ESPN News - Elite Series Co-Anglers - Shattered Dreams
It appears that ESPN has decided to eliminate co-anglers from the Elite Series in 2009 and shatter the dreams many bass fisherman across the country. Just days since the news was released, tension is rising among B.A.S.S. members, co-anglers and visitors to the ESPN Outdoors website. If this is news to you, you can read the ESPN Blog and all the angler comments here: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=3492085
I just have to wonder, how many more nails can be put in the coffin of B.A.S.S. before ESPN is done tearing down the “grass roots” values B.A.S.S. was built upon by Ray Scott so long ago. I would imagine even Ray thinks some of these changes are ridiculous at times. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t understand the Elite angler position. Elite Anglers are fishing as a job, they face hurdles everyday out there; they have hopes of cashing a check, earning points and staying in the upper tiers of the bass fishing spot light. Who could blame them, they worked hard to get there and they earned their place as an Elite.
Now I admit, a co-angler can certainly have an impact on an “Elite Anglers” day on the water but, the co-angler is not your competitor. Quite frankly, you’re the “Elite Angler” (in the front of the boat) and if you missed that LM Bass that your co-angler caught, you had your chance, too bad! Things like that happen and that is why it’s called “Fishing”.
In the above ESPN blog, there are quite a few quotes from anglers and manufacturers that I would like to share with my personal opinions below them.
Greg Hackney was quoted as saying, “It’s the greatest thing to ever happen to the sport of bass fishing”
I personally find that really hard to digest when I think about the co-anglers and some of their dreams to maybe rub shoulders with the Elite by fishing as a co-angler some day. Am I to assume he (Greg Hackney) never fished as a co-angler climbing the ranks, I couldn’t really tell you. Does he forget that he was just an angler nobody knew at one time to?
“I certainly understand how the pros feel,” said Eric Naig of Pure Fishing, who has competed as co-angler. “But as a manufacturer it’s a little disappointing, because it’s been a great way for us to grow our pyramid of influence. I do understand, though.”
Not only will co-anglers feel the brunt of this decision but, manufacturers will also suffer from this imo. Most all the tackle companies rely on anglers for promotion, product visibility and education about their products at these tournaments through personal interaction. Let’s face it, without your aspiring bass angler buying their products, where would you and they be. Most of these same co-anglers are the bass fisherman that; cover the cost of your ELITE SPONSORS PAYCHECK, these same anglers are working with children and the public to ensure this great sport for future generations in their hometowns, while you fly or drive around to appear for a commercial or special event that revolves around sales.
“This is our job, though,” said Kevin Short, an Elite Series competitor who has been outspoken in his blogs on ESPNOutdoors.com about the role co-anglers play in the outcome of these events. “None of those guys are showing up trying to make their house payment or take care of their bills. They get to fish, possibly win, and go home. But in the process they can also change the outcome of one of our tournaments and impact a pro’s career.”
This is the one quote that I feel is really insensitive, careless & just plain ridiculous. What color are the clouds where you come from Kevin? Fact is, everyone is fishing in the competition to win, because they are competitive. I would also venture to say that most of the co-anglers face more of a financial burden to fish these tournaments than you and the other Elite Anglers dollar for dollar. Your entry fee might be more but, you have contributing sponsors helping you along. Most of the co-anglers are doing it all out of pocket and I’m sure there has been quite a few that have gone so far as to re-mortgage a house just to fish tournaments at this level and get a chance to fish with you Elite Bass Anglers. Don’t think for a minute that just because your an Elite, that you have it that much worse than the other guy that is supporting your sponsors and paying his own way.
“You’ve got to be careful with what you’re doing here,” said Elite Series angler Peter Thliveros. “Co-anglers are the guys that have perpetuated the myth of a lot of the top guys.
“Their word of mouth is how a lot of this industry was built to this point. Maybe so many of the stories don’t get out the way they used to and it turns into NASCAR where everybody knows you, but they don’t know you.”
Well said Peter! This decision will just add to the list of ways ESPN/Disney is loosing sight of what B.A.S.S. was once made of.
In Closing
As much as I would like to start adding quotes from the responses to this article and comment about them, I will leave that up to you to read and think about.
I would hope that someday soon, the bass fishing public can find out just where each of these ELITE ANGLERS stood concerning this decision. Maybe some of their sponsors should think about what kind of guy they are sponsoring and the possible snow-balling effect may have on them. As for the major B.A.S.S. sponsors, I hope it’s all worth it in the end without a following of anglers. It may be a good time to stock up on FLW Anglers. It is no wonder so many anglers have gone to FLW and I imagine many more will be making the switch soon enough.
If you would like to comment on this decision here, feel free. This is one topic that people should talk about.
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Comments
This really is a shame and it just shows that ESPN does not care about the ones who support BASS or the companies that support the Elite anglers. I also think that many of these guys have forgotten, like you said, that they too were once nobodys with a couple of dollars in their pocket, a bass boat, and a dream (save a few, but that is another story). Finally, does ESPN/BASS think that people are going to pay to be observers? Bet they have to beg and plead people to do this. This is going to have a larger impact than they think - guess we won’t have trouble filling FLW events next season.
Sean McLoughlin
I would like to say Thank You BASS. Had you not made this very terrible business decision to do away with coanglers I wouldn’t have been so upset that I had to check out flwoutdoors.com, and had I not seen just how much http://www.flwoutdoors.com had to offer I wouldn’t have gotten a competitor membership, nor would I have seen that they not only allow the coanglers to talk at weigh ins, they get to show their larger fish if they want (imagine keith alan doing that) and that was their Stren Series. They even flaunt their coanglers that qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup as the best in the world. Wow - they seem to really like them.
And another rant, does this mean the ‘elitist’ pros can’t fish the amateur tournys? I mean come on, thats OUR fish and OUR money right? K-short cried about it being his living conglers are taking (knowing his sponsors pay his way, his fishing surely doesnt pay his bills LOL) we pay retail for our boats, bait, rod, reels out of our pocket to fish the Weekend Series, shouldn’t the ‘elitist’pros stay away? The very first tournament of this year I had 2 ‘elitist’ pros at the pretourny meeting. Granted they finished well below where I did :-P, they were in it for what they thought was the easy $5,000. Well next year it’s yours, I’ll be fishing AND more importantly FOLLOWING THE FLW. tom ricks and his entire 15 months of experience is dismanteling the core of BASS. Not what I think Ray Scott would want after his hard work.
Looks like ESPN has stopped letting us post. I tried puttin gthe above comment on the ESPN article for the last hour with no luck. I’ll keep trying.
Jay T
I saw that coming JT. With all those great comments in their faces, I’m surprised to even see the comments at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if they remove everything in the next few days.
can’t wait to see a wrapped BASS boat on my lake, for the next tourny. i hope they dont go near my spots or friends spots. they will wish they had a co angler to complain to.
Is anyone compiling a list of email addresses of BASS sponsors? The easier we make it for others to voice their opposition to this ridiculous decision, the bigger impact we can make. Thanks for your input.
If they don’t want us in the boat with them then they can get use to the fact that on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th day of THEIR tournaments we can be fishing in the spots where they were the day before when they arrive each day.
I would like to add that; while I certainly think this decision is a step in the wrong direction for BASS, I also can’t blame an Elite angler for pushing for a change like this. This is a game of competition and I believe just about anyone if offered the same chance, would jump on it to improve their chances of finishing in the money. I have no animosity for the anglers except those that were just down right rude and thoughtless with their comments.
I am really curious as to how manufacturers feel about this decision; how it will affect them, sponsorship considerations and more. We have seen web polls for anglers, we know what the Elite feel but, who is asking the manufacturers what they think?
As for an email list, that is a great idea for voicing angler concerns to manufacturers.
Here are the contact pages for all B.A.S.S. sponsors except Purolator.
Don’t forget about Hack and Kshorts main sponsors
Hack- http://www.AdvancedAutoParts.com
Ksort- http://www.realtree.com
I’ve sent both of the emails suggesting they reconsider whom they sponsor and letting each of them know I’ll not support their products. (And I buy a substantial amount of product per year from one of them.)
JUST TOO LET YOU ALL KNOW HAS BASS/ESPN HAS ALMOST BURIED THIS TOPIC IT UNDER I-CAST,IT HAS A LOT OF THINGS LISTED SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK.
I have had the honor of fishing the Elite 50 Series Pride of Georgia tournament for the past two years. I finished 12th and 13th in both tourneys. It was the greatest feeling to be on center stage with the pros and a dream come true. This decision is an unfortunate one because every comment is correct from the co-anglers and the Pro’s. The negative impact that this will have on the sport will be tremendous and detremental to BASS. I know Greg, Kevin, and Ish only said what a lot of Pro’s were afraid to say. However, I feel their pain, because if you’ve fished a local tournament and have been smoked from the back it is a painful feeling. I only wish that ESPN and BASS would have considered a happy medium to where it would have worked for everyone. I am a Retired US Army First Sergeant. The large number of people that supported myself and the Pro I fished with at these tournaments will no longer come because I will not be allowed to fish anymore.
ESPN/BASS strongly reconsider this option before it is too late.
FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM THE BASS CENTRAL OPEN THAT I WAS ENTERD IN AND WILL NOT RENEW MY SUBSCRIPTION AND MEMBERSHIP TO BASS.I AM JUST A CUSTODIN IN THE EL PASO TX SCHOOL DIST. SO YOU CAN SEE I AM NOT WEEL TODO BUT I LOVE FISHING AND THE COMPATITION BUT ESPN/BASS HAS HIT BELOW THE BELT HERE AND WILL NOT BE FORGOTEN SOON OR EVER. I HAVE CALLED FIVE OF BASS SPONSERS AND LET THEM KNOW MY FEELINGS AND LET THEM KNOW I AM BOYCOTTING THER PRODUCTS. I WOULD LIKE TO LET KEVIN SHORT KNOW I MY NOT BE ABLE TO STRING FIVE WORDS TO MAKE A SENTASE BUT I DO SPEND MY LIMITED DOLLARS ON PRODUCTS YOU AND ESPN MAKE YOUR LIVING ON AND CAN BET YOUR TAIL THAT HAS ENDED .I HOPE YOU AND YOUR COHARTS IN THE elite GROUP WITH SAME MIND SET GET YOUR JUST REWARDS.