(Editor's note: This was to be part 1 of a 2-part article on two-tour pros' reactions to next year's overlapping league championships, but the second part was scrapped given the fact that it looks like the championships no longer will overlap.)
With both tours fielding upward of 150 pros per event, you'd think that there would be significant overlap between the fields. But really, relatively few pros fish both tours.
Various reasons exist for that -- schedules, entry fees, ability to focus on events -- but the biggest reason is the sponsorship game. BASS basically has the Skeeter, Triton and Nitro tour, and FLW has the Ranger, Stratos, Champion tour. There are some exceptions, but they seem to be getting fewer each year.
Still, two-tour pros are some of the highest-ranked and best-known pros in the business. How are they reacting to the fact that the 2004 tour championships will overlap? Do they have to go the "sponsorially correct" route?
For most it seems like business as usual. They might have opinions about what FLW Outdoors did or about overlapping championships in general, but it seems that they're hedging their bets. They'd all like the opportunity to fish both championships, but they want to be able to at least fish one.
Nixon Likes Competition Between Tours
"I will fish both tours," said Larry Nixon (Stratos/Evinrude). "I'll just fish them all and see what happens.
"I don't think either one is bad. I think both are good for pro bass fishing, and whatever (the tours) have to do, they have to do. But it's not something I'm worried about. I'm a fisherman.
"We're all here to take pro bass fishing all the way forward. If that takes two tours working against one another to do that, that's what happens. That's just life. I've watched pro bass fishing since 1977, and with one tour it's been stagnant. With two tours it's been good."
Wurm: I Fish For a Living
"At this time I'll go ahead and fish both tours," said Mike Wurm (Ranger/Yamaha). "I like both tours, I like things about both tours, and that's what I do for a living: fish tournaments. So I will fish both. But I'll wait and see (about the championships) as the time gets closer."
Jordon: Too Bad
Kelly Jordon (Skeeter/Yamaha) was one of only two anglers to qualify for both tour championships this year via the tours, and plans to fish both tours again next year.
"I liked it this year when you had the chance to make both championships, and if turns out (you can't) next year, that's too bad," he said. "Those are two big shows that everybody would like to be a part of, and having the opportunity to make both is an awesome prospect. But if you can't, that's just the way it goes."
Walker: No Patch, No Points, No BASS?
David Walker (Ranger/Evinrude) couldn't wear the Busch patch this year on the Bassmaster Tour so he didn't accumulate any points. That "only" meant he couldn't qualify for the Bassmaster Classic or requalify for that tour -- until the Elite 50 series was announced.
So as far as next year goes, Walker is uncertain whether he'll fish both tours. "The reason is that I'm still not sure where I sit with the points deal," he said. "I wasn't sure how I would get into those E50s. With a zero, it would take me 3 years of fishing (the Bassmaster Tour) to get that zero purged out (tour qualification for the E50s is based on 3 years of cumulative points). I'm waiting on them to tell me what they have in mind (for his points).
"I probably would have fished both, but I wasn't looking forward to it," he added. "That's too much. I like fishing a lot of tournaments. I'd like to fish one or two a month all year. But to fish 11 in a row, I don't know. I'll be curious to see how many actually try that.
"Going into a BASS event with 3 days of practice, and then to an FLW event with only 2-3 days practice and you're fishing against guys who have been there all week, you're not keeping yourself on a level playing field. So I was definitely leaning to just fishing the FLWs anyway. That's where the bulk of my sponsors are, and that's where I started. I moved over to fish BASS to get into the Classics, and I had my shots at it so I can't complain."
Reese Not Happy, But Will Fish Both
This year was the first time Skeet Reese (Champion/Mercury) fished the FLW Tour in addition to the Bassmaster Tour. He said: "At this point I'm not happy about what happened. But is it going to change my outlook on fishing tournaments next season? No. I still plan on fishing both tours. I'll just take it as it comes.
"I'll definitely fish the whole Bassmaster Tour, and I have intentions of fishing the FLW Tour. If I'm one of the lucky guys who qualifies for both championships, I guess I'll have to go to the Classic. BASS started my career, and they're the only ones responsible for where I am right now. I've made no money from FLW tournaments yet, but I'm hoping that changes.
"I'll take it as it comes and see what happens. I feel bad for all the fishermen that it's come to this. I just wish one party was a little more accepting about what's going on and made an effort not to not have a conflict during the biggest tournaments of the year."
Schultz: Don't Know Effect Yet
"It's going to have an impact," said Bernie Shultz (Ranger/Mercury). "How it impacts me in the immediate sense, I can't answer that. But it's definitely going to have an impact. And I'm sure I'll be forced to make a decision. There's no doubt it's disappointing, and I don't understand it."
Lefebre the Tournament Junkie
Dave Lefebre (Skeeter/Yamaha) was a two-tour rookie this year. On next year, he said: "I'll probably fish them both because I'm a tournament junkie and I need to fish them."
Mike Wurm says he'll fish both tours next year because he fishes for a living.
