FLW says goodbye to co anglers

[TOXIC]

What I really want to dispel is the common thought that the Co Anglers are all inexperienced anglers who can't find or catch fish.  I know of a few other manufacturers reps who have dabbled in the Co Angler ranks and they said they had a blast and won enough money to pay for their expenses most of the time.  I have Marshaled on the Elite Series for an article for Yamamoto and it was a good experience.  

[RichF]

2 hours ago, Mike L said:

For those of you who think that having a co angler with the pro's somehow diminishes the competitiveness and effect the outcomes, yes it could happen I guess but in my experience it isn't as prevelant as some suggest.

 

1 hour ago, Mike L said:

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

I actually know of a few Co-Anglers that directly helped their Pro finish higher due to the Co doing their homework, pre-fishing and knowing what to throw.  I've also heard horror stories of being "back boated" all day and Pro's who came into the event literally blind and on no fish.  

Happens more than anyone knows

 

Great example of co's affecting the outcome of a tournament.  Doesn't matter if the Pro benefits or not, I'd rather not see either scenario in a Professional competition.  

[Logan S]

5 hours ago, TOXIC said:

What I really want to dispel is the common thought that the Co Anglers are all inexperienced anglers who can't find or catch fish.  I know of a few other manufacturers reps who have dabbled in the Co Angler ranks and they said they had a blast and won enough money to pay for their expenses most of the time.  I have Marshaled on the Elite Series for an article for Yamamoto and it was a good experience.  

No one is saying that and this change by FLW doesn't imply that in any way.  I never hear people claim that about all co-anglers...Even among the most grumpy and grizzled boaters I know.  

[TOXIC]

10 hours ago, Logan S said:

No one is saying that and this change by FLW doesn't imply that in any way.  I never hear people claim that about all co-anglers...Even among the most grumpy and grizzled boaters I know.  

Directly from FLW......

 

“It is an apprenticeship like no other. But times have changed, and the co-angler program is no longer the stepping stone to the professional ranks that it once was.

To me it is not an "apprenticeship" because the skill level in many many cases is equal.  I have personally heard the "Pro's" ( I prefer the terms "Boater and non Boater) talk down Co Anglers.  I'm not painting everyone with a wide brush.  There are exceptions but the notion that they are amateurs on the back deck is not right for a lot of them.  The simple fact they can affect the outcome is proof of that.  

[Logan S]

2 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Directly from FLW......

 

“It is an apprenticeship like no other. But times have changed, and the co-angler program is no longer the stepping stone to the professional ranks that it once was.

To me it is not an "apprenticeship" because the skill level in many many cases is equal.  I have personally heard the "Pro's" ( I prefer the terms "Boater and non Boater) talk down Co Anglers.  I'm not painting everyone with a wide brush.  There are exceptions but the notion that they are amateurs on the back deck is not right for a lot of them.  The simple fact they can affect the outcome is proof of that.  

We'll just agree to disagree...That statement by FLW seems pretty accurate to me, since the path to the pro tours is through the boater side of the Open tours.  I don't see it as negative toward co-anglers at all.  

 

Comparing 'skill' in a tournament setting between boaters and co-anglers is sort of an apples/oranges scenario.  Both sides face challenges that the other guy doesn't on tournament day.  Different skill sets IMO.

[BassNJake]

1 hour ago, TOXIC said:

To me it is not an "apprenticeship" because the skill level in many many cases is equal.  I have personally heard the "Pro's" ( I prefer the terms "Boater and non Boater) talk down Co Anglers.  I'm not painting everyone with a wide brush.  There are exceptions but the notion that they are amateurs on the back deck is not right for a lot of them.  The simple fact they can affect the outcome is proof of that.  

It seems that for every "pro/boater" that is talking down about his co angler; there are at least an equal amount of co anglers talking about how horrible their "pro" was.

 

I think it is natural to view the co-anglers as a level lower than the Pro.

Just like it is viewed as the progression in the sport to move from the co angler side to the pro side.

 

I agree that often the skill levels are the same but the back of the boat is still the back of the boat.

If you want to be treated like an equal become one.

The front of the boat has it's advantages. 

 

 

 

 

[RichF]

1 minute ago, BassNJake said:

It seems that for every "pro/boater" that is talking down about his co angler; there are at least an equal amount of co anglers talking about how horrible their "pro" was.

This is an incredibly accurate statement.  I agree with @Logan S that there doesn't seem to be anyone saying co-anglers aren't as good as their boater counterpart.  I also agree with @TOXIC that there are some incredibly skilled co-anglers.  Bottom line for me: at the Pro Tour level, it should be just about the pro/boater.  With the cost of entry, boat ownership, travel, etc., the competitor just doesn't need to worry about the co-angler factor (whether it's positive or negative).

[TOXIC]

Good discussion with points on both sides.  Here's a little tidbit right from the Co Angler who took home the win:

 

http://another site.com/docktalk_article/19272/longtime-tour-co-angler-sounds-off#.W03UudVKjDA

[BassNJake]

On 7/16/2018 at 12:32 PM, Mike L said:

For those of you who think that having a co angler with the pro's somehow diminishes the competitiveness and effect the outcomes, yes it could happen I guess but in my experience it isn't as prevelant as some suggest. 

 

Mike

 

I think it affects the outcome of every event.

Decisions are often made on the water given the current conditions.

Those conditions are affected more when 2 people are fishing the same water.

150 guys fishing is alot of pressure 300 is an absurd amount from just one tourney and most of these lake have multiple tourneys on the weekends.

 

If one guy is fishing down the bank he can turn around and hit spots he missed.

Those spots are not missed with a co angler.

 

If 2 guys are fishing a spot and the pro catches 2 fish and the co angler catches 2 fish.

The pro might leave because he wants to find higher numbers of fish where as if he caught all 4, he might stay and fish that spot more thoroughly.

 

Or vice versa where the co catches fish and then it changes what decisions the pro makes.

Or it is that one thing that keys him into a pattern he didn't find on his own.

 

I think at the highest levels of the sport there should just be pro's.

 

 

 

 

[WRB]

There is 't a pro on the tour that wants to win the event to help the marshal earn money, they want to win a paycheck. Trying to find a way to give a cash incentive to the marshal is only going to create doubt. If everyone of the competitors is honest no need for a marshal.

The pro bass fishing tournaments are going through an evolution to remain competitive between the venues and will keep what works. 

Team events, co-angler events, shared weight, 5 bass total weight and catch & release total weight of unlimited number of bass are all in play. Without sponsorship none of the venues will survive and it's back to pot money turkey shoot derbies.

Tom

[hoosierbass07]

Is ditching the co-anglers going to make the flw any less insignificant?  Doubt it.