FLW Outdoors expects strict adherence to the following rules by all contestants. Additionally, FLW Outdoors suggests that co-anglers share fuel expenses with their pro partner each day of competition to help offset the high cost of boat operation. FLW Outdoors also recommends the use of livewell additives like Rejuvenade to help promote the healthy release of bass. In the event of an emergency, please call 911 first and then notify the tournament director.
1. Interpretation and enforcement
These rules will remain unchanged during 2012. Interpretation and enforcement of these rules will be left exclusively to the tournament director. Decisions of the tournament director are final in all matters and are not subject to appeal. Each contestant agrees to report any rule violation to the tournament director immediately upon discovery of the violation. Failure to report violations may be cause for disqualification. The violation of a tournament rule may result in weight loss (late penalty, dead-fish penalty and short-fish penalty), the loss of weight up to a particular time in the tournament day, the loss of weight for the entire day, the loss of the largest one-day catch, disqualification from the entire tournament or ineligibility to participate in future FLW Outdoors tournaments. Protests are to be made in writing within 30 minutes of the check-in time of the final flight of each tournament day.
2. Payback and participation
Payback is based on the number of paid entries for each tournament. Participation is open only to members of FLW Outdoors who are 16 years of age or older. Any person under the age of 18 (19 in Alabama and Nebraska) entering a tournament must also have the signature of a parent or legal guardian in the provided space on the entry form. Any person’s participation in any tournament is at the sole discretion of FLW Outdoors officials. All contestants must have a valid fishing license for the waters they fish.
Pro entry: Entry in the FLW Tour Majors requires a $6,000 deposit for the season. Entry into individual FLW Tour Opens is permitted and requires a $1,000 deposit per tournament.
The top 100 pros and the top 10 co-anglers from the 2011 FLW Tour Majors, the top 50 pros and top 10 co-anglers from the 2011 FLW Tour Opens, the top 10 pros from each division of the 2011 EverStart Series and the boater champion from the 2011 BFL All-American must pay their deposits by Nov. 2, 2011, in order to secure their priority entry position.
For Ranger boat owners (Ranger owners with current registrations who will use their Ranger boat in FLW Tour competition) and sponsor entries (FLW Outdoors may reserve sponsor spots in each qualifying tournament), deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time Nov. 3, 2011.
For TBF members, deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time Nov. 4, 2011.
For other entries, deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time Nov. 7, 2011.
Top entry priority in the FLW Tour Opens goes to pros fishing the FLW Tour Majors who enter all four FLW Tour Opens by Dec. 12, 2011. Pros who enter all four FLW Tour Opens by Jan. 4, 2012, receive the next highest entry priority. All other FLW Tour Open entry priority will be assigned by the date and time of entry.
Entries may be made either by mail, phone or on the Internet at FLWOutdoors.com. Do not make entry by more than one method.
A field of 150 to 160 pros for the FLW Tour Majors will be set prior to the first tournament, at which time pros not accepted into the field will receive a full refund.
DEPOSITS ARE NONTRANSFERABLE AND NONREFUNDABLE ONCE ACCEPTED INTO THE FIELD. There will be no waiting list for the FLW Tour Majors. If pros drop out during the course of the season, they will not be replaced. Each FLW Tour Open will be limited to a field of 150 to 160 pros and co-anglers. There will be a waiting list for the FLW Tour Opens, and entries received after an FLW Tour Open has filled will be placed on the waiting list. Waiting list anglers not accepted into an FLW Tour Open will receive a full refund after the tournament.
CONFIRMED ENTRIES ARE CONTINGENT UPON COMPLETE ENTRY FEE BEING PAID BY THE ENTRY/BALANCE DEADLINE DATE. Entry fees (minus the deposit) for FLW Tour Opens may be transferred or refunded if FLW Outdoors is notified prior to the entry/balance deadline. ENTRY FEES WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR REFUNDED AFTER THE ENTRY/BALANCE DEADLINE.
Co-angler entry: Entry into individual FLW Tour Majors and FLW Tour Opens is permitted and requires a $200 deposit per tournament.
The top 100 co-anglers from the 2011 FLW Tour Majors, top 50 co-anglers from the 2011 FLW Tour Opens, top 10 co-anglers from each division of the 2011 EverStart Series and the co-angler champion from the 2011 BFL All-American must pay their deposits by Nov. 2, 2011, in order to secure their priority entry position.
For Ranger boat owners (Ranger owners with current registrations) and sponsor entries (FLW Outdoors may reserve sponsor spots in each qualifying tournament), deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time Nov. 3, 2011.
For TBF members, deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time Nov. 4, 2011.
For other entries, deposits will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. Central time Nov. 7, 2011.
Top entry priority in the FLW Tour Majors goes to co-anglers who enter all six FLW Tour Majors and all four FLW Tour Opens by Dec. 12, 2011. Co-anglers who enter all six FLW Tour Majors by Feb. 6, 2012, receive the next highest entry priority. Top entry priority in the FLW Tour Opens goes to co-anglers who enter all six FLW Tour Majors and all four FLW Tour Opens by Dec. 12, 2011. Co-anglers who enter all four FLW Tour Opens by Jan. 4, 2012, receive the next highest entry priority. All other entry priority will be assigned by the date and time of entry.
Entries may be made either by mail, phone or on the Internet at FLWOutdoors.com. Do not make entry by more than one method.
DEPOSITS ARE NONTRANSFERABLE AND NONREFUNDABLE ONCE ACCEPTED INTO A TOURNAMENT. Co-angler entries received after a tournament has filled will be placed on a waiting list. Those placed on the waiting list and not accepted into the tournament will receive a full refund after the tournament.
CONFIRMED ENTRIES ARE CONTINGENT UPON COMPLETE ENTRY FEE BEING PAID BY THE ENTRY/BALANCE DEADLINE DATE. Entry fees (minus the deposit) may be transferred or refunded if FLW Outdoors is notified prior to the entry/balance deadline. ENTRY FEES WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR REFUNDED AFTER THE ENTRY/BALANCE DEADLINE.
Payment schedule – FLW Tour Majors: Pro entry fees for the six FLW Tour Majors total $24,000, and co-angler entry fees are $700 per tournament. Pros must pay a $6,000 deposit upon entry for the season followed by payments for each tournament according to the schedule outlined below. Co-anglers must pay a $200 deposit per tournament upon entry followed by payment for the balance of the entry fee according to the schedule outlined below:
- Lake Hartwell: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due Feb. 15, 2012
- Table Rock: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due March 7, 2012
- Beaver Lake: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due April 4, 2012
- Potomac River: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due April 25, 2012
- Kentucky Lake: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due May 16, 2012
- Lake Champlain: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due June 6, 2012
Payment schedule – FLW Tour Opens: Pro entry fees for the FLW Tour Opens are $4,000 per tournament, and co-angler entry fees are $700 per tournament. Pros must pay a $1,000 deposit per tournament and co-anglers must pay a $200 deposit per tournament upon entry followed by payment for the balance of the entry fee according to the schedule outlined below:
- Lake Okeechobee: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due January 18, 2012
- Detroit River: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due August 1, 2012
- Wheeler Lake: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due August 29, 2012
- Sam Rayburn Reservoir: $3,000 pro and $500 co-angler due September 19, 2012
3. Point standings
200 points are awarded to the winner of each tournament, 199 to 2nd, 198 to 3rd, etc. All anglers who receive weight credit receive points.
The top pro and co-angler from the point standings after the six FLW Tour Majors (ties resolved by total weight) win the FLW Tour Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year titles, respectively.
The top 35 pros and top 35 co-anglers from the point standings after the six FLW Tour Majors (ties resolved by total weight) qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup. If a top-35 angler has already qualified for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, the next person in the point standings will be invited.
The top five pros and top five co-anglers from the point standings after the four FLW Tour Opens (ties resolved by total weight) qualify for the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup. If a top-five angler has already qualified for the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup, the next person in the point standings will be invited.
The 2012 FLW Tour Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year and 2012 Forrest Wood Cup pro and co-angler champions qualify for the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup provided they compete in all the 2013 FLW Tour Majors. If the 2012 FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Co-angler of the Year or Forrest Wood Cup pro or co-angler champion does not compete in 2013, their entry in the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup will go to the 2013 FLW Tour Majors pro or co-angler with the highest point total who is not already qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup.
The top 100 pros and co-anglers from the FLW Tour Majors and the top 50 pros and co-anglers from the FLW Tour Opens receive priority entry for the 2013 season. The top 10 co-anglers in the final point standings in the FLW Majors and the FLW Tour Opens have the option of moving to the pro side in 2013.
4. Purchasing of information
The purchasing of, or bartering for, information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters, including but not limited to GPS waypoints (other than through commercially available sources) and the hiring of fishing guide services is not permitted by pros after Jan. 1, 2012. The sharing of tournament winnings with noncontestants in exchange for information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters is strictly prohibited and will be cause for disqualification from the entire tournament. The purchasing of, or bartering for, fishing locations from another contestant is strictly prohibited and will be cause for both contestants to be disqualified from the entire tournament.
5. Off-limits, practice and competition
Tournament waters will go off-limits to all contestants 13 days prior to the first practice day in all tournaments. Contestants, including pros and co-anglers on the waiting list, may not enter tournament waters to fish, test equipment, sightsee, or for any reason without FLW Outdoors permission, during the off-limits period. During the off-limits period, practice and competition days, pros may not solicit and/or receive information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from anyone except pros confirmed in the tournament and through publicly available sources (quasi-public websites set up for the specific purpose of sharing information with individuals or a small group of individuals are NOT publicly available sources).
Beginning with practice and extending through competition, pros may not obtain information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from co-anglers or information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from noncontestants or follow a noncontestant’s boat or participate in the placing of markers by noncontestants or the practice of “hole sitting” by anyone. Anglers eliminated after each round of competition are considered noncontestants. Pros in the top-20 cut after the close of weigh-in on day 2 may not solicit or receive information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from anyone except other top-20 pros. Pros in the top-10 cut after the close of weigh-in on day 3 may not solicit or receive information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters from anyone except other top-10 pros. Co-angler contestants who share information about locating or catching fish on tournament waters with pro contestants will be disqualified from the entire tournament along with the pro requesting and/or using the information.
Tournament waters will reopen for practice three days (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) prior to registration day (Wednesday). Pros and co-anglers may practice alone, with another contestant or with a member of their immediate family (mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandparent, grandchild or spouse), approved sponsor representatives or an approved youth under the age of 16, provided the practice companion has also observed the off-limits period and procedures. Pros and co-anglers may also practice with an approved media representative.
Flights over tournament waters are not permitted beginning with the start of the off-limits period, extending through practice and competition days.
Tournament waters will be closed to all contestants on registration day (Wednesday).
6. Registration and pretournament meeting
Each contestant must register in person at the designated site. In an emergency or due to an FLW Outdoors sponsor obligation, contestants may request permission from the tournament director to send a person who is 16 years of age or older to represent them. If permission is granted, noncontestants can represent one person; contestants can represent themselves and one other person. This representative must attend the pretournament meeting to record flights, takeoff time, check-in time, off-limits areas, size and creel limits, and any other relevant tournament rule information. This representative must also attend the pro/co-angler draw immediately following the pretournament meeting to receive the contestant’s boat number, meet the contestant’s pro or co-angler, and record the pro or co-angler’s lodging information, phone number and exact location for the contestant and pro or co-angler to meet prior to takeoff.
Registration hours are 2-4 p.m. local time the day before each tournament. Contestants registering between 4-4:15 p.m. will pay a $50 late fee that will be donated to the FLW Outdoors Foundation. Contestants more than 15 minutes late for registration may forfeit their entry fee and not be entered in the tournament.
It is mandatory that all contestants or their representatives attend the pretournament meeting that will be held at 4:30 p.m. local time the day before each tournament. Being late for the pretournament meeting will result in a $50 late fee that will be donated to the FLW Outdoors Foundation. Contestants not present or represented for pairings may forfeit their entry fee and not be entered in the tournament.
7. Pairings
Pros and co-anglers will be paired by random draw. All contestants or their representatives must contact their assigned partners following the pretournament meeting. Partners should advise each other of their respective lodging and phone numbers and establish a meeting time and place for the following morning’s takeoff. The tournament director, at his sole discretion, may reassign partners prior to takeoff.
8. Safety
Safe boating must be observed at all times.
Each contestant is required to wear a fastened U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation during practice and from boat check until weigh-in each day of the tournament.
All boats must be equipped with an emergency ignition-shutoff device that must be securely attached to the driver’s body whenever the combustion engine is in operation.
A driver must be seated behind the steering wheel and in full control of the boat whenever the combustion engine is in operation and in gear.
At the discretion of the tournament director, tournament days may be shortened, postponed or canceled due to unsafe weather or water conditions.
9. Sportsmanship
All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, to FLW Outdoors, FLW Outdoors’ sponsors, the sport of fishing and FLW Outdoors’ efforts to promote the sport. Conduct not complying with these standards includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Violation of, or failure to comply with, any of the rules for the 2012 FLW Tour.
- Consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages or any kind of mind-altering substance during registration, the pretournament meeting or during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in procedure.
- Abuse of, or addiction to, mind-altering substances.
- Conviction of a felony within the past 36 months.
- Suspension/disqualification, probation or ban from any tournament or fishing organization.
- Any other words, conduct or actions reflecting unfavorably upon efforts to promote safety, sportsmanship, fair competition and compliance with tournament rules, or which fail to comply with the standards set forth in the first sentence of paragraph 9.
In case of any conduct not complying with the standards outlined above, FLW Outdoors shall have the right to refuse an application to compete, to deny a confirmed application to compete by returning the entry fee (minus deposit) or to disqualify a contestant.
10. Boat operation
Pros will fish from the front deck of the boat only. Co-anglers will fish from the back deck or seating area of the boat only. Co-anglers may not cast unless their pro partner is on the front deck of the boat. Pros will have complete control of boat operation and waters to be fished. For safety concerns in rough water or swift current, in the event of an outboard or trolling motor breakdown or during an emergency, co-anglers may operate the trolling motor or the outboard but may not fish anytime from the front deck. Pros may not request that the co-angler not fish. Any pro that, in the judgment of the tournament director, operates the boat in such a manner that unfairly handicaps his/her co-angler and any co-angler who unfairly handicaps his/her pro may be disqualified for that day.
The use of mobile communication devices, including but not limited to, cell phones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc., during tournament hours is strictly prohibited except in an emergency (severe weather, breakdowns, etc.) or to communicate with lockmasters about locking or with the tournament director.
Co-anglers are not allowed to record GPS waypoints or use any type of handheld GPS during any competition day.
Contestants are expected to compete every day for which they are qualified; failure to do so may result in ineligibility to compete in future FLW Outdoors tournaments.
11. Boat and horsepower regulation
All boats must be propeller-driven, a minimum of 18 feet in length and have a rear deck (with a seat if requested).
All boats must be equipped with wheel steering; no other steering device will be permitted.
No barges or similarly cumbersome craft will be permitted.
Each boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment.
Boats must contain a properly aerated livewell space to maintain alive a limit catch of bass by both contestants.
Minimum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will be 150 horsepower. Maximum horsepower for all outboards used in tournament competition will be 250 horsepower, not to exceed the horsepower capacity set forth on the “Maximum Capacities” placard described below.
- Each boat must have a clearly legible “Maximum Capacities” (or comparably titled) placard that includes a maximum horsepower rating affixed to the boat by the manufacturer.
- The horsepower of the outboard engine must not exceed the maximum horsepower capacity specified on this placard or the 250-horsepower maximum set by FLW Outdoors.
- By signing the entry form, contestants agree to submit their boat and/or motor to an inspection by FLW Outdoors personnel.
- Falsifying information on entry forms or altering the horsepower numbers on the motor or rating placard will be cause for disqualification from the tournament and may result in ineligibility to compete in future FLW Outdoors tournaments.
Fishing platforms must be factory-installed equipment. No portable platforms may be used in tournament competition.
Fuel may be carried only in factory-installed (built-in) fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public and pumped through a hose with a nozzle.
No additional marine electronics, marine/automotive batteries or generators may be installed or used in FLW Outdoors supplied boats.
12. Permitted fishing methods
Fishing is defined as having a lure attached to a line and a rod and reel with the lure in the water.
All bass must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner.
Only artificial lures may be used, with the exception of pork trailers and biodegradable soft baits.
Only ONE fishing rod may be used at a time.
Trolling as a method of fishing is strictly prohibited.
All bass caught while sight-fishing must be hooked inside the mouth and immediately shown to your co-angler or pro or an FLW Outdoors camera operator for verification.
13. Permitted fishing locations
Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat except areas posted or otherwise designated as “off-limits,” “no boats,” “keep out,” “restricted,” “no trespassing” or “no fishing” (or similar language or markings intended to restrict public access) by FLW Outdoors and/or local, state or federal officials, or within 50 yards of a contestant’s boat that was first anchored. An anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line attached to a weight or by a Power-Pole or similar shallow water anchor with the trolling motor in the up position.
All fishing must be conducted from the boat. At no time may a contestant leave the boat to land a fish or to make the boat more accessible to fishing waters.
The cutting of trees, bushes and/or logs after the off-limits date and/or the removal of official local, state or federal barricades at any time to make an area more accessible by boat is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification from the tournament. The use of cables, ropes, chains or any type of block and tackle system to maneuver a boat into fishing waters is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification from the tournament.
Contestants must leave and return to the check-in by boat. The boat must remain in the tournament waters during the tournament day. No tournament boat may be loaded on a trailer before the weigh-in except with the permission of the tournament director.
In the event of equipment failure or emergency, there are two permitted methods of returning to the check-in: (1) by both paired anglers remaining in their boat and being towed by water, or (2) by both paired anglers entering the boat of another tournament contestant. Under these two conditions the contestants’ catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead-fish penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules). Contestants who elect to return to the check-in by any other means than cited above will forfeit their day’s catch to that point in time of the tournament day.
Any contestant returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume competition under the supervision of the tournament director or his designated tournament official. It is the sole responsibility of contestants to locate the tournament director to request a restart.
Partners must remain together at all times and within sight of each other until the weigh-in verification is signed. The momentary condition of being out of sight of each other for restroom breaks is permitted.
14. Checkpoints
There will be only one checkpoint for boat check in the morning and one check-in point in the afternoon. Failure to go through boat check and checkout in the morning or failure to check in at the check-in point will result in disqualification. All fishing must cease upon check-in.
15. Late penalty
Contestants who are not at the check-in area at the appointed time will be penalized 1 pound per minute, deducted from the total weight, including any weight to be counted toward the Big Bass Award. Any contestant more than 15 minutes late will lose credit for that day’s weight.
16. Live fish
Every effort must be made to keep bass alive through the use of a properly aerated livewell. Eight ounces will be deducted from the total weight for each dead bass presented for weigh-in.
17. Scoring
Scoring is determined by the pounds and ounces of each contestant’s catch during each qualifying tournament.
Only largemouth, spotted, redeye or smallmouth bass are accepted species.
The daily limit will be five unless the state or lake limit is less than five, in which case the state or lake limit will prevail. Co-anglers possessing more than the tournament limit will have their catch for the day disqualified. Pros possessing more than the tournament limit will have their catch to that point in the day disqualified and, time permitting, are eligible for a restart from the takeoff location.
The minimum length limit for bass will be 12 inches unless the state or lake limit is more than 12 inches, in which case, the state or lake limit will prevail. Bass presented for weigh-in that fail to measure the prescribed length limit will be penalized at the rate of 1 pound for each short bass presented.
Each contestant’s catch must be presented in an official weigh-in bag and verified by the signature of their pro or co-angler. Failure to have a verified pro or co-angler signature may result in disqualification of that day’s catch.
On day 3, the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers based on combined weight from days 1 and 2 compete, with the winning co-angler determined by the heaviest combined weight from days 1, 2 and 3. On day 4, the top 10 pros based on combined weight from days 1, 2 and 3 compete, and the winner is determined by the heaviest combined weight from days 1, 2, 3 and 4.
18. Ties
The heaviest one-day catch for the tournament will break ties on day 2. If a tie remains, it will be broken first by point standings, then by total number of fish for the tournament, then by total number of live fish for the tournament and then by lottery. Ties on day 3 will be resolved by day-2 standings. Ties on day 4 will be resolved by day-3 standings.
19. Logo display and television coverage
During all days of competition in FLW Tour Majors, Opens and the Forrest Wood Cup any and all tobacco logos are prohibited and may not be worn or displayed.
On day 4 of the FLW Tour Majors and the Forrest Wood Cup, anglers who make the final-day cut must use boats, marine electronics and camera equipment if supplied by FLW Outdoors. No additional marine electronics, marine/automotive batteries or generators may be installed or used in FLW Outdoors supplied boats.
In FLW Tour Majors, Opens and the Forrest Wood Cup anglers may wear their own apparel every day of competition. On days 3 and 4 the main logo/design and any additional logos on the apparel may not conflict or compete in any way with the exclusive categories/companies below. If a pro wears his or her own jersey, that jersey must include the following logos on days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour Majors, Opens and Forrest Wood Cup: a 5-inch wide FLW Fantasy Fishing logo and on the upper chest a 5-inch wide FLW Outdoors logo. Additionally on day 4 at FLW Tour Majors and the Forrest Wood Cup jerseys must include a 5-inch wide logo of the FLW Outdoors sponsor that corresponds with the FLW Outdoors sponsor boat (e.g. Walmart) that the angler will compete from. FLW Outdoors will provide these logos. Apparel worn on days 3 and 4 at FLW Tour Majors, Opens and the Forrest Wood Cup may not include logos of another fishing tournament organization (e.g. B.A.S.S. or PAA). If a pro does not have his or her own sponsor jersey, he/she must wear one provided by FLW Outdoors.
Exclusive categories:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Armed services/military
- Automotive
- Automotive tires and oil
- Boats
- Boxed/shelf stable meals
- Bread
- Breakfast, including cereal, frozen breakfast and breakfast pastry
- Cell phone service providers
- Coffee
- Condiments, including but not limited to, peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce and marinade sauces
- Confectionery products, including but not limited to chocolate, gum, mints, chewy candy and licorice
- Cookies
- Dairy products, including but not limited to ice cream, milk, cheese and butter
- Donation centers
- Electronics, including but not limited to batteries (household and marine), televisions, cameras and computers
- Fabric guard, stain guard
- Fast food chains
- Financial institutions, including but not limited to banks, credit cards and brokerage firms
- Hardware tools
- Household cleaning products
- Hygiene products, including but not limited to shampoo, conditioner, soap and bodywash
- Invisible tape, painters tape
- Lip balm
- Marine electronics
- Meat, including but not limited to, chicken, hamburger, hot dogs and bratwurst
- Outboard engines
- Over-the-counter medications, including but not limited to analgesics, cough and cold, sinus, allergy, antacid and proton pump inhibitor
- Paper products, including but not limited to paper towels, paper plates, paper napkins and note paper
- Pet food
- Retailer, outdoor or other
- Salty snacks, including but not limited to chips, pretzels, popcorn and nuts
- Snack crackers
- Soft drinks, including but not limited to ice tea, water, sports drinks, juice and energy drinks
- Soup/stew
- Trolling motors
FLW Outdoors reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to prohibit any angler’s apparel that it finds to be offensive. FLW Outdoors also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to prohibit any angler’s apparel that in any way competes with any of the above referenced categories/companies on days 3 and 4. Anglers that would like to wear their own jersey must get all jerseys approved by FLW Outdoors the night before day 3 competition at FLW Tour Majors, Opens and the Forrest Wood Cup. Only approved jerseys may be worn or displayed during tournament hours extending through the weigh-in. Any angler displaying a nonapproved jersey may be disqualified. On days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour Majors, Opens and the Forrest Wood Cup, anglers may wear any hat, PFD or rain suit that does not in any way compete with the above referenced categories/companies or FLW Outdoors.
On days 3 and 4 of the FLW Tour Majors, Opens and Forrest Wood Cup, competitors may not fish while using tobacco products. Smoking is not allowed in the weigh-in line during all days of competition.
On day 4 of the FLW Tour Majors, Opens and Forrest Wood Cup, FLW Outdoors may, at its sole discretion, place a camera operator in a tournament boat.
During the 2012 season FLW Outdoors reserves the right to add sponsors and categories/companies to the above list; however, if an angler has made FLW Outdoors aware of all anglers’ sponsors prior to FLW Outdoors adding the category/company to the list then the angler may be allowed to display the competing logo for the remainder of the year.
All decisions are in FLW Outdoors sole discretion.
20. Truth verification test
Each contestant agrees to submit, by signature on the tournament entry form, to a polygraph or voice stress analysis examination and to abide by its conclusion. Failure to pass an examination will result in disqualification from the tournament. Truth verification tests will be used at FLW Outdoors’ sole discretion, and the determination of the meaning of the results will be made solely by FLW Outdoors.
21. Insurance
Liability insurance with coverage of not less than $300,000 per occurrence is required of all pro contestants in FLW Outdoors tournaments. Proof of insurance must be with the boat being used and must cover all passengers in the boat. Random checks will be conducted. Failure to provide proof of insurance when requested by the tournament director may result in disqualification.
22. Captions
The captions at the beginning of each paragraph are intended to facilitate convenience in referring to the various rules. The captions are not part of the substance of the paragraph and should not be used in construction of any paragraph or of this overall set of rules.