Minnesota Pro/Am cancelled!

March 5, 2004 – St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour announced today that it will discontinue its operations indefinitely. Declining sponsorships in recent years are cited as the primary reason for the cancellation of the Tour.

In the history of the event the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour had gone to great lengths to bring attention to the beautiful and bountiful bass fishing resources available to Minnesota anglers of all abilities. The Tour was the first circuit in Minnesota to achieve a $10,000 first-place payout for pro anglers and it offered the most elaborate live release system of any competitive circuit, a system which was heralded by conservation officials and tournament anglers. It also achieved extensive TV coverage for the sport of bass fishing in the Midwest.

Media Rare, the St. Paul-based managing agency of the event, is proud of the video production, event management and public relations work completed for the Tour and assures anglers who have signed up for the previously planned season that all entry fees will be refunded in full and distributed in the coming weeks.

Media Rare will continue to manage six charity bass fishing events planned and scheduled for 2004. Additionally, Media Rare is appreciative of the acquaintances and partnerships made during the past four years while running the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour.

Wow, didn’t see that one coming. Gander Mountain will be really fill now or looks like they will have to come down and fish the BFL.

I entered into the Gander. When I talked to Linda at Formula today she said they had received 36 entries in one day, and that was at 12:15!!! I’m sure they’ll be full at 100 boats.

THIS SUCKS!!!!

The reason that this tour was cancelled was because of tyhe lottery scam. MN/Pro/AM was recieving 400,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS underneath the table to fund the trail. Well as most of uyou may know the guy running the lottery committed suicide and therefore exposed what was going on. It seems nobody wants to talk about that but I had to say something. It sucks they don’t have the B@$$s to say anything about that, but guess what, I DO!!

EAT SLEEP FISH
( work is for those who have missed their true calling)

Where did that press release come from? Their website doesn’t even exist anymore. I called Gander on Friday and they’re already starting a waiting list.

Is there a website for the Gander infor….Heard there are a couple of new divisions? Any place to get info???

Doug,
Here is a link to the Gander Mountain Tour website, http://www.gandermtnbasstour.com .

Skeets is right on the money. Here’s a detailed explanation: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/7941862.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

I think you have it wrong Skeets. The Lottery’s sponsorship of the bass tournament wasn’t “underneath” the table. The finances of the sponsorship were shown in the report and also it was disclosed to the anglers in 2001 just how much the lottery was kicking in. Their logo was everywhere at the weigh-in sites, tv show, trailer, everything else. What the audit report said, which is available online for all to read, was that the state did not feel that they were getting a good return on their advertising dollar (i.e. the bass tour). In no place in the report does it state that there was anything criminal nor was a “scam” going on. As for as you having the “B@$$s” to say anything; most of the papers and TV stations covered this story a long time ago, telling the story.

Ranger/Vmax
That is some new information for me too look at. My question for you then is why did the tournament director or owner for Minnesota Pro/am try tro committ suicide when this information was released? I do realize I may not have all the facts I just want to know what really happened in this whole deal. In no way am I trying to say that the MN pro/am was a shady deal. I appologize for any wrong information that I may have posted.

The person who attemped suicide was the Former Owner of Media Rare, the company who ran the Pro/Am. His name is Mike Presneitz (sp?). Why he tried to commit suicide, I have no idea. All I know is that the report said there was no “wrong doing” on either his or George’s part.

Well I guess whats done is done.
I think that should help bring more MN guys to the BFL and hopefully make it easier to fill out our 150 boat feild. Although they never go to any of the lakes in MN and only one in WI i think some of the guys that always fish lakes should come get their feet wet on the rivers for a while to even further improve their skills.

EAT SLEEP FISH
( Those who work have missed their true calling)

Quote:

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I think that should help bring more MN guys to the BFL and hopefully make it easier to fill out our 150 boat feild.

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I gave up on the BFL a couple of years ago when I won big bass in a large field at Lacrosse and got a measly $400. They used to give out at least $1000 for big bass. It also seems like since they raised the entry fee for pros, the payouts are still the same as when anglers paid $75. Who’s pocketing the cash? Maybe I’m wrong, but still not worth the money after hotel, gas and all the other expenses for me. I’d rather be guaranteed $10,000 to win on one of the Minnesota tours than just $3,000 in the BFL. At least team tournaments on the river like Team Supreme are designed for the FISHERMEN, not the promotion of products like ranger boats and garmin electronics.

jc

Sports Anchor,

Your right on, the BFL dosen’t offer much money for those who do well. It does offer a busy schedule with extremely tough anglers who know the water very well. The BFL and Everstart arent the only ones who promote the companies that sponsor their tours. The Gander Mtn and MN Pro AM do the same thing. Its AMAZING how fast a tournament director can change their tune on what company has the best products. I didnt fall off the last load of pumpkins so I’m aware that this has only to do with who’s throwin cash at em, and this makes all of the the trails the same.

JHall

Yeah the BFL doesn’t offer big money for those who win but what it does offer is a chance for a guy to get on some of the bigger tours( Everstart and FLW). The competition is good, which to me will prepare a guy for the upper levels. I personally don’t think that the percentage of good fisherman changes as you go up the ranks. Your only fishing against 10 percent, all the FLW has is more money to win and also more money to be lost. It is all a matter of which level you can afford to compete at.
As for the local tournaments( Team Supreme, Gander Mountain). They offer more money, but there is no where to go from there once your at the top of those trails. I guess it all depends on why you are fishing the tournaments in the first place.

Hmm. This has been an interesting discussion.

I fish the BFL because I’d like to get into the Everstart and maybe the FLW (I’ll only fish either if I have the $).

I’ve thought about Team Supreme, but where do I go from there?

Well, it’s nice to have so many trails to choose from. We are quite fortunate.

Thanks (<–I just wanted to try this one),

Nice Tan-Line you goof.
jc

Hey Jeff:

Just went and checked out your website.

SWEET boat. The P4 looks awesome.