Here on the Bass War, we’re always considering the future of competitive bass fishing. It’s easy to get caught up in high-impact topics: catch and release, rule infractions or format changes. And there are plenty of sources for controversial issues and click bait.
In this week’s case, each factors in. But not in the usual way.
The sport has changed tremendously as technology runs its course. I’m never going to be the guy who claims open-water, sonar-based fishing doesn’t require any skill, because it does. A different skill than what we’re used to, but a skill nonetheless, just as skill was required to use and interpret the very first depthfinder ever mounted on a bass boat. But we don’t hear that labeled as a crime against humanity.
Anyway, a more valid topic is the imapct that FFS is playing on the future of the sport, specifically the accepted model of pro-am formats. For decades, boat owners have been paired with non-boaters as they compete together in essentially separate tournaments.
It’s a solid format. And one that, by all indications, is doomed.
This is no sensationalized claim. No click bait here. Consider these statistics for 2025:
In the early Toyota Series events, where a co-angler entry fee is $550, nearly 40 percent of the field blanked both days at Pickwick Lake. At the Sam Rayburn event, that number was 23 percent.
Looking at the BFL circuit, over 40 percent of co-anglers blanked at Lakes Murray and Chickamauga, 50 percent at Toledo Bend, nearly 60 percent at Lake Hartwell and over 70 percent of co-anglers blanked at Grand Lake.
Immediately, I must ask myself “Who in the world is going to show up to fish a bass tournament with a strong probability of never catching a bass, while watching a boater ‘partner’ reel in fish after fish?”
The answer: Fewer people every day.
So that’s where we’re at. Good, bad or indifferent, the co-angler model, already given up on by B.A.S.s., is on its way out with every major fishing league. Facts are facts.
But is that so bad? I’m often accused by my wife of not liking change.
Therefore, I have to remind myself to remain impartial on the transition of organized bass fishing into something that doesn’t look anything like bass fishing. Well, not my bass fishing.
Perhaps boaters-only is best. Truthfully, I can remember wishing I didn’t have a co-angler in my boat on numerous occasions. But that was what made the world go ‘round back in my time.
Today, it’s different, in more ways than one. For starters, there are more anglers investing to become competitive anglers at all costs. The methods by which they secure funding is no concern of mine. The end result: more anglers willing to fork over the big bucks for a chance at bass fishing glory.
In the past, the number of boater entries had to coincide with co-anglers on many circuits. Removing that burden will allow the maximum number of boaters to compete.
Must we consider the original inception of two-to-a-boat? To regulate cheating? Not really. Cheating isn’t really a factor in organized bass fishing, and the temptation wanes more every day. Get caught, and your “career” is done for. Social media humiliates cheaters to sub-human levels.
How about the concept of co-anglers learning form the pros? Entering pro-am derbies to get a lesson from the best. If the desired lesson revolves around offshore FFS fishing, we may still have something. Otherwise, not so much.
Several other sports uphold a format of one competitor per “team”. Some parallel bass fishing somewhat. Immediately, I’m thinking of auto racing, where a passionate driver can compete for cash. There are fees and licensing costs to consider. Equipment is expensive, some sponsor-provided. But performance comes down to the guy behind the steering wheel.
Equestrian sports also come to mind. Maybe motocross or even boat racing. Some have teams involved, or team support, but it’s still up to the individual to perform and win.
Perhaps bass fishing is heading this direction – placing all the importance on the guy in the front – will turn out to be good for the sport. Maybe it will increase validity, or demand higher performance and dedication.
One thing we can’t forget, though, is the quantitative downside. In other words, with the loss of co-anglers, fewer people are becoming exposed to competitive fishing. Plain and simple. And numbers are decreasing, overall.
Sure, we have a new generation of hard-charging competitors fired up about offshore fishing. They’re dedicated to the game, and every day new faces come onto the scene.
But even more leave it.
With the complete removal of co-anglers – something as sure as the extinction of the flip-phone – bass fishing will again cross another threshold with no chance of return. And that will be that.
Maybe I don’t like change. But at least I can see it coming.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
