Survey: What Do The Pros Really Think?

Earlier this summer, the editors of BassFan did something they’ve never done before. They conducted a survey of FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series pros about the state of the sport of bass fishing at the professional level.

The survey consisted of 25 questions, some multiple choice and some open-ended, and was circulated via email to all anglers competing in each series in 2015. Nothing was off limits. The only requirement was honesty.

Questions touched on everything from what percentage of competitors are suspected of obtaining information after the off-limits dates and who’s the most overrated angler to whether or not Kevin VanDam will win another Bassmaster Classic or Angler of the Year title and who has the best fashion sense on and off the water.

The responses – we received nearly 100 – were enlightening and thoughtful and painted a picture of a sport at a crossroads.

We promised anonymity to the pros in exchange for their open and candid answers. Participants weren’t required to answer every question so the response total for each question may vary.

One of the open-ended questions posed to the pros was “What is the sport’s most glaring need?”

That query elicited a wide range of responses that touched on everything from stricter rule enforcement to needing a system that better defines what a pro angler is.

“Unity,” one response read. “Also, the need for true professionals. There are way too many people out there who think they are pros and will do anything for a bag of worms. Much of the time these anglers have no idea what it takes to make it as a full-time professional. This takes away possible support from potential sponsors in the industry.”

More responses to the "glaring need" question will appear in Part 2 of this series on Friday.

What it all means, we have our theories, but we'd like to hear yours as well. Drop us a Feedback note with your thoughts.

The results of the survey have been broken down into a three-part series, with part 1 appearing today, part 2 due to publish Friday and part 3 scheduled for Monday.

1. How many of your competitors do you suspect obtain illicit information after the off-limits date?

Results
> 0 to 25 percent: 57 votes (61.29 percent)
> 25 to 50 percent: 25 votes (26.88 percent)
> More than half: 8 votes (8.6 percent)
> None: 3 votes (3.32 percent)

Analysis: More than a quarter of those who responded believe that up to half of their competitors are breaking the rules by obtaining information about a tournament venue after the off-limits date. Another 8 percent suspect it’s more than half the field.

That’s a problem for a sport that operates, by and large, on the honor system when it comes to obtaining information about a fishery and where bass are potentially waiting to be caught.

While it’s impossible for the organizations to police everyone all of the time, it’s apparent that many pros feel the off-limits dates aren’t being adhered to and are virtually worthless if alleged violations aren’t dealt with. Each organization uses random polygraph tests as a means to discourage this sort of behavior, but it’s evident most pros feel some of their peers are getting away with something.

2. How often do you (legally) solicit waypoints or local information before a venue goes off limits?

Results
> Always: 2 votes (2.15 percent)
> Sometimes: 29 votes (31.18 percent)
> Rarely: 45 votes (48.39 percent)
> Never: 17 votes (18.28 percent)

Analysis: More than 80 percent of respondents said they have legally solicited waypoints or information from local anglers prior to the off-limits date. Nearly half say it’s a rare occurrence and 18 percent said they’ve never sought the help of local anglers prior to a tournament.

It’s an interesting contrast to the results of question 1, as it leads one to believe that there are distinctly different groups working here – one that adheres to the rules or don’t seek information at all and another that disregards the rules (and gets away with it).

3. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the most favorable rating), how well do you believe the two major tournament organizations objectively enforce their respective rules?

Results
> 5: 6 votes (6.45 percent)
> 4: 25 votes (26.88 percent)
> 3: 38 votes (40.86 percent)
> 2: 19 votes (20.43 percent)
> 1: 5 votes (5.38 percent)

Analysis: In what be can considered a pretty even split, 40 percent of respondents believe FLW and B.A.S.S. do an average job at enforcing their respective rules. Another 32 percent think they do an above-average to great job while roughly 26 percent see plenty of room for improvement in this area as they gave the organizations either a 1 or 2 rating on a scale of 1 to 5.

It’s no doubt quite a chore to enforce rules on more than 100 competitors, all of whom are trying to gain some sort of advantage over their competitors, whether it’s by tuning a boat to maximize top-end speed or by walking the shoreline and looking for spawning fish. It’s far from a perfect system because the playing fields for these tournaments are so vast and we’re not quite to the point where every boat is equipped with a camera capable of streaming an entire day’s action on the water.

It’s a unique situation because these same competitors are also charged with being pseudo referees in that they’re required to report anything that could be interpreted as a rule violation, even if they’re the one committing the potential infraction.

4. Have you ever had doubts about the accuracy of the scales used by either organization?

Analysis: There have been whispers in the past about the trustworthiness of each series’ weigh-in scales. Exactly two-thirds of those who replied said they’re confident in the accuracy of the scales, while the other 33 percent admitted to having doubts.

Again, this speaks to the level of trust the anglers have in each circuit’s ability to operate tournaments with 100 percent transparency.

Results
> Tour Event: 0 votes
> Bassmaster Classic or Forrest Wood Cup: 63 votes (67.74 percent)
> Angler of the Year title: 30 votes (32.26 percent)

Analysis: The pros are pretty clear in their view of accomplishments in the sport – an Angler of the Year title plays second fiddle to a victory at the Bassmaster Classic or Forrest Wood Cup, likely because of the financial windfall and supposed security that comes with winning either of the latter. Not one angler said he’d rather win a tour-level tournament over the Cup/Classic or AOY.

6. Ever broken a rod or piece of gear in a fit of rage/frustration during a tournament?

Analysis: So some of the pros have anger issues. No surprise here. We’ve seen anglers – Aaron Martens, Hank Cherry and Scott Canterbury to name a few – crumble to their knees, either in the Classic or the Cup, after losing what they believed would’ve been the winning fish on the final day. Some handle those situations better than others.

7. Do you favor the use of or having access to a live leaderboard (if available) during a tournament?

Results
> Yes: 30 votes (32.61 percent)
> No: 45 votes (48.91 percent)
> Only on final day: 17 votes (18.48 percent)

Analysis: Pros who responded were pretty much split on having access to a live leaderboard during a tournament. Fans of Major League Fishing have seen how the live leaderboard can alter an angler’s strategy over the course of a day, but nearly half (48 percent) of the Elite Series and FLW Tour pros who responded don’t like the idea. Wonder why? The rest favored either constant access to updated standings or just on the final day of competition.

Analysis: The vast majority of respondents (80 percent) say they favor the formation of a professional angler’s union; the rest voted against it. Initially, some believed that would be the thrust of the Professional Anglers Association (PAA), but when the organization ceased operations earlier this year the notion that pro anglers would have some sort of unified voice quickly faded away. Both B.A.S.S. and FLW have their own ways of surveying competitors at the top levels of competition to gauge what changes (rules, etc.) should be looked at, but right now there’s little in the way of a unified front at the pro level.

9. Would you rather there be one sanctioning organization that oversees all pro-level tournaments or multiple organizations?

Results
> One organization: 50 votes (54.95 percent)
> Multiple organizations: 41 votes (45.05 percent)

Analysis: For years, as pro anglers have been pushed and pulled between B.A.S.S. and FLW, some have wondered what the sport would look like with one professional governing body with one set of rules, and with all the sponsor money in one pot. Obviously, prior to FLW’s launch in the mid-1990s, that’s how it was, and allegiances have shifted over that time for various reasons.

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BassFan Angler Survey – Part 1

Results
> $90,000 or more: 11 (12 percent)
> $70,000 to $90,000: 19 (21 percent)
> $50,000 to $70,000: 26 (29 percent)
> $30,000 to $50,000: 29 (32 percent)
> Less than $30,000: 1 (1 percent)

Analysis: It’s no secret that it’s no bargain to be a professional bass angler. Between entry fees, equipment costs and travel expenses, expenditures can add up quick, even with sponsor support.

One the sport’s fundamental challenges right now is how to keep costs under control so becoming a professional angler is an option to more than just affluent individuals.

11. After expenses, did you clear a profit from tournament winnings, sponsorships, speaking engagements, product royalties, etc. in 2014?

Results
> Yes: 58 votes (63.74 percent)
> No: 19 votes (20.88 percent)
> Broke even: 14 (15.38 percent)

Analysis:More than one-third of pros who responded either took a loss or broke even last year, an alarming number that speaks to the anglers’ desire to bring more corporate support from outside the industry into the sport. As tackle companies become more selective with how their distribute their marketing budgets, the days of pro staffers earning enough money by simply endorsing products appear to be over.

Results
> 6: 10 votes (10.75 percent)
> 8: 25 votes (26.88 percent)
> 10: 27 votes (29.03 percent)
> 12: 6 votes (17.20 percent)
> Current format: 15 votes (16.13 percent)

Analysis:While a quarter of those who responded like the current schedule format or prefer a six-tournament slate, a small majority of anglers prefer an eight- or 10-tournament schedule. Those who fish the FLW Tour have grumbled that since FLW shuttered its Open series, having just six high-dollar tournaments to fish leaves very little to no room to overcome any duds during the season. Those who wished for a bigger schedule will probably like the 2016 Elite Series slate, which will be 10 events, including the AOY Championship.