Gluszek Works Through Decisions, New Business Venture

Normally, a pro's off-season includes a lot of phone calls to sponsors and a healthy dose of the tree-stand. But FLW Tour pro Pete Glusek has a lot more on his plate than that.

For one, he faces a major decision, since he's one of a handful of pros who's currently qualified to fish both the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series next year.

At the same time, he's knee-deep in a new business venture with Mike Iaconelli titled The Bass University. It's an effort to resurrect and perfect the seminar-style teaching of the fabled BASS University – which BASS discontinued several years ago.

The Bass University is ready and rolling, with schedules out and signups underway.

"It's definitely taking up a lot of my time, but it's time well spent," Gluszek said about the University venture. "Basically, the way I perceive the fishing business right now – with the economy the way it is – the sponsor end of the game has taken a tremendous hit. It's always been one of the problems, as a professional and competitor, to acquire and maintain sponsors at the levels you need them with entry fees rising so fast.

"It's always been tough and out of the control of the angler," he added. "Over the last several years, I've really been working toward gaining a control over things I could control. That's why I'm doing this seminar business and partnering with Mike (Iaconelli) – it's a step in that direction. I'm really trying to stabilize my income and not keep all my eggs in one basket, and we've had a lot of positive response. It's all going in the right direction."

But for Gluszek, it's about more than just income.

Cool School

The BASS University, run for years by BASS, was a tremendously popular program that put anglers in the Classroom with pros for intensive, multi-day study.

The Bass University from Gluszek and Ike, although not affiliated with BASS, follows a similar model with four 2-day stops slated over the coming months in Philadelphia, Sacramento, Nashville and Dallas. Cost is $225 for adults, $200 for students, TBF and Federation Nation members, and $175 for youths 16 and under. (A schedule can be found at the end of this story.)

Pros already confirmed as instructors include Gluszek and Ike, plus Gerald Swindle, Dave Wolak, Michael Bennett, Brent Ehrler, Randy Howell and Fred Roumbanis. That's "roughly half" of the final list of instructors, Gluszek said.

From Gluszek's perspective, he already feels enriched by the experience of starting a school. Not only is he teaching current and future participants of the sport, but he's expanding his knowledge base and sense of personal satisfaction.

"From a personal perspective, I can tell you that it's a benefit being an instructor," he said. "It makes you a better competitor. I think you'll find this with anybody who teaches. When they're in a position to teach what they know, it forces them to break down and look at why they do what they do. I think for me, and all the instructors, we develop a better understanding of why we make tournament decisions – why we use certain strategies under certain conditions.

"When a student answers us, it challenges you to dive into our mental process. It makes you a better competitor. I know it does me. There's certainly the financial motive – it levels out your need for sponsors – but the other component is it builds a sport we all love. And there's the tremendous personal reward that comes from taking a guy who fishes five weekends a year, and he tells you he can't believe how much you were able to teach him in 2 days. It's very personal and rewarding."

Which Tour?

As noted, Gluszek spent the past several weeks with different caps on, and when he puts on the tour-pro cap, he's in a quandary about where he should fish next year. He's got significant experience on both sides, as he fished the Bassmaster Tour for this first part of this decade, then switched to the FLW Tour.

He runs a Ranger, so the contingencies on the FLW side favor him. But he's also a promoter who could use the better exposure in BASS to market himself and his brands. At this point, fishing both isn't a financial.

"I'm looking at both tours aggressively," he said. "My sponsor base remains modest enough to where I can attack either tour."

Here's a short look at some of his considerations.