THE
FRONT PAGE
Edited by Justin Onslow
ABU GARCIA
PARTNERS WITH
FLW, MLF
> IN EARLY FEBRUARY, FLW and MLF finalized an agree-
ment with Abu Garcia to make the legendary fishing brand
the title sponsor of the FLW College Fishing circuit, now
called Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI.
“Abu Garcia is an iconic brand known for their quality and
reliability,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW executive vice president
and general manager. “Their products are a favorite among
our fans and anglers, and we are proud to announce our
association with such a powerful brand.”
“Abu Garcia’s sponsorship of FLW College Fishing is yet
another way for us to support bass fishing at grassroots levels,
ensuring these talented collegiate anglers have a venue in
which to compete,” said Abu Garcia Vice President of
Marketing Jon Schlosser. “College bass fishing provides an
important next step in the angling careers of so many junior
anglers, whether they go on to fish for a living or simply for
fun. We’re proud to be associated with organizations that
bring anglers into the sport and keep them there.”
The successful Berkley & Abu Garcia Student Angler
Program will also continue for high school and college tour-
nament anglers. The contingency program offers high school
and college anglers across the United States product and
team jersey discounts and the opportunity to be mentored by
a Pure Fishing pro angler.
Link up for More
Toyota Series
Opportunities
FLW is now offering
opportunities to ensure a
spot in Toyota Series events
in 2020. When registering for
a tournament, pros and co-
anglers can link together to
guarantee a spot in the event.
That means no more wait-
lists, and no more postpon-
ing travel and tournament
plans. If you link, you’re in.
Similar to the process for
linked entry to Phoenix Bass
Fishing League presented by
T-H Marine tournaments,
when registering for a Toyota
Series tournament, either
online or over the phone,
pros have the option to pro-
vide a link to a co-angler,
12
and co-anglers have the
option to provide a link to a
pro. You’ll need to provide
your linking partner’s name
and FLW member ID at reg-
istration time. And the part-
ner must not already be con-
firmed in the tournament.
Once your partner regis-
ters and verifies, you’re both
in. It’s as simple as that.
To register to fish in the
Toyota Series, visit
shop.FLWFishing.com/col-
lections/Toyota-Series, or
call 270.252.1000.
GIANTS ABROAD
> FLW’S INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS feature hun-
dreds of anglers all fishing for a chance to compete in
the 2020 Toyota Series Championship on Lake
Cumberland this fall, but that’s not to say fishing oppor-
tunities abroad are inferior to what we have to offer in
the U.S. In fact, giant bags of giant bass can be pretty
common around the globe. Look no further than the
FLW South Africa KZN Region Cast-for-Cash tourna-
ment held on Albert Falls Dam in February.
Robbie Olivier (left) and Neels Beneke of Team
Gamakatsu Outdoors 365 won the Cast-for-Cash event
with a one-day total of 17.25kg, or 38.03 pounds of mas-
sive green fish. Each of the top four teams weighed in at
least 22 pounds, with second place going to Marc Meyer
and Oliver Field with a five-fish limit of 25.39 pounds.
Last fall, it took 101.83 pounds over three days to win
the 2019 FLW Zimbabwe Championship with the full
field averaging nearly 29 pounds per bag. In other
words, maybe consider busting out your passport for
your next big fishing trip.
Outboard Sales Reach
13-Year High
According to the
National Marine
Manufacturers Association
(NMMA), outboard sales in
the U.S. have nearly reached
pre-recession levels after a
continuous eight-year
increase, culminating with a
13-year high in 2019.
Per the 2019 U.S.
Recreational Boating
Statistical Abstract, outboard
engines of 200 horsepower or
higher accounted for 27 percent
of sales in 2019.
FLWFISHING.COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | APRIL-MAY 2020