New FLW tour Rules helped Cox
In 2016, FLW enacted two new rules at the Forrest Wood Cup that played
into John Cox’s favor in winning the event. First, pros were allowed to use their
own boats all four days of the event. Second, this year’s Cup featured non-fish-
ing marshals instead of co-anglers. Cox believes both changes helped propel
him to victory.
“Obviously, using my own boat all four days was a big help,” Cox says. “That was
a huge incentive to keep pushing my way up that [Cotaco] creek. I knew the farther
I went and the more logs I jumped, the better my chances of separating myself from
the rest of the competitors.”
Cox also believes that having a co-angler the first two days, like in a regu-
lar-season Tour event, would have pressured his fragile area even more than
necessary.
“Anybody who was with me who could cast a rod and reel would have
caught fish out of there,” he says. “With so many good fishermen as co-
anglers, I’m guessing they could have easily pulled out another 12 pounds per
day behind me. But not having a co-angler allowed me to fish how I needed
and manage those fish carefully. There was not much left in that place on the
final day. If 15 to 25 pounds had been removed by co-anglers, it no doubt
would have cratered my chances of winning.”