FLW anglers going to BASS

[rowyourboat]

Does anyone have a list of anglers who are fish By the BASS opens in hopes of qualifying for elite series?

 

so far I know Scott Martin and B-Lat

[Jim- Indiana]

I was keeping a list, but cannot find it right now. I think all that fish the opens, is for the purpose of qualifying for the Elite Series .... you likely meant FLW Tour defectors, so add.... add Bradley Hallman and Andrew Upshaw.

[Tim Kelly]

The opens are going to be even more competitive this year, seems like a lot of FLW guys are trying their luck. Quite a brave move as it's a long shot to qualify through the opens, especially with so many extra motivated anglers. Looks like a lot of them are going to be relying on their social media profiles to make them some money for a year or two. Hope it works out for them.

[12poundbass]

17 minutes ago, Tim Kelly said:

The opens are going to be even more competitive this year, seems like a lot of FLW guys are trying their luck. Quite a brave move as it's a long shot to qualify through the opens, especially with so many extra motivated anglers. Looks like a lot of them are going to be relying on their social media profiles to make them some money for a year or two. Hope it works out for them.

I wonder if BASS will add a few live cameras to the Opens these guys are fishing? To kind of echo what you said, it is going to be a long difficult road for some, and if some don’t make it in year one or two might be the end of their careers. 

[Tim Kelly]

I wouldn't be surprised if they covered the last day. They've got a real advantage with the guys coming back to bass and the FLW guys trying to get in, be mad not to capitalize on it with as much coverage as they can.

[Jim- Indiana]

Purely speculation, but as a business, I think BASS would like to increase the Elite field, but will need to, and are,  careful as how to go about it.  They likely made it known in 2019, that the field size was at their discretion, and not to "bank" on it staying at 75. I think that they realize, that increasing by invitation, only leads to opinions and criticism, so that they will  increase the number, thru additional qualifying spots via the opens.

  

[Troy85]

3 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

I wonder if BASS will add a few live cameras to the Opens these guys are fishing? To kind of echo what you said, it is going to be a long difficult road for some, and if some don’t make it in year one or two might be the end of their careers. 

I wish they would.  I wish they had cameras live cameras covering the BASS Team Championship that's going on right now at Hartwell.

[BassNJake]

Well MLFLW announced their roster for the FLW Pro Circuit ....

 

John Cox is the biggest name and probably the favorite to win every event

A pretty good mix of veterans with some up and comers

Wishing them all luck with the changes 

[jbsoonerfan]

4 hours ago, BassNJake said:

Well MLFLW announced their roster for the FLW Pro Circuit ....

 

John Cox is the biggest name and probably the favorite to win every event

A pretty good mix of veterans with some up and comers

Wishing them all luck with the changes 

Well you might as well tell @James Niggemeyer not to even show up then. LOL

 

James or Kyle Cortiana will be up there in my opinion.

[Jrob78]

So I guess John Cox is going to follow through with fishing both circuits. It's been several years since anyone has done that.

[ReedFish]

Pretty skeleton crew from what I see.  A lot of opportunity for the rookies climbing on board to qualify for the BPT.

[Munkin]

I hear KVD is going to fish the kayak circuit. 

 

Allen 

[redux]

I'm interested in what Lebrun and Niggemeyer will do the next few years with FLW. I can't put my finger on it, but I am always rooting for those two to do well.

[TnRiver46]

17 hours ago, Munkin said:

I hear KVD is going to fish the kayak circuit. 

 

Allen 

Hahaha! I’d like to see him ripping that jerkbait wide open while zooming through a cove 2.5 mph in a kayak 

[BassNJake]

On 12/16/2019 at 3:04 PM, Jrob78 said:

So I guess John Cox is going to follow through with fishing both circuits. It's been several years since anyone has done that.

It looks like the 3rd Eastern Open at Oneida is on August 6-8

That aligns with the start of FLW Title Championship August 8-13th

 

Although I think that Sat the 8th is the first practice day for the FLW Title Championship

 

It also looks like the grumblings about sponsor pay is beginning.

 

This is from Randall Tharp BPT pro- “I don’t know that the format is 100 percent perfect or 100 percent for me,” Tharp said. “I’ve been bass fishing a few times for fun and I don’t try to catch as many as I can. I still try to catch biggest one or the biggest few fish. I like catching big ones. My fans like that and the companies that pay me do, too.

I signed up for this deal for three years and I want it to work, but’s it’s been a tough offseason financially. The fishing industry doesn’t like what we have going on. There has to be some change.”

 

[ReedFish]

In regards to Tharp's "quote"

 

I definitely see this as a concern for anglers and their sponsors.  BASS and FLW were better for them to create and promote their own companies they worked for.  MLF is more about the organization than the anglers when it comes to this part of the equation.  The new MLF TV coverage which promised their "own branding" is not what BASS can do.  Hard to see, hear and know what anglers are doing when all you see is a couple seconds of a hookset and then the fish being weighed.  

 

Now, do I think Tharp is in financial trouble...no...do I think pro bass anglers play that card waaay too much...YES.  He has made over $2,000,000 in his life from earnings.  That doesn't include any local events or sponsorship money earned.  He is 50 years old, married and has no children.

 

I think a lot of people forget that MLF is $00,000 entry fees.  Here are some facts: 20 of the 80 MLF guys made under $20,000 this year, 5 of them made $0000.  There are many expenses to these events, anyone that does local or club tournaments know the costs of that, it just magnifies that much more when you travel 10 or more hours to get to a location.  

 

While MLF gives these anglers a professional league to compete in for $0, the angler himself still needs the backing to get around the eastern part of the country and compete.  It is all about exposure and sponsor branding, if the companies aren't seeing that, the consumer certainly is not.  

 

I loved MLF when it came out, awesome format, show up and catch as many fish as you can with a few minutes to ride around (BTW, I miss those ride-around comments a lot).  I watch live when I can and read the articles, but when I watch a TV show, I want to learn about fishing, how did they find the fish, the baits choices etc.  MLF doesn't do that anymore, it's a sprint to the end timer.  A good fishing show, but nothing like it once was in my opinion.

 

It seems like MLF is turning fishing into a mainstream sport, which is good for the sport as a whole...but if Joe sitting on the couch watching doesn't hear Mercury Motor, Quantum Rods, Berkley baits...Joe will not buy those items if, and I say, if he was an angler.  I love Yankees baseball and follow it throughout the year and see pretty much every game thanks to MLB.tv, but I couldn't tell you what kind of shoes my favorite player wears, or what cologne he uses.  Two totally different sports but when you focus on the whole game, you don't see the individual things that influence your consumer choices.

 

With all this, I believe there will continue to be more changes to formats and "players" moving to leagues that suit them the best.

[Jrob78]

1 hour ago, BassNJake said:

It looks like the 3rd Eastern Open at Oneida is on August 6-8

That aligns with the start of FLW Title Championship August 8-13th

 

Although I think that Sat the 8th is the first practice day for the FLW Title Championship

 

What I meant was Cox is fishing FLW and the Elite Series, not the Opens. He qualified for the Elites through the Opens last season.  He did say there was an event or 2 with conflict and he would sort that out based on his standings in both circuits.

 

As for the sponsor aspect, it seems like MLF is making it harder on sponsors with the FLW takeover, which could effect BPT guys even more. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, ReedFish said:

In regards to Tharp's "quote"

 

I definitely see this as a concern for anglers and their sponsors.  BASS and FLW were better for them to create and promote their own companies they worked for.  MLF is more about the organization than the anglers when it comes to this part of the equation.  The new MLF TV coverage which promised their "own branding" is not what BASS can do.  Hard to see, hear and know what anglers are doing when all you see is a couple seconds of a hookset and then the fish being weighed.  

 

Now, do I think Tharp is in financial trouble...no...do I think pro bass anglers play that card waaay too much...YES.  He has made over $2,000,000 in his life from earnings.  That doesn't include any local events or sponsorship money earned.  He is 50 years old, married and has no children.

 

I think a lot of people forget that MLF is $00,000 entry fees.  Here are some facts: 20 of the 80 MLF guys made under $20,000 this year, 5 of them made $0000.  There are many expenses to these events, anyone that does local or club tournaments know the costs of that, it just magnifies that much more when you travel 10 or more hours to get to a location.  

 

While MLF gives these anglers a professional league to compete in for $0, the angler himself still needs the backing to get around the eastern part of the country and compete.  It is all about exposure and sponsor branding, if the companies aren't seeing that, the consumer certainly is not.  

 

I loved MLF when it came out, awesome format, show up and catch as many fish as you can with a few minutes to ride around (BTW, I miss those ride-around comments a lot).  I watch live when I can and read the articles, but when I watch a TV show, I want to learn about fishing, how did they find the fish, the baits choices etc.  MLF doesn't do that anymore, it's a sprint to the end timer.  A good fishing show, but nothing like it once was in my opinion.

 

It seems like MLF is turning fishing into a mainstream sport, which is good for the sport as a whole...but if Joe sitting on the couch watching doesn't hear Mercury Motor, Quantum Rods, Berkley baits...Joe will not buy those items if, and I say, if he was an angler.  I love Yankees baseball and follow it throughout the year and see pretty much every game thanks to MLB.tv, but I couldn't tell you what kind of shoes my favorite player wears, or what cologne he uses.  Two totally different sports but when you focus on the whole game, you don't see the individual things that influence your consumer choices.

 

With all this, I believe there will continue to be more changes to formats and "players" moving to leagues that suit them the best.

Derek Jeter shaves with Gillette, duh.....

[ReedFish]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Derek Jeter shaves with Gillette, duh.....

yeah, now...but when he played I didn't now that!  ?

[Jd_Phillips_Fishin]

Buddy Gross is crossing over from FLW to BASS this year

[detroit1]

I can't remember the last time I bought anything because of a commercial or person is hawking it. Although I have not bought a product BECAUSE of their commercials. Charman's butt paper songs and KFC comes to mind...

[BassNJake]

On 12/28/2019 at 10:32 PM, Jd_Phillips_Fishin said:

Buddy Gross is crossing over from FLW to BASS this year

I was wondering what he was going to do, didn't see him on the FLW pro circuit roster

On 12/29/2019 at 9:25 AM, detroit1 said:

I can't remember the last time I bought anything because of a commercial or person is hawking it. Although I have not bought a product BECAUSE of their commercials. Charman's butt paper songs and KFC comes to mind...

You obviously never saw the Tex/Mex commercial for Carl's JR