SPAIN BECOMES EIGHTH COUNTRY TO JOIN FLW INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONING PROGRAM

César Pecellín Muñoz of Spain Signs Exclusive Licensing Agreement to Run FLW Bass-Fishing Tournaments

MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 18, 2018) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that Spain has signed an exclusive licensing agreement and will begin offering anglers the opportunity to compete in FLW-sanctioned bass fishing tournaments in 2018. The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and César Pecellín Muñoz of FLW Spain.

“The sport of bass fishing is very important in Spain, and the opportunity to compete with the world’s finest anglers that FLW provides our competitors makes this the perfect partnership,” saidMuñoz. “The FLW sanctioning program is the best way for the international community to get involved with bass fishing, and we are very happy to be a part of it.”

FLW Spain plans to run a series of events to determine which four anglers will represent the country in the International Division at the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship. Two anglers will compete as pros, while the other two will compete as co-anglers. FLW will provide the use of a fully-rigged Ranger boat for the Spanish team to use in the championship event, which will be held Nov. 1-3 on Lake Guntersville, in Guntersville, Alabama.

The top pro award at the Costa FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C boat with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top co-angler award is a Ranger Z175 boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude outboard. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.

“We’re proud to welcome Spain into the FLW family as the eighth country to join our rapidly growing international tournament program,” said Fennel. “FLW Spain will provide Spanish anglers the opportunity to showcase their bass-fishing talent on the world stage. We look forward to having two pros and two co-anglers from Spain in the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship and watching them compete alongside the best anglers from around the world on Lake Guntersville in November.”

Spain is now the eighth country to sign on for the international sanctioning program, joining Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and South Korea.

Additional FLW qualifying tournaments in other countries will continue to be forthcoming. Watch FLWFishing.com for details.