It would be nice to see better coverage of the Western tournaments, including more timely updates to the tournaments out here. Do you not have any sources to get the info? Coverage was better before the change in ownership. There are a lot of top anglers from the West who fish the national circuits, but very little coverage. Your reporting seems to favor Eastern guys, of which many are obscure on the national circuits. Eastern bias must not just be for college sports.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I can't believe it. First, some think that people who have a 21-foot boat with a 250-hp engine have ruined bass fishing. Now Harold Sharp wants to change the way tournaments are scored. What's wrong with keeping that the way it is? Obama wants to change the way we pay for fuel, energy and healthcare. How's that going to work for us? Change, change, change. No thank you.
I fished an event over the weekend (June 27) and it was hot. Lots of fish brought to the scales dead. It was not because of any livewell issues, it was plain too hot to fish! When will some of our organizations wake up and not schedule tournaments during the hottest time of the year. The fish killed were a disgrace to our sport and the director needs to really think and put more time into scheduling next year.
RE: Monroe's success in the West – Ish Monroe is obviously a great angler, but this indicates to me that he has failed to make the necessary changes or alterations to his tactics as he approaches new water across the country on the Elite Series. His success in the FLW western events are at tourney locations he has fished and fit his style and strengths, whereas across the Elite Series each loaction requires an altogether new approach and mindset. Making this transition from event to event on the Elites is what separates the really good anglers, like Ish, from the truly world class (KVD, Reese, Jones, and others). He has the skills, I would question his gameplan, and do some better planning and research for 2010 Elite events.
The sport of bass fishing has morphed over the past 30 years. Realize the biggest tournament trails are the result of a grassroots movement and are now strictly for revenue, entertainment value with a tad of R&D thrown in. The organizers knew that 300-boat fields required big water and big water means big boats and big motors, and of course big money to make big money.
If you want or need to fill the competetive void, fish local stuff that your wallet, lifestyle and equipment will allow. Enjoy the moment, the local competition, the experience and the fishing. It's these anglers who are the Elite. No 2-week practices, flyovers and so on. Without the grassroots weekend angler, the industry will die. I respect the pros and their commitment to take part in that kind of tournament venue. As for me, grassroots is fine and the industry needs me and my kind.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I agree with most or your agenda, Harold. This marshal scam is the biggest hoo hoo I have ever heard of. Either go back to pro-am, which sucks; pro-pro, which is what I started in; or just let the guys fish. Now what are you going to do about the spectator boats? This is getting far, far out of hand. Take what happened to Martens, for example. You can hardly fish just for grins without some mental pygmy getting on you.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Harold, get a grip. As before, this is 2009, not 1967. Cash 'N, Weigh 'N – yeah, right.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – Having fished BASS in the past, I know all involved. I find it hard to believe that Biffle and Jones would do anything not in keeping with fair play. Stone, on the other hand, is a crybaby and always has been. Weldon , I thought, used logic in his decision-making. However, after reading this, taking Stone's whining as truth leaves much doubt in my mind.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – Sounds like Trip was way wrong on this one to me.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Big bass equal big money. Let's see how well that weigh-in goes weighing the pennies. Horrible idea.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Are you kidding me? It is the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time. Sorry.
RE: Horsepower – Why not have a tournament trail for 200 hp and up and a tournament trail for 175 Hp and below. Wait and see how many of the 200 HP and up anglers are down in the 175 and below again.
It is great to see guys like Byron Velvick succeeding. I got to meet him at the 2005 Bassmaster Classic in Pittsburgh. He was really cool. He took some time to hang out with the fans and talk fishing right after shooting BassCenter. He even made sure we all got BassCenter hats. You could tell Byron was genuine and a real fan of the sport.
All right, guys and gals, after 30 seconds of thought I have come up with a whole new way to re-invent bass fishing and save this great sport. This is on the lines of Mr. Sharp's idea, but not as good. I propose that we use Jenga blocks instead of coins. They will float versus losing the coins overboard. Problem solved.
Next, we are scored by things we do on the water. 1.Stop and help a marshal that has been flung overboard - 5 bonus points. 2. Catch a limit each day of a 4-day tourney, get a gold star on forehead – 10 bonus points. Catch a post-spawn bass during the spawn -15 points. Catch a bass on any lure other than a shaky-head or Senko - 5 points.
Of course there are ways to lose points also. Throw a marshal out of your boat – minus 25 points. Go onto another pro's boat to threaten them – minus 10 points. Serve the day of your suspension harrasing the pro you had problems with the day before - priceless. But wait, there is a catch to this. Board Peter T's boat and see how that works for you. If you survive - 100 bonus points.
So if you play your cards right you could win the whole derby just by being a jackass. And with the new increased payout format you could have enough money left over to buy an old-school one-piece jumpsuit to wear at the next new and improved tournament trail.
Good for Byron. He is a nice guy and a class act in addition to being a very good fisherman. Great article.
I don't understand the problem. BASS and FLW have basically full-field events on large bodies of water. Every week we read about three or four other smaller tournaments being fished on the same lake as the pros. People complain there are too many fishermen and the pros can't get to their spots. Evidently there are still plenty of people fishing tournaments, not to mention the tens of thousands of people who fish and could care less about tournaments.
The prices of boats and tackle are only an issue because of the economy. In every sport/hobby there is going to be high-end equipment and there are always going to be guys who think they have to have it. Believe me, it happens in golf. Why do you think golf manufacturers come out with a new and improved $400 driver, $1,200 set of irons and $45 a dozen balls every year? Because people are going to buy them.
No one puts a gun to your head and makes you buy the most expensive boat, rod or reel. Somebody's got to do it, though, and it might be you.
The declining interest in fishing and fishing tournaments has nothing to do with format or payout structure. It has everything to do with the economy and especially gas prices.
I have been bas fishing since I was 12 and tournament fishing off and on since I was 16. I have always fished as a non-boater. The waters of Lake Mead, Mohave, Havasu – they are large bodies of water and get really rough. People need to pay attention and learn that running wide open and out of control can be dangerous. I myself have almost been ejected out of a boat. but the incident was pilot error because my boater wasn't paying attention. Driving a bass boat at the mid-70 mph range is insanely fast. Marty and Derek will probably both think twice about trimming her up and running wide open. As for the protest, I think they are nitpicking and BASS should have let it go.
My recent articles and opinions about how to make a few changes that may help save the sport of professional bass fishing may not have attracted any attention from FLW or BASS, who are running the show, but it did wake up some anglers and gave BassFan something to write about besides DQs and conflicts between the anglers.
I'm amazed at all the stuff people read into my articles – at no time did I suggest rule changes to dictate what HP you use or what you pay for equipment or how you decide to fish. I did state a rule change, like I suggested, would make you think about what you are doing with your fishing time.
Here's just one example of what would change: Monday, June 8 BassFan posted an article titled "Magic ledge carried Lane." It describes just how Bobby Lane won the Kentucky Lake BASS event and I quote part of it: "Day 1, I made 12 cast and boated 30 pounds ... Day 3, had 26 pounds in an hour and just sat on the spot the rest of the day."
Now this is exciting. I'm sure the TV cameraman had fun waiting on Bobby to make another move. This would not happen with a scoring system based on your ability to locate and catch bass.
The state laws regulate the number of bass you can keep – they do not regulate the number that you can catch. The current scoring systems, to follow state laws, limit you to five bass. If you were scored on your ability to locate and catch bass, this would change the way everyone fishes a tournament. You can still fish anyway you want to with any equipment that's covered by rules and if you can catch 1,000 per day, so can everyone else. If you can count to five, pennies should be no problem. Just remember, while you are burning gas others are counting pennies and you will think about what you are doing.
I never suggested we go back to 1968 fishing or any rules that would force you to buy another boat, motor or equipment. I did suggest that someone better start thinking where the future anglers are coming from – this crowd is about broke and the number of events and contestants are getting smaller. Do we expect the "Flying Marshals" to be the next bunch of Elites? They are not allowed to fish, so how can they learn? Watching an angler sit on a spot all day won't teach them much.
A governing body to set the rules and guide the sport will attract those who are interested in the sport. In all my years at BASS we never one time asked the anglers what rules they wanted, or how we should set the payout or where we should schedule tournaments. Ray Scott, Bob Cobb and I tried to do what we thought was best for BASS members and the sport – we believed it was our responsibility to run it equal and fair for all our members.
I am not looking for a job and neither is Ray or Bob – we are all very happy doing our thing and we are concerned about where this sport is heading and will help the leaders make changes if they believe they're needed and we are invited.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Seriously? Cash'N, Weigh'N – pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars, or some form of, "Thank you sir, may I have another?"
This idea is right up there with the BCS, soccer hooliganism and Sam Bowie being picked ahead of Michael Jordan in the '84 draft. If the leagues are going to go XFL on us, I say put some bikini-clad beauties in the boats with the pros. At least the TV ratings should improve.
RE: Horesepower – It seems to me like it would not be any different to tell NASCAR that they should reduce the horsepower of their cars back to 300 from 600 to help the auto industry.
Now mayby you say restrictor plates are comparable to what we are talking about, and I say you can make sections of a lake or river off limits. Like no one is allowed to lock through to another pool or on Kentucky Lake you could say no one can fish Barkley or past the 79/76 bridge.
These guys are pros. They should use the top-of-the-line equipment that is available to them – even if that means a aluminum boat so they can squeak into a backwater hole like Mark Menendez did. He sort of chose to use a 9-iron when everyone else was using a Big Bertha.
The bottom line is that what the pros use or don't use is not what is hurting the boating and fishing industries right now. It is the fact that these expenses are discretionary items and when things get tough financially for people, they are the first things people cut out of their budgets and the last things to be put back in. Otherwise you could argue that it is Jeff Gordon's fault that the auto industry is in the mess it is.
RE: Sharp Opinion – The problem was not created by weighing in the angler's five biggest bass. The main problem with the sport of tournament bass fishing today is that many people are getting priced out of the sport. Why? Because of the greed of boat manufacturers that pushed for the removal of horsepower limits so they could sell bigger, more expensive boats with bigger profit margins attached. The sport of tournament bass fishing was doing just fine until the removal of the 150-horsepower limit by the big tournament organizations. It has been headed in the current direction ever since.
We are not getting any young members in our bass club because they know they cannot afford a top-of-the-line tournament boat and today's young people think they have to have the very best from the get-go. When I got started in tournament fishing, you got a "starter boat" and then eventually traded up to something better. That is not the mindset of the younger generation. They want it all right now and it doesn't take them long to realize they can get into almost any other sport where competitions are held and be able to participate for far less money, whether it be motorcycles, bikes, snowboarding, tennis, golf, surfing, skiing, etc. Many people in the central U.S. still work for $40,000 to $50,000 gross annual income - some don't even make that. They cannot afford to buy a bass boat that is priced higher than what they make in an entire year.
It used to be that most serious bass fishermen felt that if they saved up for quite a while, they could at least once in their lives during their peak earning years, buy a new tournament-grade boat rigged out just the way they wanted it. It was a dream that was attainable for many. That was when a tournament-grade boat cost $28,000-$33,000. Nowadays, I don't know anyone who can afford a new boat. Every bass angler I know is buying used boats and can only foresee themselves buying used boats the rest of their lives. We kind of feel like we have been relegated to second-class citizen status, because the dream of ordering a new boat and choosing the colors and options has been taken away. It is simply unaffordable.
RE: Sharp Opinion –I believe there should be a change, but this isn't it. The way they weigh in is not the problem. The changes should be made to make it more affordable for people to fish. Horsepower and boat length should go down, etc. This should be a blue-collar sport that the average person can participate in, not just the independently wealthy.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Harold is right in a certain respect – the industry has put the everyday angler in the dust. The high cost of lures is plain stupid. One company can produce a lure for 5 bucks and the next can do it for 20 bucks. All are good quality, where is the difference? It is the endorsing angler..so DUH! Then the plastics come into play. A 20-pack of worms that costs 3.95 and weighs 6 ounces, or a swimbait that is 20 bucks that weighs 2 ounces. And don't give me the supply and demand stuff – they are producing this stuff faster than the speed of light. So wake up, manufacturers. The medical industry is on the table with the new administration, so where are you going go? I personally have a '92 Ranger 481, ot's tax value is around 7K. To replace it I would be looking at 45K. Who is stupid here? What has a new 2009 got that is worth that difference, feature for feature? Keep on screwing up, Mr. Bass Industry. You can see who is going busted, just like the auto industry.
A few years back Abu Garcia decided to make their reels out of plastic and keep a high price. Well, they went to the gutter, they have woke up, and now they have an all-metal reel that is good quality and less expensive than the plastic crap that almost put them under. And look, they are coming back. Rapala is doing the same with their lures – good quality for a fair price. Skeet and Lucky Craft, wake up. And fishing line – they introduce the worst junk possible and for the biggest price possible, and it is pure junk. So many lines by the top manufacturers have bitten the dust and can't make it because they are high-priced junk. Fluorocarbon is a rip-off, and the everyday anglers should let it be known – junk for more money ain't gonna fly. Get it right, line manufacturers. Harold is right, you better listen.
The rule on selling goes like this – manufacturers make at least 100 percent of the actual cost. The rep or middle man makes between 35 to 45 percent. The same goes for the retailer. So if just the boat cost the manufacturer $10,000 to make, then they sell it to the rep for $20,000, who then adds 35% to it. Now the boat costs $27,000. Now put in 35% for the dealer and the cost is $36,450. So do the same thing for all of the other items that are on a boat and you can see how and why they cost what they do.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Way too complicated. This would put the favor in the anglers who catch more dinks than quality bass.
BASS changed their format for a reason, and how would this make anglers spend less money? They still have to go to the lakes in their $50,000 trucks that they get for free from they're sponsor, or they could just buy a cheaper truck. Boat-wise, you still need to go to your spots, which may be Dunkirk on Erie, Ticonderoga on Champlain, or maybe even Lake Barkley when the guys launch from Paris, TN. Oh, but i forgot, they only have to catch a bunch of dinks so they can just catch a bunch of little babies a mile from the boat ramp. But hey, someone's got to get there first.
I appreciate Mr. Sharp's idea. However, I do not think dimes, nickels, pennies or quarters are what the fans of bass fishing are interested in. The sport needs deep-pocket corporate investment outside the industry, just like golf. Anglers are still fishing for entry fees just like they did 40 years ago. With the exception of Toyota Angler of the Year money, there is just not enough money on the table. My heroes were always bass anglers – I just hope the sport can remain viable. New sponsors, like insurance, banking, industry, just like golf, is the direction the sport should take. Good luck to everyone who is still fishing.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Under this program, I think I will open a golf shop. I think a lot of people will stop tournament fishing. This is just plain dumb.
I have to with agree with Billy Boyd of Tennessee on the hp issue, but i know big water needs big boats. But passengers need some kind of protection, so how about Trip, Dewey and Harold put their heads together on this one and soon. Oh, I almost forgot, you pros use good sportsmanship and above all, common sense. The future of the sport depends on it.
There is a reason why Sharp is not the tourney director anymore and the coin thing is just a small part of it– not the smartest thing i have ever read. Maybe he should give the coins to the NASCAR guys and they can toss them back and forth to determine who is on the lead lap.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I agree that professional bass fishing needs a commission to help the future of the sport. However, reality is that professional bass fishing will never be able to generate the level of revenue and interest other professional sports do because it is not "fan friendly." With all due respect to Mr. Sharp, his Cash 'N Weigh 'N idea is not realistic. I am a tournament fisherman and agree that the price to particpate in the sport is increasing every day, if you choose to pay the ridiculous prices for some of the equipment. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, but that's one of the great things about this country. I think the FLW and BASS tournament formats are doing as good a job as possible generating fan support. Sure they can be tweaked, but bottom line is that the very uniqueness of the sport limits the opportunities to generate significant revenues from the fan base.
What is the point of Mr. Sharp's cash system? Just how does it address the concerns he listed? Overpriced boats, tackle, entry fees? Sounds to me like he has come up with yet a new way to hammer as many fish as possible. Again, what's the point?
How does weighing fewer fish and pounding as many as possible add up? So we somehow all benefit from jerking small fish? If the intention is to make just going out and catching fish the point (and that sounds great) then why do it as part of an organized event/tournament? I wonder what he will come up with next – handicapping your weight based on the size and horsepower of your rig? What about a category for left-handed reels, or rods under 4 feet? How about points for the best fishing shirt?
RE: Sharp Opinion – Certainly no offense intended, but I've read it three times and still can't make any sense of it.
I think I have to totally, respectfully disagree.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I don't think I like it. I like the way it is now.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I agree with his assessment of where the sport of bass fishing is headed. I agree there needs to be controls that ultimately limit speeds, limits lure costs, protects the sport of competitive fishing. I also think there needs to be aspects of it that help promote and protect the common weekend angler trying to catch a meal or take his/her son or daughter out for an evening of family fun. I understand this, but disagree with the proposed weigh-in system.
The same result could be acheived with a universal board that governs all aspects of the sport. Using numbers instead of biggest fish would be like using number of hits in baseball instead of runs scored or first downs in football instead of the current points system. No matter what anyone ever does to bass fishing you will never deter people away from catching the bigger fish. That's in our blood and an effort to change that would only turn more people away from fishing those tournaments. Implement a governing board to steer the sport where it needs to go, but don't try and convince people catching bigger bass isn't fun.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I'm sorry, it's a bad idea. What about Guntersville, where pros caught 200-plus fish? I think most of us can catch numbers, we can't consistently catch big ones.
Let's put this into terms that most of us understand. I will borrow a baseball analogy. It's like taking away the entire game and making it a hitting derby, not a home run derby. Except there are no fouls. You connect with the ball, you get a score, and a few of your hits can be counted for distance. How many of you would watch that or want to be involved? I'm sorry, but cricket would be more fun – at least there is something besides just hitting.
What about the PAA?
Now the concept of a governing body would be a great idea, but that can't happen. Here is why. These are not my words. People here have said BASS is all about ratings (I disagree, but who cares) and FLW is all about selling boats (in this case, FLW Says this). So how would you get those two to the table? There are two completely different goals of those organizations. What about the western bass trails? Doesn't WON Bass still put the U.S. Open on? Then they should get a seat too, shouldn't they? The point here is dumbing down the system is not the way to grow the sport. What exactly would the fishing body do? Regulate what? Haven't we been regulated enough?
Last time I checked we go to the water to be free and relax, not to be regulated by another organization that thinks it knows better than everyone. I think the PAA is doing a great job for the professional angler and I support them 100%.
BASS's sole source of income and existence is bass fishing. FLW is likewise, although FLW does get some help from Genmar, I don't know the number. But my point is these organizations exist for fishing. They are not going to hurt fishing, as it's their lifeblood. Maybe let the PAA have some more input, but a whole new regulating body? No.
The problem with the sport isn't expensive boats, rods, reels, baits. I can name two well known pros who use combos you can buy for under 200 bucks and sometimes under 150 – Rick Clunn and Edwin Evers. I know I used them as justification for my inexpensive combos. I didn't think badly of my $7,000 Nitro 700LX at the time. Heck, it could still fish clubs and stuff just fine. I have seen them at the BASS Opens as well.
The problem lies in the fact that if you go to a lake or want to go fishing and ask for some help, you get nothing or misleading "help." Everyone is so scared to give away their "money holes" (of course, that guy hasn't won a thing). No one takes a kid fishing. I have to go out of my way to find a junior club to get the sport out there.
So if you want to fix the sport, start getting people into it. Help someone get on the fish. Stop trying to force your sponsors' $15 bait down the new guy's throat. Let him/her realize he can catch fish on a $3 bait and a cheap combo and still have fun. If that person gets into the sport, then it's their choice if they want to get the top-of-the-line gear.
Someone said anglers are copycats. I do not believe it's just anglers. NASCAR says they use a Monte Carlo, Taurus, Fusion, Imapala, Camry, Charger, etc. Then the car company makes a special edition of that car for the street. For who? Oh the "copycats." What about the golf clubs and balls? I see ads all the time. Everyone wants what Tiger, Phil, or whoever is playing with because it might make them better. So "copycats" don't just exist in angling. It's everywhere. Anglers do it to be like their favorite pro, but most serious anglers do it for that advantage.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Did Harold forget to add that the master of ceremonies at these grand events was going to be Jethro Bodine because he has a great mind for numbers? "Now shucks, this here is a three pennies and nickel score with a dime left over. Divide that there by naught. And naught goes int naught zero times......" That Harold is most near smart as Jethro.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Well, who am I to knock Harold's idea and creativity. I understand his format and respect his thoughts. I have fished tournaments since 1980 when we had horsepower restrictions and draw formats (both anglers sharing the day and front of the boat) – a concept I would believe most pros today would have a difficult time with. Anglers had a hard enough time with keeping track of five 12-inch fish, so it would be interesting for sure watching them keep track of money and fish.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Bass fishing, meet bingo and bridge.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Huh? This is the oddest scoring suggestion I have heard of. What if some coins get lost or misplaced? This is, after all, a sport carried out on the water. Or what if your partner forgets to bring any coins or the one he had fell out of his pocket? Or what if he is Canadian, does he use Canadian coins or what?
I fail to see what this scoring system brings to the table other than cutting the amount of fish actually brought to the scales down to two, which in itself could be beneficial, especially in the hot weather months.
Stick to weight or length since everybody already uses that method. I guess using 1968-era horsepower would slow down the bass fishing arms race, but what is next? A limit on how good a depthfinder you can use? Mono only, no braid or other high-tech lines? Limits on trolling-motor thrust?
I just do not see the big problem. Spread out the payouts if you want the lower-tier finishers to get a check, too.
RE: Sharp Opinion – The idea of professional bass fishing is a high-risk, high-reward sport. People are still able to fish recreationally if they do not wish to try and pursue fishing as a career. Those top anglers are signing contracts worth $50,000 and sometimes even more.
In Mr. Sharp's analogy about baseball's commissioner, his comparisons are irrelevant. Baseball is a team sport. And if you want to play for pennies you can do that and stick to Little League. But you have to sacrifice lots to make lots and play in the bigs. Once again, high-risk, high-reward.
RE: Sharp Opinion – This is the most ridiculous, outlandish, and ignorant idea I have ever heard.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Whoa, my head is still spinning after trying to decipher that system! I strongly agree, though, that changes need to be made at the top. Especially with the penalties given to Alton Jones and Tommy Biffle at the last Elite, there is just way too much gray matter at each tourney. I'm not a fan of the way Trip Weldon has made so many wishy-washy decisions the past few seasons that cost guys literally thousands of dollars. Two years ago, I fished in the Elite tourney on Lake Erie as a co-angler. In the pre-tourney briefing on Wednesday. night, Trip told everyone there that if the wind blew the first 2 days, we would fish the Niagara River. Then when the wind blew on Day 2, he cancelled the day entirely, mainly because he listened to some of his "favorites" complaints about the river being too small, and went back on his previous decision to fish there. The rules really need to be black and white. The sport is heavily favoring the guys who've already made it, and pretty soon there will be no anglers who can afford to compete at the top level.
I agree with Mr Sharp's opinion about the direction of bass fishing. I think that you are going to see more and more issues with the circuits losing anglers due to the cost. People need to see that you do not have to invest $100,000 or more in equipment just to bass-fish. I like the idea of a different scoring system and a governing body to help regulate the sport we all love. Unfortunately, until some of these egos decide to work together instead of against each other, I don't know if we will ever see a change.
Mr. Sharp's idea is not new – it is called a "paper tournament" and its time has come and gone. It was a bad idea that didn't work. He has a little different twist to it with bringing in two fish. The reason the industry has expanded is due to TV and the spectators that come out to the tournaments. This plan, in my opinion, does not make for a better show.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I understand that something needs to change. I just don't think Mr Sharp's idea is the one that we use. We hand out awards based on acheivment in this sport, not just to anyone. Maybe they take a lake and make some of it off limits. This would hlep cut cost in gas and even the playing field for the boats that have smaller motors. Maybe the payouts could be changed some, but not to disadvantage the ones that finish in the Top 5. You have a 200-boat field with 400 anglers and normally only 40 are going home with any money.
I obviously don't have any answers, but the issues are with the boat/tackle manufacturers and us as the consumer, because the we are driving the prices up, as we are buying anything that is produced. Stop buying these high-dollar rigs/lures and I'll bet you'll see the prices drop.
RE: Sharp Opinion – So instead of watching guys go out and try to catch five good fish, which is a challenge, we will be watching 100 guys see who can find the biggest school of bass that are big enough to get a hook in their mouth. I can't think of anyone who wants to pay an entry fee and all the other expenses to go out and fish for 12-inch fish all day, every day. You can do that at a overstocked farm pond for a fraction of the cost and a tiny torpedo. Add on the coins, who wants to stop after every fish you catch to try and figure out the correct amount? Especially when it's raining or snowing, as it has this year, to dig around your clothing to switch out a penny.
Here is a better idea, Harold – keep the 99 cents and weigh in the five heaviest bass you catch during the day. The guy who weighs the most weight during the duration of the tournament wins 1st place, the next heaviest is 2nd, and so on.
Your explanation of the Cash and Bass confused me – I could only imagine trying to explain this to non-fishing fans. Bassmasters would be a 4- hour TV show and Zona would need a whiteboard with X's and O's.
The problem is still the fact that the anglers are fishing for their own money and the tournament organizers are still making large money off of sponsors that they are not passing along.
Harold did a lot to get bass fishing to the point it is today. I agree that the cost of the sport has gotten out of control and hurts fishing in general. Somebody just getting interested in the sport of fishing is led to believe that unless you spend 50K on a boat and have 10 to 20 $350 rod-and-reel combinations you cannot bass fish.
However, his rule changes proposed clearly show why he should stay retired and appear to be simply an attempt to become part of the game again. It reminds me of Ray Scott's attempt to put together an ultralight bass fishing tour a few years back.
Limits to the amount of equipment and the size and cost of boating equipment is a start. The old Classics limited the anglers to (I think) 25 pounds of tackle. Also limit the number of rods one can employ.
The Elites are the elite and I like the way it is set up from a tournament point of view. The only problem I see is that it has become a good ol' boys club and it is diffecult cracking the ranks (once your in it's hard to get you out). They should go to many more qualifying events to make the Elites with lower entry fees and more participants. The anglers who are in the Elites should only be guaranteed a return next year if they are in the Top 20. They should utilize the a portion of the funds from the qualifying events to cover most of the entry fees for the Elite group.
Harold Sharp's plan to reinvent the scoring is nonsense. If you read it three times and still can't understand it, how in the heck would you ever implement a scoring system like this? And can you imagine trying to explain it to a TV audience?
Harold needs to turn loose that "draw tournament" format – fishermen have proved over the years they do not like it and will not participate in those tournaments, no matter how you keep the score.
Look no further than the team tourneys the PAA staged – despite the hype, they generated little interest, no excitement, no publicity and if measured against an FLW or BASS event, they were a failure.
Nothing wrong with what's going in fishing right now that some $1.50-a-gallon gas and the economy heating up won't cure.
One last thing regarding Harold's idea. He often comments on the days of how bass tournaments used to be and compares them to now. I think it is important to be clear that the sport has evolved and one of the distinctions is that back then it was more of a weekend hobby rather than a true profession. Sure, there were some making their living from the competitions, but that was very very few.
The evolution is that it is now a true sport where the competitors can actually consider themselves full-time pros. Will there be some that don't make it? Of course, because there is more risk than there was back then.
But that is the beauty of where we live as all of us are able to make that choice. In what sport is there a guarantee that if you try to go pro you will make it? None. So, I don't understand why we are so concerned with guaranteeing anyone who takes a shot at being a bass fishing pro should make it.
RE: Sharp Opinion – This could be one of the dumbest formats I have ever heard of. So basically a guy who caught 100 10-inch bass could beat a guy who caught 50 4-pound bass, but since he could only weigh in 8 pounds of those and the others count the same as the 10-inch bass, the guy who catches the most number of bass wins? Sounds pretty stupid to me.
RE: Sharp Opinion – The commission/board could easily take form by the orginzation we now refer to as the PAA. I think the PAA is well-positioned to take on this role – if interested, of course.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Well, that plan certainly does blow the K.I.S.S. idea out of the water.
On the one hand, you have to enjoy the fact that individuals are coming up with alternative solutions to perceived issues with the existing tournament offerings.
On the other hand ... wow ... um ... yeah.
RE: Sharp Opinion – The rule changes still don't eliminate the high-dollar equipment he refers to in his article. If you really believe a $350 rod/reel give you a performance edge, then you are going to spend the money to get it. Nice to see his scoring system rewards people for catching a lot of fish, but I don't see where it rewards people for fishing out of a jonboat with a Zebco 404 and a Beetlespin.
RE: Sharp Opinion – ?????
RE: Sharp Opinion – This is stupid. Coins? Is this guy serious?
RE: Sharp Opinion – I do agree that the sport is too costly for most people to pursue. Everything has become to expensive for the young angler to try to come up the ranks as a pro bass fisherman.
The least of the problems is the weight-in format. I do not see how Harold's new idea will do anything to help the problems. If anything, it will just confuse everyone.
RE: Sharp Opinion – What?
RE: Sharp Opinion – I really like the idea of a scoring system that combines total numbers and weight. I've always wondered ... one guy catches two bass that weigh 10 pounds combined, while another guy catches 50 bass that weigh 50 pounds combined (but he can only weigh in five for a total of 5 pounds). Personally, I would consider the guy who caught 50 a better fisherman.
I am not so sure about Sharp's 99-cent change system for scoring. It confuses me, and I think would be real hard for folks to follow on TV. It's not what TV writers/producers call "clear and easy to understand." But I think the concept of combining weight and total catch is great.
Perhaps just simply combining the total weight of a five-fish limit, plus the total number of fish caught. Forget the change system – just count 'em. Catch 38 with the five biggest weighing 21, you score 59.
Another guy has five biggest that weigh 12, but catches 48 total – his score is 60 and he wins.
The redfish tour definitely needs to go to such a system.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Honestly, I don't see this working. What makes the weigh-in exciting is big sacks being weighed in. If anything, I think the big tours should put a horsepower limit on the field or split the field into two horespower classes – one up to 150 and on one over 150. Have the bigger payouts go to the 150-and-under class since it would be considered the tougher or more challenging class. Eventually all the big names would be running the lower horespower class.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I am definitely a fan of anyone who attempts to bring new ideas to our sport. I appreciate Harold's thoughts, but don't understand how this has anything to do with horsepower or the cost of our sport. What I do see is a bad direction regarding fan attendance at weigh-ins if this ever took place.
Like everything else in America, we can only blame ourselves for the cost of our sport. We are the consumers that create demand and determine the price of goods based on what we are willing to pay. Because we aren't buying, costs are coming down. Basic economics happening here.
But the reason participation is down in fishing is because no one encourages families simply to go fishing and not fish a freakin' tournament every weekend.
Anglers today aren't chasing a dream, they are chasing money every weekend. We need to spend time with our families and encourage people to enjoy the sport for what it is. You don't have to buy a $50,000 boat to do that.
And the tournaments don't need to be changed to encourage people to do this. Tournaments and family recreation are and always will be two different animals.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Wow. I am sure that he has pioneered some great ideas for professional bass fishing and while his opinion is respected, just as Doubleday's opinion would be respected by MLB, times have changed from 1968 and if anything is constant, it is change. If his new game goes into effect, I want to be the top hat or the car.
RE: Sharp Opinion – What? I couldn't even make myself read the through the twists and turns. How is all that going to help the "problem" anyway?
Keep it simple. Five fish, total weight. If the tournament you want to fish costs too much, find another one on a smaller lake. Problem solved.
RE: Sharp Opinion – You've got to be kidding. Are you crazy? You have all the other aspects of competitive fishing going on and you want me to start dolling out change like this with all that is going on in my mind? Very amusing, but no thanks. I'll stick to the old "run what you brung" method and go for it.
I'm sorry Harold, but this is a nightmare! It will require even larger boats because each one will need 4 people in it – two anglers, an umpire and an accountant. I agree that bass fishing as a sport needs central direction from somewhere other than BASS and FLW, but let's not design a scoring system that is so complicated that we lose track of fishing while we're doing all the counting.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I have absolutley no idea what I just read. I was interested in this article when he was talking about how the price of fishing tournaments and fishing-related items were getting way out of control. When he started talking about pennies, nickels, dollars and quarters, I honestly began to feel the man has fallen off his rocker. What in the world does this weigh-in system have to do with anything? I understood the first article when stating the guy who catches the most fish should be the winner, but with livewell sizes and catch and release the mainstay of American bass fishing, the bring-five-to-the-scales rule is the best that can be accomplished and yes, those who find the right five fish consistently should be rewarded with the win.
I wholeheartedly agree that the two tournament trails, three if you count the PAA, should have one official voice, one official set of rules for both trails, and then possibly a major championship where the two trails combine for a true world champion. Raising the fields at that level is not the right thing to do, as waterways are getting more and more crowded every day as it is. If you want regulations on how fast or far someone can run, then bring the smaller fields and go to smaller lakes.
I feel BASS is headed in the right direction by letting the anglers show support for their sponsors and boat manufacturers, this is one area where FLW needs to improve, but money talks in this business and FLW makes a ton of it from their corporate sponsors. It's just a shame that they don't extend that money out to the folks who fish the trails.
Marty Stone's marshal was actually bobbing up and down in the water with his hand waving. I guess Marty must have been looking to see who was going to stop and who wasn't. Like I said before, I do believe those were not the only two boats that didn't pull right up to the situation.
Horsepower is not dangerous, people are dangerous when it is not used correctly. Most guys who whine about horsepower have never been on Sam Rayburn with a 35-mph northwest wind and the need for a boat big enough to handle it with appropriate horsepower.
No job, no boat. I lost my job 8 months ago and had to sell my boat. I had worked for the same company for over 15 years and they up and moved to China. When will they ever learn.
I have fished tournaments for 20-plus years and have never passed anyone who needed help, and I believe that Marty was right and that Mr. Biffle and Mr. Jones should have stopped. Are the fish more important than people? Come on, people.
What I find amusing is that we have a few guys bashing on BASS, making professionalism comments, while FLW pros are following the BASS pros to spots. We have another guy whining about the fact that there was a lot of BASS coverage – two back-to-back tournaments while nothing from FLW does that. So enought FLW coverage BASSFAN, stop catering to the FLW whiners.
Also, someone mentioned a "tantrum" from a BASS guy. Funny you mention that. In my experience, the reason you don't see a lot of whining in FLW is, and I will quote a line that I heard a lot at a BASS event where a guy has a penalty or a DQ for a completely legitimate reason, like late for check-in or dead or short fish. I quote, "FLW would have never done that. They would understand why I was late, it wasn't dead, he didn't pinch it hard enough."
Now I have never seen FLW wink and nod to anyone. But I have seen the tantrums after a BASS event when an FLW angler gets nailed.
Lastly, I find it hard to believe the only "emotional" guys are fishing for BASS. That the only guys who push the rules are in BASS. Especially when BASS is built around the same basic 90 guys. It's not a tournament trail where you can just up and enter. Will BASS side with their big names? Yes. Is it fair? No, both sides do it. However, at the end of the day, BASS seems to air its dirty laundry more. Case in point, the Kentucky Lake event where you had multiple cases of FLW pros following Elite guys, and only getting nailed for it.
Yeah guys, let's keep fighting amongst ourselves and bashing each other. My point is that both tours have emotional anglers. What we need is to grow the sport, stop forcing guys into certain situations, be it a brand of boat, category of HP or some other insane idea. Stop penalizing guys with a rig they already bought in order to make some other set of guys feel good about a smaller motor.
Oh, and wasn't Marty Stone at the front of the anti-co-angler pack? I recall it was because he felt the co was catching "his" fish. He didn't have stories of rude, arrogant, jerks who would crawl over the guy at the front to get any fish. Nope, he didn't want you catching any of "his" fish. Now he is throwing marshals out like they are chum bags and everyone is fine with that? Granted, the two anglers should have stopped, but they didnt and they paid.
After reading this article I can see both sides, but I do not agree with Trip Weldon's decision to penalize Jones and Biffle. For one, if Marty Stone was really at fault for driving in a manner to have his marshal thrown over, then that's one issue and from previous DQs and/or penalties I've read or known about, BASS officials rarely have seen the actual incidents happen They have just heard or read a filed complaint.
That, to me, means extra consideration should be taken before making a decision on penalizing someone. Now, if Stone was not injured himself and up and trying to assist his marshal in the water along with Skeet there too, why was there a problem? Is it because Biffle and Jones did not physicaly stop and ask if all is okay? Well, for that matter. then everyone that ever passed that incident in the tournament should have gotten the same consequence Jones and Biffle did. If the marshal was not at the surface or he was facedown I could see the concern, but it reads that he was up. Now you have taken away on-the-water time from two anglers that they cannot regain. So, the actual penalty is more than just an hour's time.
That tournament day should be rescheduled – flat-out bad call. I myself have experienced worse encroachment and bad sportsmanship from anglers that nothing was ever done about. At a Lake Havasu BASS event a Colorado angler just about made a cast with a spinnerbait into my boat and kept coming at me and then right around me – even when I did warn him. Unbelievable. This was in a backwater pocket no more than a 50-yard circle and I was the only guy in there when he came in.
I agree with Tommy and Alton – the situation was being handled safely and addtional boats would have only complicated the safety issue, especially with the strong river currents. This call was made at a critical time in the tournament and it could have overbearing implications on the AOY race and future sponsorships. BASS got it wrong this time. It was a call to pass by the incident made by two very respected anglers with loads of tournament experience. BASS needs to clarify its ruling publicly.
T.S. Elliot? Pretty heady stuff for us bass fisherman – keep up the good work.
I'd like to see BassFan to go out and get some information from any boat manufacturer and see what it takes to build the boat and get it out the factory doors. List the prices on BassFan.com, but don't list the make/model or anything else. How much markup is there on the boats that we buy to keep our sport going? Say, does it cost $16,000 to build an 18-footer, but by the time they pay a representative, dealer fees, etc., and the dealer, has markup as well, so the boat goes from costing $16,000 (to build) and the price ups to $25,000 on the showroom floor? Wouldn't they sell more boats if they were not really wanting to make all their money off the sale of one boat? Why can't we buy direct from the factory? Thoughts????
This is my first time to submit a comment on this site, but I would like to comment on the HP contoversy going on concerning the proffesional tournament trails. I was tournament director at BASS. for nearly 20 years and was there when we changed the 150 HP limitation to 250 HP. The increased HP has nothing to do with accidents on the water.
I was at the Hudson River in 1985 when two of our fishermen were killed in an accident with another competitor under the 150 HP rule. I was at a tournament a few years later when one of our anglers was killed in a boating accident during official practice using the 150 HP rule. I have also personally been to the emergency room at least a dozen times with an angler who was hurt during official practice or competition. To my knowledge, none of these incidents were caused by speed, but instead were caused by either reckless driving and more often than not by anglers just not paying attention to what they were doing.
One reason (and there were many) for this change in HP was that it allowed the anglers to have larger boats to use and decreased their chances of getting in trouble in larger bodies of water when the weather turned nasty. The HP debate will probably never go away and accidents on the water will continue to happen as long as the good Lord lets us enjoy the great sport of fishing. Let's just pray that the good Lord gives us all a better understanding of the responsibilty we share when we are on the water, especially when someone else is in our boat.
It seems funny that the non-Ranger anglers got punished while the Ranger team guys get away with business as usual. It's no wonder that the tournament numbers keep getting smaller and smaller with Evans and his cronies making up the rules as the game goes on. Somebody needs to take a real look at the problem with FLW – it's top management. Get Evans and Taylor out of there before it's to late to save the Tour.
I don't know if you can track the numbers between golf and fishing, but the clientele in the guiding business has always been recreational, upper middle-class anglers. A huge majority own their own business and when on a business trip more are choosing to go fishing rather than go golfing.
Economic times may have something to do with it, or it just could be they are taking advantage of an opportunity to do something they haven't done before.
Don't forget that in recent years the Potomac has done awesome in televised coverage and that always brings increased clientele to the guiding business. Either way, it's great to see more news coverage of the sport.
I don't believe that a horsepower limit in tournament leagues will make a difference in what people buy. Most people will buy what they want based on the type of water they fish. I think the overall economic climate has more to do with influencing the consumer than tournament horsepower regs.
I was Tommy Biffle's marshal for that day in question and I think the decision made by Trip was crazy. There were over a dozen boats in that area of the river running at 60-plus mph and he thinks that it is a good idea to stop in a pack of boats? Marty Stone was about 20 feet away from his ejected marshal when we could see what was going on, and another boat was already pulling up to help. I think it was because some people were mad that Tommy brought in the big bag of the day and put himself in prime position to win the tournament. Everyone knew Tommy had something going in the area he was fishing. He still finished in the Top 5 even though his water got fished before he could get to it.
This is Marty Stone's second marshal he has bounced out in seven tournaments. Shouldn't Trip look at his driving ability? Neither ejection was because of a stump or debris – both because of sloppy boat handling. So, whoever draws Marty in NY, know you have about a 30% chance of ending up in the water.
Yep, Tommy did get to the front of the lock when the gates opened. People complained, and about half the field passed him within 5 minutes of running because they have faster boats than he does. Does it matter when you will outrun a guy within minutes of leaving the lock? They all know who has the faster boats.
How many people does it take to pull one person out of the water? Further, if Stone was so concerned, how did he have time to even notice who or how many boats went by, and he never indicated he was trying to hail any of them. Finally, was it ever determined what the cause was? If he did not hit something or have a steering failure, why should others be penalized for his error?
The FLW rule needs to be clarified and perhaps done away with. Why aren't BASS competitors "competitors" under the FLW definition? FLW rules don't require the competitors to be "FLW competitors competing in in that event," just competitors.
If FLW were to strictly abide by their rules (and not enforce such rules in an arbitrary manner), they would need to immediately disqualify Keith Williams for a violation of Rule 4 also. Williams admits to discovering a fishing pattern (big worm bite) from information provided by his co-angler. In fact, his co-angler even provided him certain baits to fish the pattern successfully.
Perhaps the saddest issue is that FLW not communicating the rule violation prior to Day 1 resulted in Green being DQd, and likely should have DQd many other not-so-honest competitors. It's amazing that, out of 400 competitors, only a handful (less than five) saw the BASS competitors' fishing locations on day 1 of practice.
Best Onion headline was the "Disaster at Blue Angels Open Tryouts."
These are just two more reasons why BASS needs to go back to the 150-horsepower rule. The penalties on Alton and Tommy are a joke. But, if BASS would return to the 150-horsepower rule, it would slow these guys down, stop endangering the lives of the marshals, and lower the cost of the high-end bass boats, The $55,000 rigs with 250-hps will then become $35,000 rigs.
I thought it was a fishing contest, not a race.
RE: Onion parody – What a worthless attempt at humor! It is obvious that they do not know enough about professional bass fishing to even attempt to make fun of it. The real butt of the story is The Onion itself. Professional bass fishing has arrived in a big way. The members of the Onion do not get it and that actually makes me happy.
When was the last time those uptown hippies even saw a lake?
Steve Kennedy didn't even win! That Onion article was pitiful.
I feel that Jerry Green did the right thing by turning himself in. I also feel that all others who broke the rules should do the same. Rules are rules and apply to all. If they do not obey this rule, what other rules are they breaking? Thank God for honest people.
RE: Onion parody – I could have written a funnier one, but it's their website. I did, however, like their NASCAR driver's fear of rain article.
RE: Onion parody – You know, I like a good, well-thought-out parody as much as the next guy. Problem is, this so-called parody isn't either. Why would anyone worth their weight in keystrokes waste such bandwidth to write something as weak as this? It's obvious the writer has zero knowledge of the sport. You want a good parody, ask someone who knows the sport intimately and then you will get good comedy. Onion Sports, do yourself a favor and leave this topic alone until you actually learn how to make comedy out of it. Or, go look at what Brooks has done in the past and take note.
Why don't they penalize the drivers who eject their marshal (who doesn't have a steering wheel to hang onto) that are not displaying common sense and who are giving the sport a black eye by driving like idiots?
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – Not sure i agree either way on the not-stopping part. Tough decision to base in hindsight. Would have to be there to make that decision.
I want to just say something about Marty, though. I fished with him 2 years ago at the Lake Erie Elite event. It was the first day and it was 6- to 8-foot seas. Without a question, I didnt feel the least bit unsafe in his boat. He drove carefully and did all he could to make sure we both got in. Also, he had a tough day fishing and did all he could to try to get me my fifth fish in horrible conditions.
I think the penalty was justified. People should not get so wrapped up in getting to the fish that they overlook the right thing to do. The sportsmanship should not take the back door to anything. Take the extra time to see/ask if help is needed. It would have been as simple as that. Mr. Jones and Mr. Biffle chose to go by an accident. I feel that that was the wrong decision on their part. The tournament can wait, just check and see if someone needs any help. Mr. Stone had every right to make the protest. He needed help and to look up and see help driving away was probably one of those "You've got to be kidding" moments. Just ask yourself..Would you drive by someone who needed help on the water? Probably not!
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – I think the penalty was justified. People should not get so wrapped up in getting to the fish that they overlook the right thing to do. The sportsmanship should not take the back door to anything. Take the extra time to see/ask if help is needed. It would have been as simple as that.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Biffle chose to go by an accident. I feel that that was the wrong decision on their part. The tournament can wait, just check and see if someone needs any help. Mr. Stone had every right to make the protest. He needed help and to look up and see help driving away was probably one of those "You've got to be kidding" moments. Just ask yourself: Would you drive by someone who needed help on the water? Probably not.
RE: Jerry Green – I appreciate the honesty. It may or may not have been a rules violation but was close enough to question. Instead of saying, "Let's see what happens," Mr. Green stepped forward and made the situation right. Thanks for being a stand-up guy.
I think the penalty was not needed if there were already some boats on the scene to help out if needed. How many boats do you need to help one guy? I also think BASS should look at the crybaby and cause of the incedent, Marty Stone, as well for a penalty.
It sure does seem like after every tournament there has been a disqualification or some type of controversy. This is getting ridiculous. I may have to start watching afternoon soap operas or wrestling.
I would think that Marty Stone's full attention would've been on getting the marshal out of the water, not taking time to notice two boats not stopping.
I'm 60 years old and I've been a fan of BASS since it's inception. I've attended many events, even the first event at Beaver Lake, Ark. Before all the crybabies and smart-alecks, it was awesome. Now it is acceptable to allow certain anglers to threaten others on national TV, like Gerald Swindle threatening Zell Rowland at Table Rock for fishing his bridge piers, or in this case prove yourself innocent in a situation based on one or two people's opinions. What happened to sportsmanship?
You do not see that kind of thing at an FLW event. How about less of the smart-alecks and more of guys worth looking up to like Alton Jones, who keep their mouth shut and fish.
If Biffle was was right, then Marty Stone should have received the penalty. One thing that may be taking place is since BASS stopped having co-anglers, it appears these accidents and tournament days being canceled happen more frequently. The marshals may not be up to the task – it seems like none other than Rick Clunn said this was a bad idea.
Stone was wrong – more boats in that immediate area would absolutely cause a more dangerous situation. Turning and dodging each other, wave action, it gets uncontrollable. Once Reese was on the scene, other boats should have stayed as far away as possible. If you recognized that help was there, the best thing to do was keep going.
I would like to cut to the chase – t is an unwritten rule that you never follow another angler to their fish and go back and use their locations in a tournament. If any of these anglers did this, they knew exactly what they were doing. Only a lazy poacher would follow another angler around and try to steal their fish. However, in defense of any one of these lazy poachers, what was FLW thinking when they scheduled the practice dates? Notice the conflict in schedules and back the tournament up 1 day and there is your answer.
Why even create an oppotunity for negative publicity? Now the moral to the story is this, no one plays Tiger Woods' round of golf for him, so why should we alow these lazy poachers to continue to compete? If you can't find your own fish then you need to change sports, and that is for all anglers at any level. Work hard, study hard, fish hard and good things will happen for you.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – I think that is stupid. Why should two guys get penalized when they did not stop when others were there? I think it would have only added to the congestion and the wake would have made it harder for the marshal to swim or get back in the boat. Trip made a bad call. And how did he get thrown out of the boat? Why was Marty swerving? Sounds like Marty should have been DQd for reckless driving if he was running around in an S-pattern. Just like Swindle that year. Maybe Marty just wanted to beat them to their spots on the fiinal day. Who knows? I would just have to say bad call on Trip's part.
Why in 2009 do we still have "pros" who feel the need to follow boats? Where is the separation from the weekend wannabe who does this and a "pro"?
I think it is time to start labeling anyone who can't find their own fish "losers." Maybe then they will step up their game.
This is another example of doing business on the cheap. Removing the co-anglers from the Elite Series has proven, once again, a major mistake. Does one of these inexperienced riders need to drown or become seriously injured before this is changed? When you toss into the mix a pro whose boating skills are glaringly inept, bad outcomes always result. As far as Trip's decision, it appears this time, he may indeed have gotten it wrong.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – This is our second year being part of the Bassmaster Elite series and I've seen firsthand as well as living the struggles of surviving in this industry. All of us on the inside know how hard it is to make the 12-cut. A competitor should never have the power to take two other competitors out of contention because we all know a 1-hour morning-bite penalty might as well be a half-day penalty.
If there was a complaint filed, it should have been reviewed by everyone involved after the tournament, then if fault was found, issue the punishment on day 1 of the next event. With a shortened season and sponsors cutting back on money, these guys are fighting for their life, so I understand their feelings. I have the utmost respect for BASS, but feel that type ruling needs to change.
I have a few ideas:
1) It may be worth revisiting a horsepower rating limitation for the boats (less than 250, 225 or even 200). I know this is not very likely due to the number of higher-hp motors on the water and sponsor obligations. As the hp ratings for BASS have increased, it seems the incidents have increased as well.
2) Equip all of the Elite boats with dual consoles – at least the marshall would have a little more protection.
3) Place a speed limit (like NASCAR in the pits) on congested areas or when debris is in the water for the boats.
4) Seatbelts?
Just some ideas. I recognize that some of these may be very hard to implement, but it may be as simple as:
5 ) Making sure we travel at a safe speed for the conditions for everyone in the boat. I am sure anglers Stone and Remitz were upset that these gentlement were ejected from their rigs and safety is very important to them. I also understand that they spend thousands of hours a year in a boat and that the conditions for those days were something they had seen many times. Hopefully something can be implemented to make everyone's day on the water a great day.
Interesting to see the rash of recent ejections of BASS marshals out of the boats they are riding in. Co-anglers, who were fishing for money/prizes, understand that there is a danger to riding at top speeds in sometimes dangerous conditions. It will be worth following to see if marshals, who are just along for the ride, continue to ride along if they are in danger.
I support BASS's decision to penalize Alton Jones and Tommy Biffle. A lot of safety issues on the water are judgment calls. In many states the law requires you to stop and render assistance. In my recent boating safety class, our water conservation instructor told us if there are other boats assisting, it's best to stop and ask if any help is needed. That way there will be no question of whether or not the boater was following the law. As for Marty Stone's reckless driving, that's another issue.
Coulpe quick comments - All the Elites are nitpickers trying to get everyone else DQd for something. It's getting old. Second - isn't it law that you're required to stop to help somebody in need? Even if there are others present? They should be glad it was a 1-hour penalty and not a straight DQ.
I wish Billy McCaghren well and congratulate him a on a great finish. The anglers in this tournament were fishing closely to each other and Billy did intrude into Shaw Grigby's water to catch his two keepers. He came into the cove Shaw was fishing at 11:45 and caught a 4-pound fish out of the most productive laydown in the cove. He then stayed in this area for the rest of the day. Shaw never said a word and left the cove he had fished all week for Billy. Shaw is a real class act.
I totally disagree with the decision to penalize Tommy and Alton. It is not their fault that someone else was in an accident. They were no way involved in it. So what if they did not stop? There were plenty of other people around. Penalizing them for that is like the police writing a ticket to everyone who passes an accident scene and does not stop.
Trip missed it again, just like when he disqualified Swindle on his home waters. Sometimes Trip takes the "I'm God" approach, not thinking of the outcome – very costly to anglers. Use your head, Trip. Think before reacting.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – Mixed feelings on this one. I was an umpire for 12 years, so I've been on that side of the fence.
But I also remember my father often quoting football Hall of Fame quarterback (later coach) Otto Graham: "I don't have a problem with judgment calls. Just give us some officials with judgment."
RE: Biffle/Jones penalty – I think Biffle and Jones should both protest the penalty if for no other reason then that it may force BASS to set parameters on the "rendering assistance" rule. If a marshal was ejected right at takeoff, would all the other 99 boats have to assist?
If you were the 100th boat on the scene and there were already 98 other boats assisting the one with the ejected marshal, but continued on, would you be penalized?
It isn't too often in this sport that I find myself actually rooting against an angler. However, this is the second time I have rooted against David Young and both times were his losses at Kentucky Lake. Years ago, when he lost to David Fritts, he acted like he had the tournament won while still fishing the last day. He lost his focus and concentration and Fritts beat him. I remember watching that particular show of FLW and hoping he would get beat. This time around was no different. He showed a lack of respect for Larry Nixon going into the last day and then when he got beat by the other angler, he showed his true colors by telling everyone what he would have done "if" he hadnt lost his fish. Grow up! Admit you choked once again and move on. Anglers like you always seem to have a story and they are usually bad ones.
RE: Horsepower – I think they should keep it the same. Buying a bigger motor costs more, so how is having a smaller motor going to help?
I guess two of the sports biggest names are too caught up in a money or points deal to take just a moment to make sure a husband, father, grandfather and someone's very good friend is out of harm's way. Had the guy been seriously injured, a prayer from Jones would have been nice, or Biffle might have had the only cell phone coverage available. I think with what went on with Derek's partner, they did commit the crime and got a minor punishment. Biffle actually locked through with the rest of us that morning and I assume Jones could have done the same thing.
The penalty to Biffle and Jones is ridiculous. Two boats were already on the scene to pick up the ejected marshal. How many boats are required to get a man out of the water? Sheesh!
What we have here is Marty Stone not manning up and taking the responsibility for his poor boat handling. Instead he points the finger at Biffle and Jones to take the heat off of him. Get real, Marty, it was your fault. Own up to it and quit throwing the blame around.
Biffle and Jones are dead wrong on this one, but at least Jones is contrite. If your fellow competitors stopped to help, then regardless of whether you think you could help the situation, and regardless of what or who caused the incident, you should recognize that your fellow competitors are not fishing and out of respect you should pull over and stand by until the situation is stabilized or at least offer assistance. If it is declined, then fine. But by ignoring the situation under the guise of not being able to help based on their own judgement, instead they gained an advantage by fishing while their fellow competitors were attempting to assist.
At least Biffle is true to form in asking that the penalty be enforced at the end of the day so he could get his morning bite, because after all, it's what would be better for him that matters - which brings us right back to the same issue of the incident itself. Then add to this the initial report that fishermen were upset that Biffle was fishing outside the lock, waited until the doors nearly closed, then went in and passed everyone in the lock to get to the front. I think Biffle is a great fisherman, but personally, I am tired of listening to him gripe every tournament about how he was wronged by someone jumping his hole or the like - where there is so much smoke, there is fire. Kudos to Trip and BASS for recognizing that sportsmanship does exist and needs to be taken seriously by all competitors.
RE: Horsepower – Too many fisherman have already invested in the bigger motors and can't or do not want to buy another one. I hate it for the boating industry, but when you price yourself out of the market, it's not the fisherman's fault.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – In regard to the Elite Series, how can Marty Stone go unpenalized for something that he is totally responsable for and Biffle and Jones take the heat for making a call that, in my opinion, was correct? I've fished over 30 events, including the Opens and Elite Series as a co-angler, and if I was ever bobbing around in the water, I don't think that I would want a bunch of boats setting down and making waves when I was trying to get back on Marty's boat. Bottom line, Weldon needs to reconsider Stone's actions and creating the situation to start with.
RE: Biffle/Jones penalties – I think that both of these guys have admitted why they didn't stop when they saw the marshal in the water – their bite was in the morning and missing the first hour cost them both a chance at winning the tournament. Sounds to me like the main reason they kept running on day 3. They didn't want to miss that opportunity while many of the other guys were busy helping out. And for Biffle to blame it on Stone's driving is pretty lame.
They deserved the hour "timeout," but maybe they deserved a dq of day 3's weight even more.
I heard Alton said he prayed for the marhsall. Yeah, right after he prayed nobody was on his spot and prayed he could catch some fish while the others were doing the right thing.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Harold is right. Before it is too late, this would be a good time to get some of the best tournament advice you could ever hope for and it will only cost you your time and pride. The fishermen have always been the true sponsors of bass tournaments, not all the sponsors listed on the billboards, although it has helped keep the ship afloat. Harold may not have all the answers, but he loves this sport and will help make some necessary corrections if he is given the opportunity. Thanks, Harold, for caring. We love you.
You guys are missing South Dakota in your state rankings. Jami Fralick is not even on the page. Where's the love?
RE: Short's Mississippi River win – Way to go, Kevin! Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
The weigh-in today in Murray, Ky. was great! A big crowd, and FLW put on quite a show. Williams had the 9-01 bass that was a beauty. All in all, a wonderful day.
RE: Short's Mississippi River win – Nice to see a "journeyman" fisherman win one once in a while. Lots of others are more than due for a win to keep them going, too.
Tournament fishing is an addiction. It is really no different than any other addiction. Let's face it, we are all addicts. We are purchasing boats at $50,000 to $60,000 apiece. We purchase $15 lures on a regular basis. We all enter tounaments knowing if we can break even we are doing better than most. The only people to blame for high prices, low-payout events, and tournament issues is ourselves.
I am one of the biggest addicts of all – I would fish a tournament in a mud puddle if someone held it there. Ask my wife. As long as there is demand, someone will supply it. To keep the sport from a "collision course," we need to look at ourselves first. If anyone reading this just qualified for 2010 Elites, who could afford to do it? Who would do it regardless?
RE: Hoernke/Hawkes penalties – Those two should be commended on the actions they took. The others who committed the same offense should man up and suffer the same consequences. They are supposed to be pros and following the rules is part of the sport. There were more than just the two of them. There were several on Lane also.
RE: Hoernke-Hawkes penalties – No doubt both fishermen did break the rule about following a non-competor's boat and should be penelized according to the rules. When I look at Rule No. 1 it does not list a penalty as being sentenced to fish another lake. It lists losing one's weight for that day or to a point in the day or not being eligible to fish at all in the event and possibly future events. What happens to the guy one place out of the money if Mr. Hoernke is able to catch enough fish on day 2 to earn a check? I think he would have a good argument. The rules are stated plainly – let's not change them as we go just to keep the waters calm. Bad mistake again, Mr. Taylor.
FLW Tour tournament director Bill Taylor needs to resign. He insults the intelligence of every angler he represents. I have a home on south Kentucky Lake where the Elite Tournament was won just in front of my dock. On Saturday I sat on my dock with former FLW Tour angler Lewis Denney and watched the show with binoculars. We counted over 30 FLW anglers following Byron Velvick and Bobby Lane.
The anglers forced to fish Barkley Lake only for telling the truth about following anglers were railroaded. All 30 should had been disqualified. Even Mike Hawkes admitted some 30 FLW pros were there. Charlie Evans and Bill Taylor are a joke!
I am probably a little dense. Just how is imposing a horsepower limit going to help the boat and motor industry? It seems to me that arbitarily changing rules after the fact and without the imput of the governed is what led to the founding of this great country in the first place. How is reverting to the ways of jolly old England going to help the industry or the pros?
True professionals govern themselves. Industries either adapt or perish. It is the American way. All professional bass anglers must unite and speak with a single voice. Tournament organizers should not be the ones determining who is a professional bass angler. A professional organzaztion of professional bass anglers should be. Until that happens, money will always trump talent and as long as money talks and talent walks, anyone can be a pro.
It's always a pleasure reading Mr. Sharp's opinions. Good to see someone who refuses to worship the quicksand the Big 2 walk in.
RE: Hoernke/Hawkes penalties – Great story about accepting responsibility for your actions. Neither man knew he was breaking the rules but fully supported FLW's decision to restrict them to Barkley. Two first-class gentlemen right there!
Mr. Harold Sharp is correct – something has to be done. Twenty dollars for a lure? We need to sit down and re-evaluate the whole situation in bass fishing. Do we know what this will do to the weekend anglers? I believe were are starting to set a bad example. We all must work together on this one. Let's go and put it like it was in the late '70s and '80s. It can be done.
I was told that one very popular FLW angler idled very close to Bobby Lane and hit the icon marker while Bobby was fishing. I was told immediately prior to the takeoff (after fog delay) by someone there, that there were several FLW boats waiting to follow. Why else would they be there? This needs to be addressed, these guys are considered professionals by definition. People watch and see these actions and think it is an acceptable practice. It's very disheartening to try to do it the right way, only to have people watch your every move, idle up and hit waypoints, fish right on top of other anglers. This topic needs to be addressed by all tournament circuits.
RE: Hawkes/Hoernke FLW penalties – Anyone who says that the professional anglers of North America all fish the BASS Elite Series were just shown that's not entirely true. Remember just a little while ago the big blowup at a recent Elite event that wound up looking more like a daycare temper tantrum?
Two well known pros in the recent FLW Tour event were penalized and politely agreed the tournament director did the right thing – that's the epitome of professional in title and actions.
RE: Monroe and the Coast Guard – Ish is lucky he didn't get shot at. We live in a different world after 9/11 and the USS Cole. It's the boater's responsibility to know the laws, especially when dealing with the Navy and Coast Guard. They don't fool around and they don't have to give you a second chance.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Leave it to my buddy Harold to get 'em stirred up!
I had a hard time formulating my own opinion about his ideas. Personally, I'm pretty apathetic about it all – NASCAR, PGA, MLB, NBA, NFL – what's good for the sport(s) doesn't really matter anymore. It's all about the money. That's the only thing that will dictate where it all goes.
I'm not sure a "commission" is needed to oversee two basic bass fishing entities, as compared to 15, 20 or 30 "teams." But if the powers that be decided it's a good idea, fine by me. I still think it will be the money that decides, not the people.
I am curious to know more about his methodology for a "who can catch the most" scenario.
All I can say is that I'm very glad that bass anglers don't have to go by redfish rules – who can catch the biggest (as long as they're not more than 27 inches long). That's just dumb.
I can just hear a bass fishermen saying, "I would have won, but all the fish I caught were too big."
Great story regarding the professionalism of the men and women in the armed forces of the United States! I am a little taken back by Ish begging the Coast Guardsmen not to kill anyone. If this plea was made tongue-in-cheek, I still maintain my concern regarding Ish's statement.
I can assure Ish that the United States military is the most disciplined military in the world. Every day our men and women are faced with split-second decisions regarding Rules of Engagment (ROE) at home and abroad. Our citizens do not have to plead with our military to avoid killing anyone.
All Ish had to say was "thank You" for what this Coast Guardsman was doing for our country.
Remember, when professional anglers such as Ish and us weekend anglers are fishing, the United States military has our back and is standing watch. This is what makes this the greatest country in the world.
Very well said by Harold.
RE: Sharp Opinion – Well said. We could use you back in your old position and I don't mean the railroad one.
While it's laudable of Harold Sharp to bring into focus the need for a central governing or commission body of sorts for the sport of competitive bass angling, to my mind his logic is as flawed as the present system is "broke." As an example, let's take any professional sport governed by a commission of sorts, heck, let's even add NASCAR into the mix, but for ease of discussion, we'll use baseball. Like fishing, the pitcher/angler is trying to get his best three pitches in the strike zone for an out. The difference of course is numbers, in tourney fishing it's five (BASS & FLW). Those other things, known as balls, etc., or "dinks" and smaller bass, are just part of the game itself.
Now, let's change the rules and see how many of everything we can get. It no longer matters that pitchers are after strikes nor anglers after that magic number or quality of pitch or fish, all that matters is numbers. True, we wouldn't see as many runners in either sport, but who wants that? What Bob wants is a method that's self-limiting, the problem of course is that it's an artificial means of forcing responsibility on an individual or group. So just where does that leave us? I've got to say that Bob's got it right with a commission format. Problem is, what's the makeup and who is ultimately going to prevail from a representative standpoint? The PAA is a good start but it only represents the "anglers." The owners are still completely independent and apparently like it that way.
It's high time that some method of cooperation be instituted that would smooth the wrinkles out of the present hopscotch way we schedule and conduct ourselves as competitive anglers and organizations. This is, what we should be striving for and then, yes, maybe change of one sort or another could follow, which would make us all more responsible in our participation in this wonderful sport.
Harold Sharp: A man with experience and common sense. Since neither means anything to the majority of Americans today, I guess we will just ignore his good ideas and continue down the path of following charismatic idiots with neither experience nor common sense.
In regard to Mr. Sharp's commentary, while I totally respect his contribution to the sport, past and present, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why he's attempting to replace one problem with a much bigger one – fish mortality. Catching more fish means more dead fish as a result. That's a fact.
Even now, in the enlightened age of fish management with its livewell technology and chemical additives, fish mortality is a serious issue. Go to any lake hosting a pro bass tournament 2 days afterward and see for yourself. Ray Scott and BASS made catch and release a national lobby and now we want to abandon it? Talk about a powder keg!
If we make the changes Mr. Sharp recommends, both BASS and FLW will have an enormous public relations fiasco to deal with, namely, why are we destroying the very resource these organizations have championed for years?
Mr. Sharp, with all due respect to your vast life experience with bass tournaments, I’m not sure that cutting the pie into smaller slices will bail out the industry. I’m more akin to looking at the industry and its competitiveness with one another. Seems like to me that their Achilles' heel has been the exclusivity they have fostered. Why not a tournament where all the boats and motors are eligible for contingencies prizes?
I’m thinking that you and Ray didn’t foresee the division that sponsorship creates. The first time a sponsor said, “If I sponsor this event, I don’t want any other boat companies getting equal billing," I wonder if you and Ray should have said no to this. By not doing so, maybe we lost the sport to marketing and demographic forces.
So, rather than companies trying to capture what’s left of the boat buyers, maybe they should start putting growth of the sport first.
Kudos to Mr. Sharp – I couldn't have said it any better myself. For the long-term health of the sport and the industry, changes must be made.
RE: Sharp Opinion – While I agree that some changes should be made and personally am all for horsepower limits, winning a tournament because you caught 100 12-inch bass just doesn't do it for me. Equipment is expensive now, but some things have changed for the better. I for one wouldn't want to go back to 1-year warranties on a motor.
RE: Sharp Opinion – I agree with Harold that professional bass fishing needs an overseeing regulations organization like other professional sports. Like he said, BASS and FLW will only continue to do the exact opposite of what the other does, partly out of spite, and partly to attract those the other tour excludes (i.e. alcohol and tobacco sponsors, etc).
The part I don't understand in Harold's article is changing the point system to numbers of bass caught instead of weight of your five biggest that day. If you think that the FLW is the shaky-head tour now, just wait if you made it most fish caught instead of five big fish.
I think that anyone with a little skill can sit and catch 1-pound bass all day, but catching the biggest five that day is what separates the men from the boys.
RE: Sharp Opinion – There are some points in this statement that I do agree with, but many that I do not. More specifically, I strongly disagree with setting a limit for seeing who can catch the most fish, rather than the largest five fish. The fact of matter is that larger fish are most often much more difficult to catch, and locate. They take more time to locate, and more effort to put in the boat, than a smaller, larger number of fish. This translates into anglers using their "skills," to locate the larger fish. By having a five-bass limit you are allowing the angler who has caught the five largest fish to win by demonstration of skill in finding those larger fish. I do not think catching a larger number of bass demonstrates the skill that catching the five largest bass does.
I do not understand the desire to have a smaller horsepower and boat limit either. Ninety percent of professional anglers are competing from 20- to 21-foot bass boats rigged with 225-250-hp engines. These boats are very similarly equipped and have very similar capabilities. As to your mention of running around and burning gas, each angler has the same ability to do as he wishes since these rigs are so similarly equipped. Running a distance also allows an agngler to distance himself from other cometitors if he wishes.
Limiting boat and motor regulations for tournaments would put more angelrs on top of each other and raise tensions even more. You also mentioned that some organizations are becoming too concerned with TV ratings. Well by limiting horsepower and putting more anglers on top of each other, I'm sure the ratings would rise even more as more dramatic events would occur, as we've seen a couple times this season already.
I do in fact believe that the way professional (both BASS, and FLW) tournaments are set up to this day demonstrate the angler with the most skill on that given lake, on those given days. I do not doubt, however, that there needs to be some regulation on tournament fees and such matters. The expense has gotten to a point where it limits entrance into professional fishing, that is unless you are already very wealthy. By having such high fees and expenses, I also feel that you limit other great anglers who never see the chance to compete on such a level.
Careful, guys, your bias toward BASS is showing. Where are the practice reports for the FLW? The BASS tournament has been done for 3 days. Old news!
May God bless Harold Sharp.
What is BassFan's deal with horesepower? The industry will police itself. If you cant afford a big 250-hp rig then you don't get to buy it!
Don't punish those of us who did it right!
If the anglers in less hp want to fish, then they still can. Let's not handicap the field. What if you don't have the top of the line golf clubs? You can hit from the ladies' tees with a five-shot handicap?
Come on, stop meddling in the business. If Ranger wants to keep ramming their boat choices down people's throats via FLW, then they will stay in Chapter 11 and will return with a better business plan – one that is more about tournaments and less about boats.
I think it is a shame what has happened to Ranger since Jacobs took over. Forrest Wood never had to file Chapter 11. When the place burned down he simply nailed a telephone on a tree and kept on making boats. He didn't ask for help or give excuses like Jacobs did.
Jacobs should man up. Mr Hopper should ask himself what would Forrest do instead of worrying about making Jacobs happy and keeping his job. What about all the people who have been let go at the plant – does anyone care about them? I'm sure that Jacobs doesn't. Come on, Forrest, now is when Ranger needs the kind of man you are. I know you still care.
Isn't the PAA trying to do something on regulating the tournament industry? I believe they stood up to BASS a few years ago and changed a few things around.
When Harold Sharp speaks, I always listen. He was the established guy when I first got into the media, and he is diligent in searching for something to save the sport.
But I would respectfully disagree in a couple of regards. First, there is only one "first kiss" (or any other metaphor you'd like to use.) There is no going back to the way it was.
Ray Scott used to say a pro was "a guy with $300 (entry) and the week off." That perception has disappeared like wooden Bombers and stick steering.
Harold says, "Bass anglers don't need BASS or FLW..." but in reality, they do. They need those guys, or some other set of initials, because unless some recognized third party is there pumpin' up the boys, or handin' out trophies, then all you've got is a turkey shoot – and that's hardly enough to drive an industry, even for john boats.
Harold, however, is absolutely right about bass fisherman behavior. Bass guys are copycats, and some cat will always be the one to hang 300 horses that the other cats want to copy.
As for the "numbers" tournament scheme? Just goes contrary to human nature. What bass fisherman do you know who would choke a microphone and tell you the gripping tale of his day on the water without a bag of fish to stick in your face?
I just don't see it.
I would like to see you bring your flats boat up here to Lake Ontario or Erie or even Oneida Lake. Shrinking the boats is not a good solution. When the horsepower rating was 150, I had a 15-foot Skeeter with an 85-hp – it was so small I used to fish as a non-boater because I wouldn't make a co-angler fish out of something that was so bad on big water.
This is about personal responsibility – if you want a bigger boat, you should have a bigger boat. By the way, anyone think that maybe new boats aren't selling so well because they built the older ones so well? How many old Rangers, Skeeters and Stratos are out there? I have a '97 Triton that I paid $12,000 for with a 225 on it.
Hooray for Harold Sharp! Finally someone is speaking up to save the industry and the sport. It seems that everyone else has their own agenda that will make them rich. If something is not done soon, tournament fishing at all levels will be a rich man's sport/ We as a sport are a group of "monkey see, monkey do." We are on the verge of spending the sport into extinction. Look at what has happened to Genmar and Brunswick.
Let me get this right. With all due respect Mr. Sharp, there is an idea out there to basically run tournaments like they did in 1968. I'm sorry, but my thought on the sport of bass fishing is to advance the game to make it a NASCAR-type sponsored sport. To grow the sport by air time such as ESPN has done, and by getting non-endemic sponsers as FLW has done. When times are good, no one cares about gas prices, cost of baits or horsepower rating. Now that things have gone in the crapper we should feel bad about high-priced boats, and if you run a big motor you may be ruining this great sport.
What we need to do as anglers, BASS, FLW, PAA, is to all come together and do the right thing and support each other as anglers and corporations. This economy will come back around and I hope that common sense, hard work and unity will have saved this great sport that Ray Scott and yourself started. There are so many great minds in this sport, let's use them. Because if we don't prepare and learn from the future, we will be damned by the past.
RE: Medley Opinion – Geez, I've been fishing more than ever and enjoying both tours more than ever. Guess I'm the exeption to your opinion.
I agree with the horsepower rating – 20- and 21-foot boats that costs upwards of $40,000 are pricing people out of the sport. Young people have no chance of getting into tournament fishing. I only can do it because my dad has a boat. What happens when the Ken Cooks of the tour and other veterans retire? Not many young guys out there. Plus, smaller boats equal smaller tow vehicles and less money.
Getting back to basics would be nice. Years ago you could watch tournaments where they used smaller boats, and actually watch fishermen moving to the bow just to get the boat on plane. The thing is they used shotgun blasts to start the events. Anyway, it was simpler back then. Granted the boats were still expensive compared to the income everyone was making at the time.
In our great nation, Henry Ford made the automobile, and since then we've just been creating newer versions of it (some better, some not). Let's get going, America, and create something new, better, more fuel efficient. Somehow create more affordable boats (how can you have a boat that is 18.9 feet that costs $21,000 and one that is 19.5 feet that costs over $29,000?) and make outboards that run farther on less fuel. I'll be fishing until I die, whether it be from a boat or from land. I was fishing before tournaments started and I'll fish (if) when they die off.
RE: Medley Opinion – Nice work, Chuck. This Vol fan could have done without the jab, but it is not without cause. Thanks for sharing.
There's an old saying, "You can't go home again." Bull! I go back home to visit my family quite a bit. Sure things have changed a bit, but the soul of my fond memories still exist there – and keeps me going back.
I wish someone would run a poll about how anglers feel toward bass tournament fishing today versus say 10 years ago. I bet the majority would rather go back home also. Sort of feels like the local bass clubs are the only ones to have remained close to the heart.
I think that's a ridiculous idea. What kind of situation would that put those of us in who've supported the growth of the tournament trails and boat manufacturers, who now have 20-plus-foot boats? Don't bite the hands that feed you.
Finders keepers! I personally wouldn't have the patience to sit there all day, but to each his own.
This is great! I fish the FLW Stren Series and am also sponsored by Reaction Strike. They're a great company and great group of guys. It'll be great to see what new baits will be coming up in the near future.
On the motor horsepower issue, run what ya' got would be a genuine solution to all of this hoopla. If your boat's rated for a particular size of motor, you should be able to run that size (or smaller). The boat manufacturers rate their product. So their rating should take precedence.
Chris Jones is a class act. I wish him the best.
I wonder what's going to be Aaron Martens' excuse for not making the Top 12. Somehow, I'm sure it's someone else's fault.
NO NO NO! What does horespower have to do with who can catch more fish? Getting there first doesn't mean the best that day will win. I've seen a lot of money won just around marina sights and not far from tournament takeoff sights. What does catch more fish – the boat or the fisherman?
The only thing that can save them is to lower their prices. The prices for boats are more than vehicles, and the electronics companies will have to lower their prices too.
How many more regulations in our lives can we tolerate? I fish tournaments from a Ranger 188VS with a 150 hp motor because I like that size boat for my style of fishing. I could have purchased a larger rig, but chose not to. That's the right boat and motor for me, but the next guy shouldn't be regulated as long as he doesn't exceed the horsepower rating for his particular boat. Don't create rules without a good understanding of how it will benefit everyone.
I have mixed opinions about it. I think whatever is best for bass fishing. It seems like anything above a 200hp can cause very high speeds, which get very dangerous.
Didn't anyone read the part about struggling boat and motor sales? Yes, they should reduce HP size to help the market. Especially after reading of the Genmar bankruptcy.
I know it's not really news these days, but it really blows my mind that the Top 3 anglers in this event (Kentucky Lake Elite Series, day 2) are from such different areas of the continent. You've got a Floridian in 1st, a Michigander in 2nd and a Californian in 3rd. Wow!
That sounds like a great idea. I know that when I started in my 1989 Ranger with a 135hp Mariner I was a little intimidated. That will surely bring others out who feel that they can't compete because of boat and engine size. Super idea!
What about having a speed limit that's strictly enforced? This would level the playing field for those with smaller engines but allow people to run larger engines if they want to. Plus, at a slower speed, the guys running the larger engines will save more money on gas. A lot of guys don't fish tournaments because they "can't keep up with the competition" as far as speed goes. If the playing field is somewhat leveled, then weekend-Joe-fishermen might want to start fishing tournaments and trade in his 15-foot jonboat for a small- to mid-sized bass boat and those guys who already have mid-sized bass boats might participate in tournaments more often. This would also allow everybody to fish against each other (as opposed to separating people into classes based on HP). Not to mention the increased safety of going at a slower speed (and it would be better for the fish too). A speed limit would be hard to enforce, but it's just a thought.
Gas prices will eventually kill our sport if we don't change. I just bought a lightweight flats boat that has a Yamaha 70. The whole rig Boat/motor/trailer is under 1200 pounds I can tow it with a 4-banger Hyundia Sonata I'm getting 25 mpg towing. In the boat I can burn no more than 7 gallons per hour with speeds in the low '40s. That's good gas mileage for a boat. All we need is a level playing field that more people can afford to join. I would fish out of a canoe if everyone else did.
P.S. I could have paid cash for about any boat made but find it an amazing waste to blow through 50 gallons of gas a day.
Well, I think if I was the court, they'd have to show me how they can save money by making cuts first. Show me the reporting/tracking that will be improved upon, so they cannot fall in the hole again – you know, catch the problem and nip it in the bud. Don't wait. This is a problem that should have been noticed back when sales started slipping – probably around when Katrina hit and the gas pries soared.
I think adding classes to tournaments is a stupid idea. Why should someone with a bigger horsepower engine win more money - or less money if the purse is split that way? I've been winning money fishing tournaments for years with small outboards and I shouldn't be limited in my earnings because someone else was stupid enough to overpay for a huge outboard engine.
There's no denying these are historic economic times, as this story proves. The flip side of that, however, is that there are some great deals available for people in the market to buy a new boat. The Ultimate Boat Sales Event launched on Memorial Day Weekend, and it offers significant savings on more than 30 brands from 15 manufacturers at over 300 dealers across the country. If anyone has been thinking about buying a boat, the time to do it is definitely now.
I'm sorry folks, but this whole horsepower debate sounds like envy to me. If you get your feelings hurt and think you can't compete because you have a 17-footer with a 125 and I have a 20-footer with a 200, then you probably should stay home and lick your wounds. The old saying goes, "You can't catch bass at 70 mph." Getting there first is only part of the race. The fisherman and his skills catch fish, not the boat or the motor.
A limit on HP is not the answer. The government got us into this downturn and this is stupid to think that an HP limit would help get us out. This would just cut the boating market down lower.
This is simply a knee-jerk reaction to current economic times. A class system would degrade the sport by spreading out purse and sponsor dollars, being a disadvantage to some "classes" and an advantage to others. Besides, there's already a system in place for those that are more serious about tournaments vs. those that are more the weekend angler. That system is local club tournaments, then BFL or BASS Weekend Series, then Stren or BASS Opens, the FLW Tour/Series and the Elite Series.
I feel for all the people who build these boats that'll lose there jobs, but I don't have any thoughts that are good for Mr. Irwin Jacobs. He'll get what he has coming to him. He's nothing but a corporate raider and that's all there is to it. He'll stick all the suppliers with the bill – you just wait and see. Lets' get as far as possible away from him. This man is not good for industry. Hard to believe now, but you wait and see.
Kevin's suspension was just and fair, but if BASS continues to legislate its rules differently on a daily basis, there may be more "meltdowns" in the future.
These guys have staked their lives and careers on this sport, and for BASS to keep them guessing over the way rules will be interpreted also denegrates the sport. Look at who's been disqualified in the past 3 years, and the way off-limits, cancellations, and other rules have come into question. This isn't that difficult of a sport to legislate, but BASS has a long-standing history of changing the rules. The competitors paid their entry fees based on a set of rules, signed the forms, only to find the rules have changed.
If not for Chris Jones, I wouldn't be fishing the Forrest Wood Cup in Pittsburgh next month. After qualifying for the Stren Series Championship in 2006 and 2007, Chris strongly encouraged me to move up to the FLW Series in 2008, where I finished 7th in the BP Eastern division and 20th at the East-West Fishoff. He's been an inspiration to me and thousands of anglers across the country. He will be missed. God Bless.
I have info from a very good source that Genmar is going to discontinue the Champion line of boats. Further, the Ranger and Stratos brands will be consolidated. There'll be fewer models offered of each brand, Ranger will constitute the higher-end bass boats Genmar produces, while Stratos will be their value-option boat.
I've always felt it was sad day when Ranger Boats sold ownership to Genmar. Forrest Wood, the Ranger Family and the people of Arkansas have suffered from it. Congrats to Bass Cat for not selling out the people of Arkansas!
Why is it I almost never seem to read about the obvious when these types of articles are written? Why is it nobody seems to state that until the average person feels secure in their job (or gets a job), they won’t be purchasing big-ticket, luxury-type items like brand new boats? You can do all you want in restructuring, incentives, consolidating, TARP, etc., but if the demand remains cautious, the supply stays dry-docked.
With so many tournament folks already having a motor larger than 175hp, why in the world would you want to force them to go out and buy at least a new motor (if not a new boat, since now they will be trying to power a big hull with a smaller motor)?
If someone thinks 175 is enough, then fine, let them equip themselves with a 175. But why punish the vast majority of your existing tournament participants? Is this meant to boost motor sales or what?
This suggestion simply makes no sense to me.
RE: Horsepower class system – How is this survey not a complete joke? It's nothing more than a horsepower survey. Only those who fish tournaments would bother to respond and of those, who would be stupid enough to vote for a horsepower rating lower than what they've currently got sitting on their transom? Give me a break. This whole notion is absurd. Let the market decide. This sounds eerily similar to the class warfare crap currently coming from Washington!
Over the years, boats and motors got bigger and bigger. Prices got higher and higher. Many people kept buying. I think it's past time for a market correction. Grassroots-level tournaments were not designed to be fished with 20-plus-foot rigs with 220-plus-hp outboards. With the tougher economy and higher fuel prices, many BassFans have been priced out of competition. In fact, with so many dollars on the line just to compete, it has taken much of the fun out of competing. Competition in the tournaments I fished in was serious but friendly. Now, it's cutthroat because many guys need to cash a check to keep their head above water.
I would absolutely support a "class" type tournament system. I think the boat manufacturers need to consider the fact that the top of the line is hardly affordable anymore. A few years ago, when the price of raw materials went up, so did the price of boats. Last year, when the price of raw materials went down, the price of boats did not.
RE: Horsepower – This idea has no merit. There's not enough purse money as it is without diluting it with different classes. Tournament organizers can run low-horsepower-only tournaments if they want to, but you do not penalize anglers who bought high-power rigs to compete in all events. If there is no effort made by top tournament anglers to raise purse money from sponsors, bass fishing is going to disappear. You should be working on purse money. Nothing else is going to help our sport.
I have fished out of a Ranger 175VS with a 125 for the last 7 years. I don't think a bigger motor or boat would have allowed me to fish any differently. I've won some tournaments out of that boat and I'm the slowest guy in our club or any other tournament I enter. The logic I'm hearing would mean that KVD would never win if he didn't fish out of a 21-foot boat with a 250-hp motor? Sometimes small boats give you an advantage (Mark Menendez).
I've never fished a tournament that required you to have a $65,000 rig. I think boat classes and lower horsepower restrictions for tournaments is a bad idea. Again, the fishing rig doesn't make the fisherman. Since this whole idea about boat classes and lower horsepower ratings is based on the economy, maybe we should go back to limiting the amount of tackle you can take in a tournament. One tackle box? Maybe we should limit how much your rod and reel combos cost or the number of combos you have on board? No more $2,000 fish finders?
I agree with lowering the size of boats and horsepower. The prices of new boats is getting way out of hand. If you purchased, let's say, a 20-foot boat with a 225, put some decent options on it, then get a nice full-size truck to tow it with, you will be about $80,000 to $100,000 in the hole. I am in the chemical industry and do okay, but when you have a wife and two kids and a house, people can't go out and spend that much money on the sport they love.
I know of some great fishermen here in south Louisiana who don't fish anymore because it is not economical for them to do so.
RE: Horsepwer – No way. Keep it the way it always has been.
RE: Horsepower – I do not really agree with creating classes within a tournament. There are brands of boats that are faster with smaller motors than another brand with a large motor. The only reason I would think that anyone would want to do this is they believe there is an advantage in having a larger/smaller motor. It is not the boat, motor, etc. that catch fish – it is the fisherman.
Where I am from you run across a similar argument between jet boats and normal boats. We fish a certain stretch of river that both can fish and do on a regular basis. You have an upper and lower stretch that all boats can fish, yet a larger boat has to idle and be careful not to hit rocks, so a jet can get to the upper stretch faster than say a 20-foot bass boat with a 225 on the back, but both can reach this stretch. The lower stretch has several pits and a ton of water that the same bass boat can get to faster than the jet boats. These same people with the bass boats complain about the jet boats being able to go to the upper stretch faster and say it's unfair, but they can do the same thing to the jet boats on the lower stretch.
The way I view it is you can buy a ton of different boats with all kinds of different set-ups. Some want a boat with huge decks that can go fast, while others are fine with a small boat that can get into some hard-to-reach places that the bigger boats cannot reach. Whatever boat you get, it should fit into what you want to do and any tourney you enter there may be a guy who has a different boat that fits his style. Don't enter and think that it is unfair for one reason or another when you could have chosen a different set-up when you made your purchase. I am also sure that there are some people out there who will claim that they cannot afford a bigger set-up that have small set-ups, they might want to think about getting a used boat instead of new if they want a larger rig at a certain price point. If they are that hard-up for cash, they probably shouldn't be putting the tournament entry on the line in the first place.
RE: Horsepower classes – It's a good idea.
RE: Horsepower – The class system is a terrible idea. There isnt enough water. The 200-plus class will always get there first. It's not like the coast where there is miles to go. Then what do you do when there are three boats for one class? What about payouts? Sorry, but if I know there are five boats in my class, I am not going to waste the time fishing.
Look, there is no shame in fishing a big event in a small boat. Yes, you may be confined to smaller areas. Most people buy the big boat for safety, not prestige. I am not taking a 17-foot boat on Lake Erie or Lake Mead, not to mention Toledo Bend, etc.
Fish in what you can afford. To me it would be more embarrassing not to be able to fish against the field because of my little boat. The fish don't care about your boat size and motor, only your pride does.
RE: Horsepower – I think that making separate hp-based classes within the same tournament might work OK with saltwater events, but would cause too much confusion/issues in a bass event.
I think having the events completely separate would be a better solution. Have a tournament series for 100hp, a series for under 200hp, and another for over 200hp.
I could see the under 100hp being very popular with guys who are buying the reduced price/horsepower rigs being offered these days like the Stratos 176XT (comes with a 50hp).
RE: Horsepower – Too complicated. Waters down sponsorship by spreading it over multiple classes.
RE: Horsepower – Although dropping the horsepower to 150-175 may seem like a good idea, it's like asking the NASCAR boys to limit their horsepower or race hybrids just to make it more economical for potential car buyers. Or asking Tiger to play with a lesser set of clubs for the same reasons. When are we going to realize that this is truly a professional sport and not just a bunch of weekend anglers out fun-fishing. Of course, the weekend angler will buy an 18-foot 150-horse rig, and still be very competitive. But don't take away their ability to look up to the bigger-than-life stars of this sport and dream maybe one day that could be them.
RE: Kentucky Lake Elite preview – Tim Horton isn't even in your Top 10. Good call there.
I'm 100% for a class system. It costs to much for a boat for a beginner these days. There has to be a way for a father or a beginner who works a job and has a basic boat to fish a tournament and not feel out of place because they have an older boat or a smaller one. It is fast becoming an elitest sport with the price of equipment: boats, gas, and tackle. Even now i have a friend who fishes Weekend Series and BFLs as a co-angler, but he cannot fish as a boater because he has a 16-foot boat. I just think if we take the right steps, we can continue to grew the sport and not leave anybody out.
Many tournaments already limit horsepower. Why promote making larger boats and motors obsolete before their time? A 21-foot boat with a 300-hp motor is a great fishing platform and is safer on some of our larger bodies of water.
The Competitive Sport Fishing League in Ontario has been using a "Performance Payback" class system for a couple of years. They pay bonus cash above the regular paybacks in each tournament for top team in 0-115 hp, 116-200 hp and 201-300 hp.
If you impose lower horsepower (the 150 rule when I started fishing), you will knock out many anglers because many now own rigs with 200, 225 and 250. The leagues have enough trouble filling their tournaments to a full field. Folks who can't afford the "big rig" can still buy and participate with a smaller boat, motor and truck. Keep it the same and that way all can participate.
We can thank both political parties for the continued economic decline, causing the bankruptcies that have become commonplace recently. Enviormental regulation, taxes and our legal system continue to send more jobs overseas, resulting in less competition in the workplace, which has led to a situation where our workforce simply does not have enough income to afford new automobiles, much less a new boat.
I have absolutely no faith that our elected officials will do anything to make the changes necessary to reduce the stranglehold on corporate America that will cause an expansion of existing businesses or entice new businesses to provide more good-paying jobs at home.
Fishing as a whole is just not growing like it was when i started fishing about 15 years ago. I think a lot of people see the pros in their $50,000 boats and think that is what it takes to be competitive. I don't know about you guys, but I've never seen a boat catch a fish.
I would love to see the pros go back to 18-foot boats and 150 to 175hp motors, but with the venues the pros fish now, that is probably not feasible. The size of the lakes and the threat of severe weather dictate bigger rigs, especially somewhere such as lake Erie. I'm not sure what the fix is, if there is one. We unfortunately are living in very trying times where our passion costs more than it ever has.
The price difference between an 18-foot boat and a 20-foot boat is very substantial.There are so many variables in fishing, such as distance traveled and fuel consumption. You have to be able to run and get back in time to weigh in. I'm not sure what the answer is.
Greedy manufacturers will find other ways to gouge us on the prices of boats, no matter what horsepower limit you put on them. Sure, we would see an initial decline, but profit margins on $60,000 boats would be moved down to keep boat company X's bottom line in order.
Sorry, but I just can't see the benefit of imposing horsepower restrictions on any league, much less the top tours. Most guys who continue to fish at any level already have boats with horsepower over and above 150. The 150s have been long considered near if not at the bottom of horsepower most fishermen would choose for competition for many years now. Being the boat/boat credit market is in shambles to say the least- and most boat owners are choosing to keep what they have, how would this help anything?
As far as fuel/oil consumption is concerned, today's outboards of all horsepower ranges are as fuel-efficient as they a have ever been. It costs me less to run my 250 of today than it did to run my EFI 175 of yesteryear- fuel cost increases included. If a boater needs to cut his fuel costs to the consumption level of a 150, its simple – run 4,800 rpm. Same thing and you dont need to buy a new boat. The plan of moving horsepower limits to 150 would be rejected and seen as force-feeding the fisherman to buy new rigs while taking a beating on their current one.
I personally fish everything from the Opens to the local fruit-jar derby – I will fish where my choice of rig is allowed. I will not purchase to qualify.
Chris, you will be missed. You are a class act. I'm proud to have had the pleasure of having my fish weighed by you. You always made everyone feel welcome, not just the big-name guys. FLW lost one of the most respected guys – all of us anglers were shocked and highly disappointed. God bless you and your family.
RE: Horsepower – Spoken like a man who has a deep-seated interest in bass fishing, owns a bass boat and fishes at least six tournaments a year. Are the pros you quoted about smaller boats and lower horsepower the same ones who complained that BASS was calling too many fishing days due to "unsafe conditions?"
When was the last time you were on the water in 3- to 4-foot swells, waves, chop, 30-mph winds, a driving rain and 45-degree air temperature in a 17-foot aluminum boat with a 75-horsepower outboard?
The bass fishing media has hyped professional tournament bass fishing for 25-plus years now! A very large percentage of bass fisherman are seriousily mirroring the Elite and FLW pros in their dress, equipment, tackle, boats and tow vehicles and on and on and on.
Is the ecomomy, the media, manufacturers, the industry in general, going to resize and redirect the history of the past 20 years of bass fishing?
I am trusting you, BassFan, ESPN/BASS, FLW, Tom Hicks, Irwin Jacobs, Forrest Wood and all of the other names and powers in bass fishing to lead the sport and industry!
You can never go backwards if you are trying to maintain or even grow the sport. To reduce horsepower would immediately put an untold number of participants, as your editorial states upside-down in their tournament boats, out of the tournament series here in Texas. Because there would be no demand for our 20-footers, there would be no way to trade out of the 20-footer and get into an 18-footer to comply with the new rules. Therfore I am stuck with my 20-footer and I would not be able to compete where the maximum horsepower requires an 18-footer. Thus the industry of tournament fishing dies because of lack of participation.
Drop the horsepower limit to 150? Are you crazy? That would not help most of us. This would make my boat obsolete over night. If I wanted to continue to fish BASS or FLW I would have to buy a new boat and be stuck with a bigger boat that I would have a terrible time selling due to the new rule. This would not help us, it would screw us. Not to mention the smaller boats being unsafe in rough water. You better rethink this position.
I own 250-powered Ranger, but if the tournament organizers would allow trailering during their events, the anglers wouldn't need the big rigs to fish even the largest lakes under the worst of conditions. Think of the gas that could be saved since trucks get much better mileage than outboards. The smaller tournaments that always want to copy the pros would follow in no time, much like they did when catch-and-release was introduced.
It certainly was a shock hearing about Genmar. Certainly, the fishing (bass) industry must change to make bass boating and the tournament sport more affordable to keep thousands of dedicated followers. I am not sure about reduced horsepower ratings; however, will four-stroke technology be part of the answer? How can tournament bass boats be made less costly...this includes more expensive electronics, etc. I own a great 2007 Champion M200 with a 225hp Yamaha and love to fish out of it. I can change if the sport and industry can.
RE: Horsepower – So your plan is to hose all of us who didn't buy more than we could afford and pinched pennies to get where we are so that we could afford to buy the 21-foot, 250-horsepower rig and have the money to pay the fees, so those who didn't do that can still fish without a disadvantage?
What are you thinking? There you go, punishing those who worked hard and kept their noses clean. Makes zero Sense. You can still fish the pro tour with a 150hp. Rick Clunn fished the BASS Open right next to me with one. Guys don't do it because they have a 21/250. So instead of forcing us to take the hit, why don't those who can't afford a bigger boat, fish out of the one they can afford?
RE: Horsepower – If someone wants to run a 175 or 150 there is no rule against it, but dont punish the people who have just went out in the recent years and purchased 20-foot rigs with 250s . What are they supposed to do now, go buy smaller boats that are not that much cheaper?
RE: Horsepower – I really liked your opinion here. I have been wanting the tournaments to scale down the boats for years now. I have a hard time paying $40,0000 to $60,000 for a boat.
RE: Horsepower – Sorry, but I have to be direct in that this is the dumbest idea ever! The water covered in today's tournaments dwarfs what happened 15 years ago and the only way for it to happen is with a bigger boat. It's not just about speed or a bigger fuel tank. It's about being able to navigate the types of water safely and without fear of incident.
Watch any of the tournament coverage when they show boats running across the lake and even now you see the rig getting bounced all over the place. The injuries that would come by reducing boat and motor size would become a major issue. Ask Denny Brauer.
I asked you guys months ago to question the boat and motor manufacturers what they were going to do to adjust to the economy. Now we have a company filing for bankruptcy.
Just like any business, you have to adjust to the market, and to rely on a professional tour to market boats that are unaffordable to the general public is a losing concept. And the general public isn't looking to buy a $60,000 rig. So, providing and promoting a product to the general public has to happen and it's not by putting pros in smaller boats. If 18-foot boats will sell, they need to be priced at a point that people can afford them. The whole problem with this market is an 18-foot boat costs $35,000. Yeah, that makes sense!
No one expects to buy and use Tiger Woods' gear and no one is claiming to sell his clubs. But they sure will buy something in his line that they can afford.
When will the industry admit that it's business model sucks and do something that makes senes?
RE: Horsepower – I have to respect this opinion, but having been someone who once owned an 18-foot boat and now owns a 21-footer I can't imagine going backwards due to the fact I fish big water like Oneida Lake Lake Ontario and Lake Erie as well as Champlain. The ride of a 21-footer is simply better.
I think we will come through this with good old-fashioned American know-how. I work in the tackle business and I run a tournament series and we are seeing huge sales as well as increases in participation in our trails. We'll be okay and so will Genmar, in the long run.
I don't buy the smaller horsepower being the answer to the problem. If bass boat companies weren't being asked by their customers to make bigger engines, they would not have made them. Same is true for autos. If they are told to make only a small number of horsepower, then the price is not going to be cheaper, it's going to be more. It's called economies of scale.
And let's not force these bass boat and engine companies to make a product Americans aren't asking for. That's not why Genmar is in bad shape. It's because they are run by an egomaniac who made bad business decisions out of spite, instead of based on good business sense. Jacobs had the chance to diversify years ago into media and other opportunities and chose to stay against the fence with FLW. He could have killed off all of his competition, but instead he ticked a lot of would be customers off and other boat companies came in with a better plan, and better product. What does he care, anyway – he owns Big Lots!
RE: Genmar bankruptcy – Unforeseen! How? Gas-hog outboards, high-dollar boats that many really cannot afford without scrounging from payday to payday, or pay via a business writeoff or something, and Genmar, nor any other manufacturer cares about the pricing. No doubt there's a huge profit margin to be had on these rigs, just like trucks/cars, but let's keep buying them to put more money in Irwin's pockets!
Genmar, like GM and other companies, need to sit down and look at who's more important, them or the consumer. When you are paying $23,000 for an 18-foot fishing boat that costs more than your car/truck, something's wrong.
“Credit markets, which remain relatively frozen in the marine industry, appear largely to blame.”
Hmmm, with all that taxpayer TARP money out there, Irwin doesn’t get a slice? My bet is he must have donated to the McCain campaign last year.
RE: Kevin Langill – If the correct decision would have been made on Friday, then there would not have been a Saturday to discuss. Nice going, Trip.
It's a real shame that it had to go down the way it did, for whatever reason. Bass fishing is supposed to be a relaxing and enjoyable sport and the pressure to succeed is high. The prize money and sponsorship value have overshadowed a pastime that should be about stories and good times. Now it's about sponsors and logo brands and $50,000 rigs with the biggest motor. It has been blown way out of proportion. I'm sure Kevin had a good reason for his actions (in his mind) and Boyd Duckett is a former Classic champ. It is what it is, as they say.
I had the oppourtunity to spend time with Chris at the FOCAS meeting and he has a tremendous testimony, I have always supported FLW but I really have to question some of their moves lately. Moving their tours back to fishing on Sunday robs a lot of family time and church attendance. They are moving further away from family and moral values. I feel this move will hurt them a lot. Chris will be greatly missed.
RE: Kevin Langill – I was on the dock that morning and I was very disappointed in what I witnessed. I was expecting a lifetime expulsion from BASS and that was before the on-water antics.
About Kevin Langill, I'm surprised BASS didn't ban him for life, his act was bad as cheating. I heard Boyd's audio blog and didn't realize how bad day 3 got, starting with the launch.
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
A look at the ages of the anglers who comprise the current Top 10 on the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers Division
By Dustin Wilks Special to BassFan
(Editor's note: "Catching Bass with Dustin Wilks" airs four times per week on the Sportsman Channel – 6
By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff
PALATKA, Fla. — Cory Johnston fished a full tournament. But with all due respect to nine other competitors, he could’ve
