Operation Bass Becomes FLW Outdoors

Posted on December 28, 2001

Operation Bass, a marketer of competitive fishing tournaments, is expanding beyond fishing with a new name, new television series, new magazine and new website for outdoor enthusiasts. Operation Bass will change its name to FLW Outdoors.

``FLW Outdoors is more than a name. It embodies a wholesome way of life that we support,'' said Irwin L. Jacobs, chairman of FLW Outdoors. ``We are 100 percent committed to competitive fishing, which has been the cornerstone of our organization, but as FLW Outdoors our audience expands beyond the 55 million Americans who fish to more than 77 million Americans who enjoy a variety of outdoor activities.''

FLW Outdoors magazine (formerly Bass Fishing) debuts in January with a new format and the same tournament coverage to which its readers have grown accustomed. As FLW Outdoors, the magazine will be expanded to include more bass and walleye angler personality profiles, technique tips, and features focusing on boating, camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. FLW Outdoors magazine will also be featured in select Wal-Mart stores. FLW Outdoors members will continue to receive the bimonthly magazine delivered to their doorstep.

``Our goal is to make FLW Outdoors magazine the largest outdoor publication in North America through expanding our membership base and our exclusive distribution agreement with Wal-Mart,'' Jacobs said.

FLW Outdoors televisoin will bring live coverage of all seven Wal-Mart FLW Tour events, the BFL All-American and Ranger M1 to households on PAX TV. Additionally, there will be 18 live in-studio broadcasts during the 27-week series, which debuts Jan. 19. FLW Outdoors will also include features on fishing superstars and other personalities and experiences from the outdoor sports world.

A new look, new departments and easier navigation are some of the enhancements planned for the FLW Outdoors website, FLWOutdoors.com. Outdoor enthusiasts can register for tournaments online, check tournament results and angler profiles, and read the FLW Outdoors ezine.

``As FLW Outdoors, we will take the development of outdoor sports into a new era,'' Jacobs said. ``We will provide real-time, family oriented programming that portrays outdoor activities in highly entertaining formats; we are going to fill a void in outdoor sports coverage; and we are confident that along with Wal-Mart and our other FLW Outdoors sponsors we will drive viewership and participation in outdoor activities to new heights.''

FLW Outdoors was founded as Operation Bass in 1979. Jacobs purchased the organization in 1996 and established it as a world leader in competitive fishing tournament promotions with the introduction of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. For 2002, FLW Outdoors will operate 170 bass and walleye fishing events.