BENTON, Ky. — Recently we announced that co-anglers fishing the FLW Tour and FLW Series would only be allowed to practice with confirmed pros. This restriction was meant to eliminate co-angler influence on results in the Pro Division, as we believe pro results should be determined solely by each pro’s ability to identify and adapt to changing conditions, to locate fish, and then to execute. Randomly drawing a co-angler who can take someone to fish creates an unlevel playing field. We realize now, however, that there is a better way to ensure the integrity of FLW Tour and FLW Series competition.

After discussing the options at length with many of our co-anglers, we’ve decided to revise our FLW Tour and FLW Series rules for 2008 to allow co-anglers to practice from their own boats and to practice alone, with other confirmed tournament participants, with members of their immediate family, or with approved sponsor or media representatives. To ensure that pros compete based solely on their own abilities, however, co-anglers may not share fishing information, including patterns and/or locations, with pros.

The revised rules governing co-angler practice and communication are printed below. We hope you agree that we now have the right rules in place to accomplish what we originally set out to do, which is to require pros to compete solely on their own merits, without unfairly limiting co-angler practice. Anyone with questions or comments is encouraged to submit them to me at cevans@flwoutdoors.com. We appreciate your feedback and your support of FLW Outdoors.

Sincerely,

Charlie Evans
President and CEO
FLW Outdoors

4. Off-limits, practice, competition

Tournament waters will go off-limits to all contestants 12 days (11 days for FLW Series) prior to the first practice day in all events. Contestants, including those on the waiting list and late entries, may not enter tournament waters to fish, test equipment, sightsee, etc., during the off-limits period. Flights over tournament waters are not permitted at anytime after the start of the off-limits period.

During the off-limits period, practice and competition days, pros may not solicit and/or receive fishing information from anyone except confirmed pros and other publicly available information (pros on the waiting list are not considered confirmed). Beginning with practice and extending through competition, pros may not obtain fishing patterns or locations from co-anglers or fishing information from noncompetitors or follow a noncompetitor's boat or participate in the practice of "hole sitting" or the placing of markers by anyone. Anglers eliminated after each round of competition are considered noncompetitors. Pros in the top-10 cut may not solicit or receive fishing information from anyone except other top-10 pros.

During the off-limits period, practice and competition days, co-anglers may not solicit and/or receive fishing information from anyone except confirmed contestants and other publicly available information (anglers on the waiting list are not considered confirmed). Co-anglers who share fishing patterns or locations obtained during practice or competition with pro competitors will be disqualified along with the person utilizing this information. For the FLW Tour, co-anglers in the top-10 cut (Day 3) may not solicit or receive fishing information from anyone except other top-10 contestants.

The purchasing of or bartering for information or the hiring of services will not be permitted after the start of the off-limits. The sharing of tournament winnings in exchange for fishing information is strictly prohibited.

Tournament waters will reopen for practice four days (Saturday through Tuesday for the FLW Tour; Friday through Monday for the FLW Series) prior to registration day. Pros and co-anglers may practice alone, with another competitor, with a member of their immediate family (mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandchild or spouse) or with approved sponsor representatives who have also observed the off-limits period and procedures or with approved media representatives. Tournament waters will be closed to all contestants on Wednesday, registration day, (Tuesday for the Series) prior to the first day of competition.

9. Boat operation

Pros will fish from the front deck of the boat only. Co-anglers will fish from the back deck of the boat only. Pros will have complete control of boat operation and waters to be fished. 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 their co-angler partner will be disqualified for that day. The use of mobile communication devices, including but not limited to, cellular telephones, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc., during tournament hours is strictly prohibited except in an emergency (severe weather, etc.) or to communicate with lockmasters or the tournament director.

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 events.