Bass Fishing Jan 2017 | Page 49

FLW TOUR the big news for the 2017 FlW tour season is the series’ expansion to a seven- event schedule, beginning with the opener at lake Guntersville in February. SCHEDULE LaKe GUnTerSviLLe GUNteRSvIlle, AlA. FEb. 2-5 JoNeStoWN, teXAS FEb. 16-19 LaKe TraviS HarriS CHain leeSBURG, FlA. MARCH 9-12 LaKe CUMBerLanD BURNSIDe, ky. APRIL 6-9 RoGeRS, ARk. APRIL 27-30 Beaver LaKe MiSSiSSiPPi river lA CRoSSe, WIS. MAY 18-21 MARBURy, MD. JUNE 15-18 PoToMaC river TOURNAMENT FORMAT • The entire field fishes on days one and two. • The top 20 pros after two days based on cumulative weight advance to day three. A co-angler champion is crowned on day two, and only pros continue fishing. • The top 10 pros after three days based on cumulative weight advance to day four. • The winner is the pro with the heaviest four-day cumulative weight. CUP QUALIFICATION The top 35 pros in the point standings at season’s end qualify for the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup. JANUARY 2017 I FLWFISHING.COM oStRUSzkA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PAYOUTS PRo WINNeRS – Scott Canterbury got his first Tour win at Beaver Lake in 2016. $100,000 | Co WINNeRS – $20,000 — FlW pays out to the top 50 finishers in the pro and co-angler divisions — Aoy – $100,000 plus 2018 Forrest Wood Cup berth Coy – Ranger Z518C with 200-hp outboard RANGeR CUP – The Ranger Cup payout at regular-season Tour events is $25,000 to the winning pro and $5,000 to the winning co-angler if they meet program guidelines. The top Ranger Cup pro in the standings at the end of the year wins a Ranger Z518C with a 200-hp outboard. toUR FACt This season FLW will host its first-ever Tour events at Lake Cumberland and the Mississippi River near La Crosse. eXPeCT BiG weiGHTS on weeK 1 Glenn Browne Sure, Guntersville, Ala., could be quite cold still in early February, but the fishing in Lake Guntersville should be red hot. Past tournaments at Guntersville in the early part of the year have produced plenty of 20-plus- pound limits and individual bass approaching the 10-pound mark, and this one is likely to be no exception. It should be a fantastic kickoff to the season. 45