Without Team Deal, Bennett Opts To Skip Tour

A little less than 2 1/2 years ago, Michael Bennett was on top of the bass-fishing world, having won the Forrest Wood Cup and its then-$1million top prize as a 23-year-old. It was inconceivable back then that he would be absent from tour-level competition at the start of 2011.

That's the reality, though. With no assurance from FLW Outdoors

that a sponsor-team deal was forthcoming, he let the final Tour entry deadline pass last week. The California-native-turned-Floridian plans to fish the Bassmaster Southern Opens next year – but even that might depend on where he ends up on the waiting list after submitting a late application while waiting to hear from FLW.

He fished the FLW Tour under Procter & Gamble team deals for 3 years (2007-09) – the first 2 wearing a Duracell jersey and the last for Febreze. He funded the past season himself and decided that to continue along that road was unfeasible.

"To make a long story short, ever since I won the (Cup), I feel like I've done what was required to fit the mold of what FLW was looking for," said Bennett, who endured the worst of his 6 pro seasons in 2010. "Obviously, 2010 was a horrible year (economically) for the entire industry and a lot of people got cut.

"But looking forward (FLW) got some decent things going for 2011, but for whatever reason – I don't know if it was animosity toward me or what – they never offered me another team deal. It is what it is, but it doesn't make sense to me."

Mind Wasn't Right

After five straight Cup appearances, Bennett sat out this year's event at Georgia's Lake Lanier after finishing 78th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race. It was his worst-ever showing by 27 placements as he failed to crack the Top 40 in any of the five regular-season events.

He said the added pressure of paying his own expenses had a negative effect on his finishes.

"When you're fishing out of your own pocket, there's a lot more stress," said Bennett, who also won the regular-season tournament at Murray during his sparkling '08 campaign. "You have to perform better just to break even. Mentally I wasn't where I should be and I was fishing just to make a check rather than going for a Top 10 or trying to win the event.

"Some guys do great with that. For me, it makes me think too much, and that's not a good thing. I did it my first 2 years as a pro, but the (entry) fees weren't quite what they are now and I didn't have a house or a house payment. I had a supportive father who helped me finance it and that first year I made about $60,000, and that allowed me to keep going. I was very fortunate and happy that it worked out the way it did."

The 3 years with the P&G team deals ensued, with the last one running out after '09. Now that FLW's situation has been stabilized by the return of Walmart to the sponsorship ranks and the addition of various manufacturers that the retail giant brought along with it, he wonders why he's been left behind.

"I don't have any ill will toward any of the anglers who got team deals (recently) – they all deserve it. Some of them deserved them more than I do, but I thought I was at least in the same category with some guys who got them.

"I've been with FLW for 6 years and I've attempted to build my career with them. It seems like it's been a pretty successful career so far, but it doesn't feel like it's being reciprocated. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like it's going anywhere."

Needed a Commitment

FLW's perspective on Bennett's situation is that the organization needed a commitment from the angler to fish the Tour before it could entertain offering him one of the new team packages.

"Regarding Michael, he did not enter the 2011 Walmart FLW Tour and therefore was not able to be considered for a potential team deal," said communications head Jeff McCoy. "We wish him the best with his future plans and hope to see him back fishing with FLW Outdoors in the near future."

Bennett counters that by saying that he was told the same thing last year and no deal ever materialized, and he was unwilling to risk the same thing happening again.

His immediate future doesn't include a tremendous amount of competitive fishing, although he is considering the four-event PAA Tournament Series in addition to the three Southern Opens.

He finished 15th in the Southern points this year, which was a few spots below where he needed to be to gain an invitation to the Bassmaster Elite Series (No. 12 Jonathon VanDam got in, but BASS doesn't call down below that slot to fill the Elite field). He was in position to end up considerably higher, but logged a 62nd in the final event at Seminole.

If he'd qualified for the Elites, he thinks it might've opened up new sponsorship opportunities because that circuit's guidelines are much less restrictive than FLW's.

"I'd have had to weigh those options heavily," he said. "I'd have liked to have had that opportunity, but it didn't quite work out."

For now, he's helping his fianceé run a small business they purchased in Panama City and views the decision to sit out the '11 Tour season as yet another business decision – one that was made to protect what he already has.

"I fished with FLW for 6 years and I was happy with where I was at, for the most part," he said. "I'm not sure where I'm going to end up in the future, and I'm disappointed with that.

"It's been a couple of years since I won (the $1 million). A lot of it went to taxes, but I've tried to set myself up long-term and I don't want to risk everything to keep fishing. I had to make the best decision to benefit myself over the long run, and paying out of my own pocket to fish didn't seem like the right thing to do."

Notable

> A 41st at Norman was Bennett's best Tour finish this year. He started the season at No. 30 in the BassFan World Rankings, but has now plummeted to 138th.