Greg Grehawick of Springfield, VA writes:
On the FLW format changes, that's all good stuff. FLW is clearly running their tournament business as a business and looking for ways to increase value for its customers. They aren't perfect, but the folks at FLW know their product and they know their customer.

Dave Ervin of Alexandria, KY writes:
Please pray for Al Odom, director/founder of Fishers of Men Christian Tournament Trail. His son, 17, Samuel Odom, was killed in a truck crash, Friday, August 8, 2008. Our condolences to Al and his family in their loss, but heaven's gain.

Gary Cossaboom of Ottawa, ON (Canada) writes:
The times they are a changin'. FLW has made some major changes for the 2009 season, but considering the economy and the state of the fishing industry, I believe them to be for the best.

The reduced Tour and Series fields will certainly be welcomed by the pros, and the cut to 3 days in the Strens will certainly help cut expenses a little for anglers, such as myself, who fish those tournaments. Although I don't fish any of the saltwater series, it's a shame they had to be cut. There are not a lot of opportunities out there for anglers in that category. Still, expenses are being cut everywhere and I guess that's what part of these changes are all about. Hopefully, anglers will continue to do their best to support tournament fishing, and the fishing industry in general, through these tough times.

Chad Keogh of Black Creek, BC, Canada writes:
RE: Does 150-math add up? – Though the current priority status setup allows for 210 potential entries into a 150-angler field, it's likely one of those situations where you need to throw a lot of invites out there in order to get 150 to commit. Especially since Tour anglers will need to commit for all events (kind of like the Elite Series) and that could mean some serious cash has to be laid down and will thin the field considerably.

Michael Pattersoon of Powell, TN writes:
I can understand BASS's position of making the Elite Series a true professional event. Now it's time to make their other events off-limits for the pros. While they direct co-anglers to fish the Opens, many times the pros dominate those events to pad their bank accounts. If they want to be treated like pros, let them act like pros.

Walt Tegtmeier of Leawood, KS writes:
We should be careful when we're critical of a man whose situation most of us know nothing about beyond one article, albeit a compelling and well-written article. Sure, a lot of guys may be able to relate to Art Berry's dreams and his circumstances, and most seem to be saying shame on Art for not ditching the dream in favor of punching a time-clock to take care of the boys. It's been a few days, so I can't recall the whole story. Perhaps the kids have some other means of financial support? And I wonder if, in some respect, the boys might be learning a valuable lesson from Art, that perhaps it's worthwhile for a son to see his father go through incredibly tough times and to see him not give up or give in.

Would everyone feel better if the man worked four jobs and never got to see his kids? Too many of us don't have the sacks to risk our family's livelihood in order to pursue a better quality of life. A lot of us, myself included, saw the risks as too high, and now we're working for guys who made and won that gamble.

Jason Houchins of Clarksville, VA writes:
I wish that BassFan would do a story on some of the Elite Series anglers who need exposure and aren't one of the Top 20 anglers out there. How can these people survive? How much does the financial stress hurt their fishing? Are these anglers at a huge disadvantage? How can an angler make good decisions, when he has to worry about just getting to the next tournament? How can an angler go into a $60,000 hole before he ever makes a cast? It's hard for most anglers to fish local events with $200 entry fees. What are the real stories on about 75% of the field? I have to know.

Derek Masters of Muncie, IN writes:
I give congrats to KVD. This guy has it going on. He'll undoubtedly be remembered as the most successful angler of all time. For a sport with so many variables, this guy has really put it all together to prove that he's the most consistent in our sport. It's not always about winning tournaments, but always being there in the end. And as far as how much he's collected in money, I'd assume it was close to double to his career winnings in tournaments with all of his sponsors and equipment deals.

Steve Earle of St. Peters, MO writes:
Re: VanDam's millions – I'd say you could start by doubling that $3.5 million number and work your way up from there. My guess is that this is the first year in a long time, even as well as he's done, that his tourney winnings ($625K, give or take, after the AOY and other bonuses) will surpass his annual endorsement earnings, which were posted last year in Bassmaster Magazine as $500,000 (that was pre-Toyota). It's good to be king. Too bad for him it's fishing dollars and not PGA or NASCAR dollars (not to mention team sports), but that's capitalism.

Ron Brown of Greenbrier, TN writes:
I'd like to see BassFan produce more stories on the future of our sport – what the manufacturers are doing to lower the cost to bass fish. What new rigs are coming out and how affordable they're going to be? And how much better on gas will these outboards be? BassFan is a great website I think that you all could do more with what you have and help the sport more.

We, the true fans of the sport, are the ones keeping the sport alive. It's not the ones that are appearing on TV and crying about others fishing their spots, pulling up and punching in GPS locations. It's us, the normal, average fishermen. Let's see more BassFan. As the season winds down for most of us, post more stories about the future of our sport, which could all end because it's getting too expensive to enjoy anymore.

Joaquin Covas of Cedar Park, TX writes:
RE: VanDam's millions – Nowhere near what he's worth!

Tim Marcou of West Salem, WI writes:
Re: VanDam's millions – I'd guess in the 4-4.2 range. The guy's a machine, and very personable. He signed a few autographs for my kids in '05 at an Elite 50 in Wisconsin.

Chad Keogh of Black Creek, BC (Canada) writes:
Re: KVD's Millions – My guess on his total is $4,500,000.

Crystal Dillard of Bauxite, AR writes:
Please add FLW pro angler Jim Dillard's mother, Mary Jane Dillard, to your list for prayer. Last year she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in several areas, including her lungs, liver and colon. Today she is still undergoing weekly treatments and getting stronger by the day. We are believing for a complete and miraculous recovery to take place very soon.

Jim Bodine of La Porte, IN writes:
Earlier this year I was diagnosed with bi-lateral tonsil cancer. It has since gone into remission and I am back to fishing. I have my doctors and the Good Lord to thank for that.

I've been a Ranger owner for about 12 years now and have developed a friendship with Todd Moore from Moore Boats in Ligonier, Ind. I always kept Todd and his staff updated on my progress and they always told me that if I needed anything, let them know.

One day a box arrived at my doorstep with a bunch of hats from the dealership, but that wasn't the last of it. About a week later, an envelope arrived from Ranger Boats with a letter and an autographed picture from Forrest and Nina. I would like to share with you the contents of the letter:

Dear Jim,

We understand that you are going through some rough times at present and want you to know that the Ranger Family is hoping and praying for your speedy recovery. We appreciate your loyalty to Ranger through these years and wish you the very best. Get well soon - the fish are biting!

Best Regards,

Forrest & Nina

What more is there to say about a company like this? This just goes to show you that you become part of the Ranger family when you purchase one of their boats.

Dick Henry of Dover, AR writes:
The Art Berry article was probably the strangest and saddest angler story that I've ever read. I'm sure that it won't motivate any sponsor to go knocking on Art's door anytime soon. It's truly sad that an individual with such promise has fallen so far. Since Art's lack of responsibility to self and family have been covered by other writers, I'll just focus on "Art's Dream."

Confucius said, "Man can stand on hill with mouth open for long time before a roast duck will fall in." Well, the same holds true for you, Art. Your poor decisions in the past got you where you are today, and your recent poor decision to "sit and wait" will keep you there. The last time I checked, the only way an angler gets to the big leagues is to prove he has the ability by working his way up through the ranks. So, Mr. Berry, if you're half as motivated as you claim to be, get a job, earn enough to pay some entry fees (FLW Series, or BASS Opens), and get back in the game. If you continue to sit and wait, the only one that will come knocking is the Grim Reaper.

Joe Zelienka of Walnutport, PA writes:
Reading Harold Sharp's recent BassFan comments, it got me wondering where the magic has gone that was once the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, and a tune started stirring in my head.

Sung to the tune of Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

Where has all the magic gone?
Ole time B.A.S.S. thing
Where has all the magic gone?
Now it's just a show
Where has all the magic gone?
ESPN's angered everyone.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have Ray and Bob Cobb gone?
Ole time B.A.S.S. thing
Where have Ray and Bob Cobb gone?
Now it's just a show
Where have Ray and Bob Cobb gone?
Been replaced by hired guns.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the heroes gone?
Ole time B.A.S.S. thing
Where have all the heroes gone?
Now it's just a show
Where have all the heroes gone?
Flashy young guys have undone.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where has the Federation gone?
Ole time B.A.S.S. thing
Where has the Federation gone?
Now it's just a show
Where has the federation gone?
Gone to TBF most every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the members gone?
Ole time B.A.S.S. thing
Where have all the members gone?
Now it's just a show
Where have all the members gone?
Leaving one by one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Justin Hanold of Coconut Creek, FL writes:
Wow, where do I start?

I honestly cannot believe the responses some people have given. Do all of you realize that BASS provides the highest Level in bass fishing? They provide the true goal for all anglers and their dream to make a true living and sport out of bass fishing.

Comments like FLW is going to grow because of this are hilarious, if anything they're going to lose their top-notch anglers to BASS. The only thing FLW has over BASS is the grassroots events which is great – they do a great job. Other than that, if you choose to make a living out of bass fishing, BASS is the only organization that listens to their pros and does what's best for them. FLW is completely opposite. You need this, this and this to even get a full purse, which ends up costing more in the long run than higher entries. Heck whenever you have events where it's biased to the boat you run and your purse is smaller because of that, it's not professional. In NASCAR, your purse has nothing to due with the cars brand. Tiger woods win's full purses with Nike golf balls.

So it's a joke – a flat-out joke that people on here truly believe that what BASS did is bad for fishing. As an avid tournament angler myself, I see the Elites as my ultimate goal. BASS provides anglers true opportunities for high-paying sponsors of "their own" and they keep true to their rules. Not to mention that once you make it to the Elites, it's just that – Elite. Everyone there qualified to be there and they don't allow cherrypickers or anyone with a checkbook. Some other trails will allow this to happen, which takes away from a full-time pro's points and paychecks.

When people stop being blinded with the idea BASS is trying run fishing into the ground, they'll notice BASS has raised the bar higher than ever, showing the world just how fun and competitive our sport is. And with co-anglers in the boat in the top-tier of fishing, it would never happen. They just affect the outcome of the event and it doesn't keep the sport fair.

Co-anglers will still play a vital role in the semi-pro events like the Opens, FLW Tour and so on. Many of you have read that BASS has reintroduced the Northern Opens and that should fill a large void for some of the cos from the north. If that doesn't make a lot of you happy, then there's always club fishing.

So I'll end my rant that probably frizzed some feathers for telling it like it is, and say BASS will prove a lot of you wrong in the future.

Jim Bodine of La Porte, IN writes:
There's no merit to all the people whining about not be able to rub elbows with the pros or being able to learn from them. If you're an observer in the boat, you have every opportunity to take notes and actually pay more attention to what the pro is doing to catch fish. After reading all the comments on this forum, it seems the cos are whining much more than the pros.

As far as sponsors losing revenue, are you going to quit buying tackle because of this decision? NASCAR has plenty of sponsors and you don't see anyone riding with the pro, even at the Busch level. So count your blessings you're still able to be a co in the Opens. Instead of whining, focus your energy in doing what it takes to fish from the front of the boat in a major tournament.

The only thing that concerns me about this decision is all the older anglers that aren't in the best of health to fish from the front. I truly feel bad for them.

Dave Lefebre of Erie, PA writes:
My son Mitchell just turned 6 and he's caught a bunch of fish already, but nothing as big as that one Jack is bear-hugging yet. And seeing Pa Pa Storm fish, I'm fairly sure he's never eclipsed the 5-pound mark. I love catching big fish like that more than anything in the world, but watching a little kid hook and land one is 10 times better – especially a real trophy like that one.

I just wanted to say congratulations and I hope little Jack wins a free reel from Berkley. Berkley's really doing a lot with the young people, even sponsoring some of the junior anglers with free product, which I think is really cool. I love seeing the youth get fired up about fishing. Good luck Jack!