By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
When B.A.S.S. circulated the requalification criteria for Elite Series anglers last fall, it took Pete Ponds a little time to digest and understand it all. He wasn’t alone. More importantly, he wasn’t sure where he stood in the invitation pecking order.
Anglers were grouped into different categories based on their 2014 points finish (top 70 were automatically invited back) as well as their career average placement in the Angler of the Year standings. B.A.S.S. adopted such criteria in order to cull under-performing anglers and make room for new qualifiers from the Opens.
Initially, Ponds, who finished a dismal 95th in points last year, figured he was going to be too far down the lists to get an invitation back for 2015. At the same time, he started thinking about his options for the coming season.
He knew expenses fishing the Elite Series, if he did get invited back, would be incredibly steep with tournaments at Lake Havasu in Arizona and the Sacramento River in California. The changes that FLW announced regarding anglers’ ability to display sponsors in a broader range of categories got his attention and got him to thinking that it might make more sense from a financial standpoint to consider switching circuits. It was a lot to consider as he’d he competed on the Elite Series since its formation in 2006.
“FLW has stepped up to the plate in allowing us to use our own jersey and boats, not to mention not having to drive to California and New York,” Ponds said. “Instantly, it saved me $20,000.”
As it turned out, he did receive an Elite Series invite, but for the first time he opted to decline it, ending his turn as an Elite Series pro. Instead, he’ll be a newcomer to the FLW Tour.
He said informing Elite Series tournament director Trip Weldon of his decision was hard to do.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep at night because I was worrying about getting an (invite) or not. There were a lot of of guys in that position. Telling Trip I’m going to decline was hard. Even later I went searching for my name on their roster and it was heartbreaking to not see it there. It’s bittersweet.”
More Support Than Ever
Last fall for Ponds was an emotional roller coaster. Not only was he uncertain which circuit he’d be fishing in 2015, he feared some changes in his sponsor portfolio could set him back further.
It was late September when news broke that Bandit Lures, one of Ponds’ major sponsors for several years, had been purchased by Pradco, which also owns Bomber, Booyah, YUM, Smithwick, Rebel and several other lure brands. Ponds’ concern about his future association with Bandit grew as he was unsure what Pradco was planning as far as a Bandit pro staff and how they would view his association with other tackle companies that could be deemed as competitors.
“It was a whirlwind of a fall for me,” Ponds said. “Usually, the fall is more about down time for me.”
After the dust settled on the Bandit sale, he was told he’d be kept on as a product endorser.
“When they told me they wanted me to rep Bandit, it was a big sigh of relief,” he said. “It’s been a good thing. They’ve gone more than overboard with everything they’ve done. It’s going to be a positive move for me at the end of the day.”
At the same time, he was able to strike a title sponsorship deal with TDJ Oilfield Services. When Ponds was asked to provide a schedule for his 2015 availability, he gave them the FLW Tour schedule as his Elite Series status was still not known.
“They accepted my proposal and that’s what started really pushing me toward FLW,” he said. “I have twice the sponsorship at this time than I did last year and everyone’s been great with me fishing FLW.
“I’m one that thinks FLW is excelling and stepping up to the plate and it looks like it’ll be a new home for me. I’ve gone from laying in bed depressed to 'this is incredible.'''
At the same time, he’s reflective about the time spent competing on the Elite Series and the exposure he received on that circuit.
“I understand that if it weren’t for B.A.S.S., I wouldn’t have been able to get those sponsors that I’ve gotten,” he said. “I’m indebted to them for the platform they gave us and I’m very appreciative of that.”
’Hitting Refresh’
With his decision made as to his 2015 tournament circuit and sponsorship concerns behind him, Ponds can now narrow his focus to catching fish.
“It’s like being able to hit the refresh button,” he said. “I’d done the Elites for so long that maybe it was probably time to make a change. It’s just a new beginning and I’m very excited about it. It’ll be neat to meet the FLW guys and get to know them and I feel it’s a huge opportunity for me personally.”
There will be a few things Ponds will have to reacquaint himself with now that he’s fishing the FLW Tour. First and foremost will be having a co-angler in the boat. B.A.S.S. did away with co-anglers in Elite Series derbies in 2009.
“That’s gonna be strange for me,” he said.
While his Elite Series buddies will open their season in eastern Texas, the FLW Tour kicks off at Lake Toho in central Florida. Catching bass in the Sunshine State has never been one of Ponds’ strong suits, but he says if he had to pick any lake in Florida to try, Toho would be it.
He’s enthused by how the rest of the schedule lays out, especially the traditionally low-weight venues like Lewis Smith Lake and Beaver Lake.
“I seem to be better at those tougher tournaments and some of those will be tough,” he said. “I’ve only been to Smith once, but I’m excited to go look at that one. I love (Lake) Chickamauga because I’m a crankbait guy. I really like the whole schedule.”
