NEWS &
NOTES
M C WHA tO DIrECt COStA FLW SErIES
WATSON RECEIVES
SPORTSMANSHIP
& COMMUNITY
LEADERSHIP AWARD
ANDY
J
ames Watson of Lampe, Mo., is the
2018 recipient of the Forrest L.
Wood Sportsmanship & Community
Leadership Award. He was recog-
nized in front of his peers at the
Forrest Wood Cup pre-tournament
banquet in Hot Springs, Ark.
The Missouri pro’s nomination and
eventual selection for the award stem
from his commitment to participate in
FLW Community Outreach efforts
prior to FLW Tour events held around
the country. He is also a regular volun-
teer with the non-profit organization
Shriners Hospitals for Children, and a
mentor for high school fishing clubs.
Mark McWha, a veteran T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League
tournament director, will succeed Ron Lappin as Costa FLW Series
director of tournament operations beginning in 2019. The
announcement was made in late August.
“I have some extremely big shoes to fill in trying to follow Ron
Lappin, but I’m very confident in my abilities and look forward to trav-
eling the country working with some of the top anglers from around
the world,” says McWha, who’s been with FLW since 2006.
Lappin has directed the Costa FLW Series since 2007. He and his wife, Joan, will
continue to assist McWha during the 2019 season as they transition into retirement.
2019 COStA FLW SErIES SCHEDuLE
CENtrAL DIVISION
April 4-6 – Kentucky Lake, Gilbertsville, Ky.
May 9-11 – Table Rock Lake, Branson, Mo.
Oct. 10-12 – Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
NOrtHErN DIVISION
July 18-20 – Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Aug. 22-24 – Potomac River, Marbury, Md.
Sept. 19-21 – St. Lawrence River, Massena, N.Y.
SOutHEAStErN DIVISION
Jan. 31-Feb. 2 – Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.
March 21-23 – Lake Chickamauga, Dayton, Tenn.
April 25-27 – Santee Cooper, Summerton, S.C.
SOutHWEStErN DIVISION
Jan. 3-5 – Lake Amistad, Del Rio, Texas
June 13-15 – Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.
Oct. 3-5 – Sam Rayburn, Brookeland, Texas
WEStErN DIVISION
Feb. 28-March 2 – Lake Mead, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 16-18 – Clear Lake, Lakeport, Calif.
Sept. 26-28 – California Delta, Bethel Island, Calif.
COStA FLW SErIES CHAMPIONSHIP
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 – Lake Cumberland, Burnside, Ky.
FORMER EDITOR EMERITUS COLIN MOORE RECEIVES WADE BOURNE AWARD
8
The “Legends of the Outdoors” Hall of Fame honored Colin Moore with the Wade
Bourne Communicator of the Year Award during its annual banquet on Aug. 25.
Moore, who resides in Gallatin, Tenn., recently retired as editor emeritus of FLW Bass
Fishing magazine. He previously served as editor-in-chief of the magazine and
FLWFishing.com and has held numerous other editorial positions in his career, includ-
ing a six-year stint as executive editor at Outdoor Life.
The award is named in honor of late outdoor writer, radio host and television per-
sonality Wade Bourne, who passed away in 2016. He and Moore were good friends.
“This award was designed to recognize what we believe was Wade’s concept of an
outdoor communicator,” says Garry Mason, founder of Legends of the Outdoors.
“Colin certainly fits that mold. Not only is he a great writer and communicator, but
he’s the type of person that, when you meet him, you like the guy, and once you get
to know him, you like him even more.”
This is the second year for the award. Outdoor writer and radio host Larry Rea
was the inaugural recipient in 2017.
FLWFISHING.COM I FALL 2018