BASS recently announced several changes to its 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series format – notably the cancellation of the Majors, an extra $400,000 added to the Angler of the Year (AOY) race, and that anglers will be able to fish from their own wrapped boats during all competition days, including the Bassmaster Classic.
To read a summary of the changes, and to view the 2008 schedule, click here.
Below are quotes from several of Elite Series pros about those changes.
Peter Thliveros
(Peter Thliveros won the first-ever Bassmaster Major – the 2006 Memorial – which netted him $250,000.)
"Obviously I'm a little disappointed the Majors have gone away. But I really feel, after listening to (BASS VP and GM) Tom Ricks on the conference call, that the Majors have proved themselves to not be the fan's choice. But I have to say that, if they'd gone back to the very first year of the Majors (2004), it was the most fan-friendly event there was.
"We had more excitement in the first 2 years of Elite 50s than we do now. I think the change in format – when they went from late-evening weigh-ins back to a standard 4:00 weigh-in – eliminated anybody who worked from being there. It was a major blunder to change that time and format just for the sake of television. I'd hoped we'd go back and revisit that original formula and possibly save the Majors.
"But I can't blame them (BASS), because obviously it wasn't working the way it was. One of the positive things I can say is that BASS is going to look at things, make changes and adjustments, and try to make things better. And I'd say I'm relieved that the entry fees haven't gone up. They stayed the same, and the payout remained the same. That was a major concern.
"And the whole boat concept – it's about time. We've said for years that the Classic should be just like a NASCAR race, with everyone in their own cars. In order for the sport to grow, it needs to be that way. Everything about (the boat policy) is a positive for the anglers, sponsors, and fans. I see it as a major step forward for tournament angling."
Dave Wolak
(Dave Wolak also won a Major – the 2006 American.)
"I liked the Majors, and obviously I had some success there. I looked forward to having the new challenge with stand-alone events, and how you were rewarded for performance in going there. But (BASS) is rewarding us for performance in other ways with the increase in AOY money, so that's a good thing. They have to do what they have to do, and now the focus is more on regular-season events.
"Being able to use our own boats throughout all the tournaments, including the Bassmaster Classic, I think is a step in the right direction. It gives us the ability to go and pursue sponsorships with numbers that are a little more formidable.
"Am I going to miss the Majors? Obviously yes. I've had some success there. We'll just have to go along without them."
Alton Jones says that the loss of the Majors makes solid sponsor support even more critical.
Alton Jones
(Alton Jones is a 17-year pro with over $1 million in career BASS winnings.)
"I wouldn't say it was a surprise (that the Majors were cancelled). I think we were all expecting the Majors to go away, because the rumors were out there in force. For me, the most disappointing thing is that now, on the Elite Series, we don't have a single big-money event out there.
"If you win a tournament now, you break even. With the Majors, if you won one, you had a chance to have a solid year financially. The loss of the Majors makes it more difficult to do that, and all the more important for anglers to have solid sponsor relations. The only way the Elite Series flies financially now is to have strong sponsor backing.
"I will say that getting our boats back gives us a better chance to try to sell boat-wrap packages and that sort of thing. You have to have something to sell, and at least we do have that.
"As a BASS pro, I want to see the sport move forward, and if turning this thing around to be profitable for ESPN helps them to eventually be able to put more money into growing our sport, then I'm willing to ride it out."
Frank Scalish
(Frank Scalish was the 2002 BassFan Rookie of the Year. He's never fished an Elite 50 or Major.)
"They're looking at making some pretty good changes toward the Elite Series. They're going to really start putting some focus on the AOY race, not only in media coverage, but in the form of payout, that'll add great validity to it. After all, AOY is the most important title out there, and the money's going to reflect that.
"I don't think canceling the Majors is any big deal. The fans never cared about them, and the only anglers who cared about them were a select few. The Majors weren't a carrot in my point of view. They just took away from, and detracted from, the Elite Series.
"My personal viewpoint is, if you want to make a special event, make it a special event. Don't incorporate it into part of the season. I think you'd generate more publicity from a true specialty event.
"Tom Ricks is a smart guy. It's his job to not have this tour fail. He didn't change the number of events, and the payout for the events remains the same, entry fees remain the same. It's still tough financially, but hopefully the AOY race will take some of the edge off that. And the exposure we can generate (with our own boats) will be more beneficial."
Kelly Jordon
(Kelly Jordon's an 11-year pro with close to $1 million in career BASS winnings.)
"I'm disappointed to see the Majors go away, because they were a lot of fun. Maybe they weren't relating to the fans, and BASS is in the business of making stuff work, so they had to cut some stuff out. That's their baby.
"As far as the schedule, I think it's a great schedule, and I'm very excited about the use of our own boats. And BASS has pledged their support and help for generating sponsors to help (us) offset the loss of winnings from the Majors. I think that's an amazing opportunity for each angler to get the kind of sponsorship dollars they need.
"BASS also increased the AOY money, which is a great deal too.
"With our own boats, I think it'll be a lot easier to sell to a non-endemic sponsor and that's huge. We're all crossing our fingers, and this could be a breakout deal. This is what we've wanted from the get-go, and the organization has listened to us and heard it. I think it's a fantastic step forward in the sport of fishing.
"We lost a little in the Majors, but gained a ton in the offset."
