PRESIDENT’S NOTE
HONORING
IRWIN JACOBS
“enjoy the attention while you have it.”
that’s what some said when Irwin Jacobs purchased operation bass in
1996, alluding to a misguided belief that bass fishing was a shiny new toy for
the self-made entrepreneur who, at the time, was better known for his wall
Street exploits than for reshaping professional bass fishing as we know it.
they believed the shine would fade, and Mr. Jacobs would move on to the
next big thing. boy, were they wrong.
on April 10, 2019, our sport lost a titan and his beloved wife, Alexandra.
but the shine never faded. Mr. Jacobs never lost interest in the sport that he
so dramatically reshaped or Flw, which lives on as his legacy. today, Flw
shines brighter than ever, and everyone who casts a line in a bass tourna-
ment, drives a bass boat or simply enjoys watching live on-the-water bass
tournament coverage owes something to Mr. Jacobs.
From sponsor-wrapped boats and trucks, record payouts and live on-the-
water coverage to fantasy fishing and a complete hierarchy of tournaments
serving anglers from high school students through top professionals, literally
around the world, Mr. Jacobs led the way. he set the standard by which
everything in our sport is judged today.
while he is often portrayed as a tough businessman, which he was, Mr.
Jacobs would be more accurately described as a family man. this is some-
thing that I witnessed firsthand. For Mr. Jacobs, family came first, and that
included his employees and the customers they serve. Flw’s family culture is
no accident. It is a direct reflection of Mr. Jacobs and his values. he respect-
ed hard work and those who did it, no matter their station in life.
As we wind down the 2019 Flw tour season with an Angler of the year
and Rookie of the year race for the ages and head into a historic Flw Cup in
hot Springs, we honor Mr. Jacobs by continuing to build on his accomplish-
ments to ensure that the next 23 years of tournament bass fishing shine as
brightly as the last 23.
please keep Mr. Jacobs’ daughter, trish blake, Flw president of market-
ing, and the entire Jacobs family in your prayers.
Editor-in-Chief
Curtis Niedermier
Production Manager/
Graphic Designer
Michelle Dowling
Associate Editor
Justin Onslow
Field Editor
Matt Williams
Contributors
Joe Balog, TJ Maglio, Sean Ostruszka,
Jim Tutt
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Matt Pace
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Al Chapman | 270.252.1628
FLWFishing.com
Senior Editor
Kyle Wood
Digital Editor
Jody White
Staff Videographer/
Photographer
Rob Matsuura
Letters to the Editor
FLW Bass Fishing
30 Gamble Lane, Benton, KY 42025
[email protected]
Past Chairman & CEO
Irwin L. Jacobs
Sincerely, President of FLW
Marketing Division
Trish Blake
kathy Fennel
president, operations division Chief Financial Officer
Dave Mahler
President of FLW
Operations Division
Kathy Fennel
Vice President, Controller
Tommy Boaz
Vice President of Marketing
Kelly Oettinger
4
Vice President of Operations
Dave Washburn
FLWFISHING.COM I SuMMER 2019