Big Bass payouts are a
staple on the Tackle
Warehouse Pro Circuit. On
days one and two of each
tournament, the angler who
weighs in the heaviest fish is
awarded a cash bonus. At
big-bass factories like Sam
Rayburn and the Harris
Chain, which are the first two
FLW Pro eric jackson launches
apex watercraft
> FORMER OLYMPIAN and four-time world champion
whitewater kayaker Eric Jackson, who’s now in his fifth year
competing as a pro on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit,
recently announced that he’s launched a new fishing kayak
brand called Apex Watercraft.
The Tennessee pro previously established himself as an
innovator in kayak design and manufacture during his tenure
at Jackson Kayak. At Apex, Jackson says his goal is still to
innovate, but to pursue a different track. While roto-molded
fishing kayaks have gotten bigger, heavier and more com-
plex, Apex kayaks will be manufactured from carbon fiber
composite to be simpler, faster and easier to handle.
“I’ve decided to start this new venture as the sole owner,
with the goal of making the fastest, lightest, quietest fishing
kayaks ever made,” says Jackson, 55, who plans to manufac-
ture all of his new kayaks in Rock Island, Tenn.
Apex plans to support FLW this season through kayak
raffles and other projects to benefit various youth and FLW
Foundation causes. The company is on track to have proto-
type kayaks in the field by spring. Anyone interested in fol-
lowing its progress can visit apexwatercraft.com, or on
social media search @apexwatercraft.
Berkley Sponsoring
Big Bass
stops on the 2020 schedule,
weighing in behemoths usu-
ally draws big cheers from
the weigh-in crowd and fel-
low anglers alike.
In 2020, Berkley is spon-
soring Big Bass for the
Tackle Warehouse Pro
Circuit, and the payouts
make chasing giants even
more enticing. On days one
and two of each Pro Circuit
event, the winners of the
Berkley Big Bass competition
will receive $500 each to go
along with the admiration of
the crowd and the envy of
the competition.
DANIEL FENNEL TO DIRECT
PRo Circuit
> FLW RECENTLY ANNOUNCED that Daniel Fennel
had been promoted to senior director of tournament
operations for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, FLW
Series and Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by
T-H Marine, which includes the duties of Pro Circuit
tournament director. Bill Taylor, who served as tourna-
ment director for the FLW Tour from 2001 through
2019, has been promoted to senior director of opera-
tions, where he’ll lend his expertise from more than two
decades as a tournament director toward logistics,
angler relations and event planning for all FLW circuits.
Fennel, 38, began his career with FLW in 2005, but
as the son of FLW Executive Vice President and
General Manager Kathy Fennel, he literally grew up
within the FLW family, attending his first tournament
before the age of 1. Daniel, an avid angler in his own
right, advanced through the ranks from the customer
service department to in-house tournament director
and Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H
Marine tournament director before becoming the head
of Bass Fishing League operations in 2011. Daniel also
spent more than a decade on the FLW Tour event staff
and emceed FLW Tour qualifying round weigh-ins
since 2015.
In his new role, Daniel will oversee tournament
operations for three of FLW’s most popular circuits,
while continuing to direct Bass Fishing League LBL
and Music City division events. But his most visible
role within the angling community will be directing the
organization’s highest-level tournament series as it
transitions from the FLW Tour to the Pro Circuit.
“This is a whole new chapter for FLW,” Daniel says
about the launch of the new Pro Circuit. “We have an
opportunity to show the world what FLW pros can do
thanks to the expanded media coverage the Pro
Circuit will enjoy this season. The pros are going to
see that immediately, and they’re really going to enjoy
the ride. I’m expecting an unbelievable year.”
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2020 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | FLWFISHING.COM
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