B.A.S.S. Tournament Changes

Anybody been keeping up with this? What does everyone think of the changes they are making? Good/Bad? $55,000 dollars is a lot of money to spend on tournament entry fees….I think you’ll see a huge jump to the FLW from a lot of tour pro’s.

It’s tough enough to make it to the pro level of fishing, now it’s gonna make it even tougher to stay there….

Monetary Sponsors aren’t easy to come by either…Fishing is a individual sport in which you have to Market yourself in order to succeed…Boat Wrapping is almost already the norm, but I think we’re going to see things get messy in the next few years.

It seems like they are getting away from the basics, and trying to turn fishing into some huge production…..

What are you guys’ thoughts?

Not sure on the changes. Enlighten me or link me.

Check out Bassmaster.com or BassFan, they have some articles on it

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=1461

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=1462

Money corrupts. Look for this thing to get wierd.

Slop – I agree its alot of money to fish any circuit and I don’t know if I agree with what they are doing but there is some up side to all of this.

The #1 advantage is in BASS you use your own boat for the whole tournament. Your sponsor’s will get national coverage which makes it easier to get those sponsors with cash. FLW will not let you do that.

It will bring in more of the non-endemic sponsors to our sport. The NASCAR model was used beacause it works, Pepsi, Coke, Tide, Viagra, Snap-On Tools, ect all become potential sponsors.

There is only 100 pro’s fishing.

50th place pays $10000 which means if your just average you can make over $100000 – not bad?

In all reality we’ll know in about 6 months if it was a good idea or not, its made for TV so we can all watch and see.

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which means if your just average you can make over $100000 – not bad

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I hear what you’re saying but take 100,000 – 55,000 in entry fees, that leaves you with $45,00, not including other expenses…. If your net gain isn’t more than your expenses, it’s considered a loss in my book…

There are just so many factors…

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It will bring in more of the non-endemic sponsors to our sport. The NASCAR model was used beacause it works, Pepsi, Coke, Tide, Viagra Snap-On Tools, ect all become potential sponsors.

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You got a deal in the works or what?

Ouch. I can see what they are trying to do and I like the concept but that is going to be a huge committment for some of the guys. The guys that can make it will be rewarded. It is really what is needed to take the sport to the next level. But the timing is going to make it hard to a lot of guys to do it for 2006.

My hat goes off to those guys that can do it. They will be household names by the end of the year. We all know what BASS & ESPN can do if you look at the coverage from the Classic.

I don’t agree or disagree with what they are doing. I do agree with Yelas’s article on BASS trying to make actors out of fisherman and the down sides to their “production”.

As far as the entry fees/payouts go, its a guys choice to step up to the plate and fish tournaments. Any tournament we or they get in, only the top 20% will really benefit. I do understand that it makes it hard for a rookie coming out of Everstart or whatever to be able to get their feet wet without breaking the bank. I’ve always looked at Pro fishing as a great way to make a living, BUT, its a major gamble. You almost need to be fairly well off, own your own business(so it can keep operating, making back up income)or be young enough to just take the risk and not have a whole lot to lose yet.

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It will bring in more of the non-endemic sponsors to our sport. The NASCAR model was used beacause it works, Pepsi, Coke, Tide, Viagra Snap-On Tools, ect all become potential sponsors.

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You got a deal in the works or what?

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If they want to pay me $100000, I’m on board.

I think my take is a little different than most. I feel as they have done away with the opens, split the tour into two divisions to give more opportinity to be a pro and then added a new higher level circuit which is the elite series.

I think comparing the elite series to this year’s tour is wrong. I don’t think it is the new form of the tour but something new and different.

When it comes down to it though I like to watch it on TV and the chances of me taking the risk to fish at that level is remote so I guess the entry fee doesn’t really matter to me because I’m sure they will fill the field and put on a good show.

Before anyone complains too much I have a tape of the 98 classic. The entire coverage was 30 minutes in TNN. Changes or not to the tour my hat is off to ESPN for bringing the sport toward being more main stream.

I may be way off base here, but it seems to me the best fishermen aren’t the ones that are going to make it, just the ones that can find a way to come up with the big dollars to enter. It makes me sad because I’m lousy at self promotion, but think I have some skill. Not BASS Elite skill, but some skills.

It’s too bad that talent alone isn’t enough.

Tbass

It’s like when Coke changed the hugely successful formula. They lost big. I think that the pro’s will not fish that many tournaments in a year. They tried it a few years ago and they hated it. Now it’s more expensive and time consuming. Buy FLW stock, short the BASS.

BASS is not necessarily interested in having the 100 BEST anglers, they are interested in having 100 GOOD anglers with the BEST marketability, promotional skills, personallity, etc. That is the stuff that sells and that is what gets you sponsors outside the industry. BASS/ESPN will promote these guys as the best (and they may be) but they will have to be marketable to survive as this gets more sponsor driven.

Scott,

I would have to agree with you. It makes me sad to see that the sport is moving that direction. The problem with me is, I get the same adreniline rush when I boat a big fish, but I don’t go crazy. I put him in the livewell and keep fishing. If that’s what it takes to make it to the next level, I’ll never get there.

Tbass

I’m going to start carrying a Sharpie around w/me or maybe do situps on the front deck next time I boat a hawg…

Think that would work?

Slop,
Don’t forget to call someone on your cell when you boat a hawg. Plus, your hat’s on straight, can’t catch fish that way. What’s wrong with just being normal these days?
Tbass

I think more personality out of the competitors will be great. I can hardly wait to see them start rubbing boats at 70 mph like they do in Nascar!

I don’t need a Sharpie. I’ll just dangle my feet in the water off the back of the boat, and smoke a cigarette, when I land a big one!

Thinking about this I remembered a story from BASS. I think it was in the mid 80’s. Randy Blaunket was doing pretty well in an event. He showed up at wiegh in stand in a Hawiani print shirt. Ray Scott cornered him after the weigh in and told him that he looked like a clown and had better get some proper clothing before the next wiegh in or he would run him out of BASS.

Time wounds all heels.

Looks like the Federation will be paying the $55 thousand dollars for it’s classic representative to fish the entire tour.

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=1468

You mean Federation members will be paying it. I guess there are worse things to spend my dues on.

Slop, how about you sponsoring me? You wrap my boat and give me $55,000 for next years entry fees and I’ll let you put any graphics you desire on my boat…deal?