, in Brookeland. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the pavilion, beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Umphrey Family Pavilion from 2 to 6 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the pavilion on Saturday from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris will premiere in 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air Saturday and Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. New for 2019, host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

January 10, 2019  by FLW Communications – Photo’s courtesy of FLW

BROOKELAND, Texas (Jan. 10, 2019) – Louisiana pro Nick LeBrun – fishing in his first career regular-season FLW Tour event – brought a massive 29-pound, 2-ounce five-bass limit to the scale Thursday to vault to the top of the leaderboard after Day One of the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented Polaris. Fellow rookie Sam George of Athens, Alabama, sits in second place with five bass weighing 28-5. The season-opening FLW Tour event features a field of 170 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals casting for a top award of up to $125,000.

The fishing at flooded Sam Rayburn was excellent Thursday, with plenty of five-bass limits, multiple 8- and 9-pounders, and 10 anglers weighing limits that topped 20 pounds. LeBrun estimated that he caught around 20 fish throughout the day, but lacked the giant kicker that multiple anglers brought to the scale. His smallest fish was around 5 pounds, and his largest just 6½.

“We all have those days when we can’t do anything wrong, and today was one of those days for me,” said LeBrun, who qualified for the FLW Tour after winning the BFL All-American Championship in 2018. “I had 23 to 24 pounds by 10 a.m. I decided to run new water that I hadn’t looked at and the Good Lord blessed me with two more big bites. It’s just unbelievable.”

LeBrun said that all of his fish that he caught Thursday came off of one type of pattern. Although he remained tight-lipped about exactly what he was doing, he did share that the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap has been the biggest player for him.

“The Trap is my confidence bait,” LeBrun said. “It’s how I found them in practice and it is my search bait. It’s nothing secret – a ½-ounce Rayburn Red or Red Crawfish color. But I’ve got a few other things that I evolved throughout practice that I’m doing as well.

“I’m going to do the same thing tomorrow,” LeBrun went on to say. “I’ve got some other spots where I think big ones live and I can try to get that big bite. I’m kind of jealous of the guys catching the 8- and 9-pounders. I never had a real giant bite today, so hopefully I can get that tomorrow. If I can get a few solid ones and maybe another big one or two, I’ll be right where I need to be.”

The top 10 pros after day one on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are:  

 1st: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 29-2

 2nd: Sam George, Athens, Ala., five bass, 28-5

 3rd: Chad Warren, Sand Springs, Okla., five bass, 25-7

 4th: Jordan Osborne, Longview, Texas, five bass, 25-1

 5th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 24-3

 6th: Jim Tutt, Longview, Texas, five bass, 23-9

 7th: Troy Morrow, Eastanollee, Ga., five bass, 22-12

 8th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 22-2

 9th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 20-15

 10th: Terry Bolton, Benton, Ky., five bass, 20-10

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

Osborne and Martin split the day’s $500 Big Bass award in the pro division after each weighed in a largemouth totaling 9-pounds, 12-ounces.

Overall there were 724 bass weighing 1,869 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 165 pros Thursday. The catch included 126 five-bass limits.

In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 170 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.

The total purse for the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris is more than $860,000, including $9,000 through 65th place in the Pro Division. The tournament is hosted by the Jasper County Development District.

Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CST each day from the Umphrey Family Pavilion, located at 5438 Sam Rayburn Parkway, in Brookeland. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the pavilion beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, Jan. 12-13, will also be held at the pavilion, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Prior to the weigh-ins FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Umphrey Family Pavilion from 2 to 6 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 12 from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris will premiere in 2019. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.

The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Saturday and Sunday, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. New for 2019, host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.

THLIVEROS, HOLLOWELL AND PANGRAC TO JOIN “FLW LIVE” AS ANALYSTS FOR 2019 FLW TOUR SEASON

January 8, 2019  by FLW Communications

MINNEAPOLIS – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) the world’s largest tournament organization, announced today three additions to the “FLW Live” coverage team for the 2019 FLW Tour season – veteran FLW Tour pros Peter Thliveros and Todd Hollowell, as well as internet talk show personality Matt Pangrac. Thliveros and Hollowell will step off the front of the boat and into the FLW Live broadcast studio as the primary color commentators for six of the seven regular-season FLW Tour events, with Pangrac, a familiar face to fans as co-host of the popular internet show “Bass Talk Live”, stepping in for the Grand Lake event. The three personalities will share the “FLW Live” desk with host Travis Moran, who has been a mainstay on the show since its inception in early 2017.

“We wanted to bring in pros with extensive knowledge of what it’s like to be competitive on the FLW Tour. Peter T. is a legendary angler who is loved by fans, and Todd Hollowell has had many successful years on the Tour and continues to fish,” said Peyote Perryman, Executive Producer of “FLW Live” and the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show. “Matt Pangrac is a younger guy who reports on the industry and competes at the Costa FLW Series level. All of our additions have some sort of experience to share with our audience.”

Known as ‘Peter T.’ among friends and fans, Thliveros first joined the FLW Tour in 1996, winning the coveted FLW Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) title the same year. Thliveros went on to enjoy a 16-year run on the FLW Tour, and celebrated a victory at Michigan’s Lake St. Clair in 1999. The Florida pro also racked up six FLW Cup appearances and nearly $620,000 in career earnings during his tenure.

“I’m looking forward to the whole experience. With the amount of water I’ve fished over the years, I’m familiar with the terminology and have gained enough knowledge about the places the anglers are going to compete at,” said Thliveros. “For 35 years I was the one occasionally getting interviewed. Now I’m going to be on the other end of it, and to me it’s just as exciting.”

Hollowell first fished the FLW Tour as a co-angler in 2009 before joining as a full-time professional in 2012. Since, Hollowell has earned two FLW Cup appearances, two top-10 finishes in Tour competition and more than $250,000 in career earnings.

“I think FLW is on the cutting-edge of bringing the fans what they want to see through FLW Live,” said Hollowell. “As an angler who has been competing on the Tour for seven years, it’s an awesome opportunity to sit in the studio and get an inside look at how some of the best anglers in the world break down these lakes. I also believe I’ll be able to help communicate some of the thoughts and feelings some of these anglers are experiencing. I’m very thankful to be a part of it.”

The 2019 season of “FLW Live” kicks off this weekend with live, on-the-water coverage on Saturday, Jan. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST at the FLW Tour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir presented by Polaris. The live on-the-water broadcast will air on days three and four of all FLW Tour regular-season events from the boats of the tournaments’ top pros, as well as all three days of the FLW Cup.  For additional coverage details, visit FLWFishing.com.

December 20, 2018  by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW Tour

DEL RIO, Texas – The 2019 Costa Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Series tournament season is set to open at Lake Amistad, Jan. 3-5, with the Costa FLW Series at Lake Amistad presented by Ranger Boats. Hosted by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, the three-day Southwestern Division tournament will feature as many as 300 regional bass-fishing anglers and a top prize of up to $90,000, including a brand new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard engine.

“In general, it’s going to be a tough event and the weights will be lower than we’re used to, but there will still be some anglers who catch some big ones in the 6- to 8-pound range,” said Costa pro Todd Castledine of Nacogdoches, Texas., who had a 2nd place finish in FLW Series competition at Lake Amistad in 2012. “Fish will either be 2 pounds or really big. It’s hard to catch those 2½ – 4½-pounders right now – there’s a big class of fish missing. If guys can get around a wolf pack of big ones, that will be good. It’s not like other lakes where you just find one fish alone. If you come across a fish, they’ll be in wolf packs. It’s just takes some time to find them.”

Castledine said anglers will be able to catch fish from one end of the lake to the other.

“Those wolf packs can be anywhere – they roam around based on the baitfish,” said Castledine. “That’s the beauty of Lake Amistad – you can win it anywhere. Every single place you go, it looks good for catching fish.”

The Texas pro said fish will likely be caught both shallow and out deep.

“There will be some shallow fish just kind of grinding up and down the bank,” said Castledine. “They’ll be around drop-offs, grass and bushes. For those fish, I see spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, swimbaits, jerkbaits, and Rat-L-Trap-type baits being players.

“The big schools get out deep. You can catch them in 30 to 70 feet of water,” Castledine continued. “They’ll be on big ridges and points. There are phenomenal ledges that run way out to the middle of the lake and some of them even have bushes as deep as 30 or 35 feet down. Carolina rigs, big jigs and drop-shot rigs will be favored.”

As for a winning weight, Castledine said that the large gap in fish size makes it’s hard to pinpoint an exact number. He said it could take as little as 28 pounds to make the top-10 cut, with the winner posting up over 60 pounds.

“There’s no doubt that someone could weigh in on Day One and make the cut,” said Castledine. “Limits won’t be made up of 3s and 4s – someone could have a couple 8s and some small ones and do well. It’s hard to predict right now – its boom or bust.”

Anglers will take off from the East Diablo Launch Ramp, located off Highway 90 West in Del Rio, at 7:30 a.m. CST each day. Weigh-ins will also take place at the East Diablo Launch Ramp location, and will begin at 3:30 p.m. each day. All takeoffs and weigh-ins are free to attend and open to the public.

In Costa FLW Tour Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event. At Lake Amistad, pros will fish for a top prize of up to $90,000 including a brand new Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup qualified. Co-anglers will cast for a brand new Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard, and $5,000 if Ranger Cup qualified.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the International division. Each U.S. division consists of three regular-season tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to compete in the season-ending Costa FLW Series Championship. The 2019 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 31 – Nov. 2 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky.