Bass Pro Tour Changing Tournament Fishing Forever

[abkeenan]

11 hours ago, tjm said:

I've always thought that every fish should count,  first three or five or fifty fish caught weighed or measured and done. Go for average or for total but no culling. Culling fish is like saying all the missed shots in a basketball game are practice shots and giving the shooter a free throw for every miss.

 

I still like the 5 fish heaviest bag system myself. You can still do that MLF style constantly culling up without having fish bouncing around your livewell all day. I am sure they are discussing scoring formats before this Tour kicks off. I also would do away with the live scoring update info given form the marshal to the anglers. If you watch MLF you know how often an update is given on someone catching them and their response "I know where and what he is fishing". If you see that a particular pro is putting a whoopin' on them these pros know each others styles pretty well enough so they can guess how they are catching them and adjust themselves accordingly. Hackney - flipping. Rojas - Froggin. KVD - cranking/powerfishing. AMart -drop shotting/finesse. Etc. I don't care for that in real time myself. Gives too much away which was typically reserved for when anglers were at the tanks BS'ing or that night for the mind games to take place of gathering intel for the next day. If you wanted to break the scoring system into a mixed reward for both total # of qualifying fish caught and heaviest total bag that would be okay with me.

[tjm]

50 minutes ago, abkeenan said:

I still like the 5 fish heaviest bag system myself.

Take the first legal keeper five and the heaviest bag wins. It would be more about fishing and less about sponsors and speed boats though so won't ever happen.  I think most of the fishing should be done before the casting starts, but, I'm not a spectator and don't care to be.  I do think fishing contests do more harm than good to the fishery.

I am astonished that people actually watch fishing on TV.

[dblades]

4 hours ago, vernon said:

I am 1000% in favor of this deal but have to wonder what sort of effect it will have on the fan's following of the tournaments?

Who's gonna show up to watch guys not weigh in fish?

Trust me, I don't care in the least what the impact is and am thrilled at the potential positive effect on fisheries but am curious nonetheless.  

Some of these events are very well attended but what are they gonna do now?  Go watch on the big screen in some theatre?

I've been to a couple of BASS weigh-in's only because I was nearby and wanted to see what it was all about.

Other than the actual weighing of fish there didn't seem to be a heck of a lot going on that would attract many folks.

Great news regardless.

 

I suspect that only half the field will fish and the other half will be the officials, then change places for the next event/day/session.

[tjm]

12 minutes ago, dblades said:

I suspect that only half the field will fish and the other half will be the officials, then change places for the next event/day/session.

My question, was how will they get people interested enough to provide all the required judges and camera operators.  Payment would be required, I think.  In your take on it, what motivates half the field to give up competition on any particular event (especially if travel&lodging are involved) so they could act as judges?

[fishinwrench]

Alot of formats would be interesting for spectators.  Mix it up and do several !

One where the earliest limit scored is 1st place, the second is 2nd place, and so on.

Have a big fish division where the biggest fish of the day takes 1st.

A race to 120 inches would be a hoot (rounded back to the nearest 1/2").

The possibilities are almost endless and the format switch throughout the year would hold more people's interest over the longest period of time I think.

AOY would be the guy who finished best though all the divisions.

[Quillback]

38 minutes ago, tjm said:

My question, was how will they get people interested enough to provide all the required judges and camera operators.  Payment would be required, I think.  In your take on it, what motivates half the field to give up competition on any particular event (especially if travel&lodging are involved) so they could act as judges?

Elite series marshals PAY $100 to sit and watch the pro fish.  As far as lodging I think they are on their own for that.  MLF format is a little more involved as the marshals have to weigh each keeper andrecord it.  Maybe MLF will pay them to do it, hard to say.  So far it looks like MLF has been using the same marshals for their events, some of them are becoming part of the show.  I am sure they have it figured out whatever happens.

[Bill Babler]

In MLF I believe all the Marshalls are paid by the sponsors as are the fishermen.  There is no prize money, these guys are there selling product and trying to whip the other guy.

I know that they are meeting today in Tulsa and working on all of this.

As far as the fishing I'm totally on board with Wrench.  I get so tired of seeing ones and twos dragged 50 miles and then carted up on the stage. Absolutely no sense in that, none at all.

From what I'm hearing as far as money on this deal, there are going to be 80 pro's contacted and if they don't want to fill the field more will be contacted until the field is filled.  There are going to be no entry fees and there will be a minor league qualifying circuit to feed the 80, to be established.

All monies are coming from corporate sponsorships with Bass Pro being the signature sponsor, and they have already inked a 5 yr. 8 figure deal with Johnny.

Talking about BASS and FLW for years they have sought money from communities where their events were being held saying it would bring 100's of thousands to said community.  This however has really not been the case.  Most of the tournament guys and their families travel in motor homes and very few fans follow the circuit, mostly locals at these events and they are spending their money at home to begin with.

This is probably how competitive fishing should have always been.

[abkeenan]

8 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

In MLF I believe all the Marshalls are paid by the sponsors as are the fishermen.  There is no prize money, these guys are there selling product and trying to whip the other guy.

I know that they are meeting today in Tulsa and working on all of this.

As far as the fishing I'm totally on board with Wrench.  I get so tired of seeing ones and twos dragged 50 miles and then carted up on the stage. Absolutely no sense in that, none at all.

From what I'm hearing as far as money on this deal, there are going to be 80 pro's contacted and if they don't want to fill the field more will be contacted until the field is filled.  There are going to be no entry fees and there will be a minor league qualifying circuit to feed the 80, to be established.

All monies are coming from corporate sponsorships with Bass Pro being the signature sponsor, and they have already inked a 5 yr. 8 figure deal with Johnny.

Talking about BASS and FLW for years they have sought money from communities where their events were being held saying it would bring 100's of thousands to said community.  This however has really not been the case.  Most of the tournament guys and their families travel in motor homes and very few fans follow the circuit, mostly locals at these events and they are spending their money at home to begin with.

This is probably how competitive fishing should have always been.

Nailed it. Can't wait to see what anglers jump the BASS ship to go over to MLF. Sounds like a pretty sweetheart deal for those lucky enough to be one of the 80+ to get the invite. More I think about it the more I think this is a major kick in the groin to BASS. Would love to be a fly on the wall in the BASS emergency meetings with Trip Weldon and other BASS higher-ups.

Also, still really interested in what scoring format they will go with.

[Royal Blue]

20 hours ago, Quillback said:

Elite series marshals PAY $100 to sit and watch the pro fish.  As far as lodging I think they are on their own for that.  MLF format is a little more involved as the marshals have to weigh each keeper andrecord it.  Maybe MLF will pay them to do it, hard to say.  So far it looks like MLF has been using the same marshals for their events, some of them are becoming part of the show.  I am sure they have it figured out whatever happens.

I talked with MLF earlier this year about becoming a boat official with them.  It was my understanding at the time that I was just barely close enough to qualify by location for the position.  You had to be within 3 hours of Tulsa.  You also had to have a truck capable of pulling one of their boats to whatever location and you had to have room in the truck for the camera guy and the angler to go to the launch every day.  I'm on the potential list for them going forward, but my work schedule makes it difficult to go for 3-4 weeks a year.  Pay has not been discussed yet, but I plan on reaching out to them once this dust settles and pursue it further.  I'd consider another line of work if I could supplement my income this way.

[Quillback]

2 hours ago, Royal Blue said:

I talked with MLF earlier this year about becoming a boat official with them.  It was my understanding at the time that I was just barely close enough to qualify by location for the position.  You had to be within 3 hours of Tulsa.  You also had to have a truck capable of pulling one of their boats to whatever location and you had to have room in the truck for the camera guy and the angler to go to the launch every day.  I'm on the potential list for them going forward, but my work schedule makes it difficult to go for 3-4 weeks a year.  Pay has not been discussed yet, but I plan on reaching out to them once this dust settles and pursue it further.  I'd consider another line of work if I could supplement my income this way.

That is interesting, hope it works out for you.