Retirement...who is next?

[Choporoz]

Frankly, I'm surprised by both Clunn and Zona.  Who is next?

Now I don't expect to be surprised...

Menendez?

Gross?

Scott Martin?

G-Man?

Steve Kennedy?

Bernie Schulz?

Cifuentes?

 

Only added last one because of one recent interview where he sounded like someone without much fire left in him...like 'I peaked....time to do something else'

[gim]

All of those guys finished below 70th place in AOY so they will not be on the Elites next year, unless they receive an exemption or qualify some other way (like through Bassmaster Opens).

 

Seems like a good time to hang it up if you miss the seasonal cut.

[Choporoz]

How does it work for the Elites?  Is there no 'extra credit' for longetivity, or HOF or previous AOY or Classic wins?

I heard one of the BPT cut victims describing their process and it is a bit dizzying to try to follow and clearly understand who gets cut and who can stick around.  I have no clue how the Elites do it

[gim]

From what I could gather, the top 70 automatically qualify for next season (out of about 100 anglers).

 

Beyond that, there are a number of other qualifiers like through the Bassmaster Opens.  They also offer special exemptions to fill spots.  Any of the anglers below that 70 spot could potentially qualify, but its dependent on how many spots they still need to fill.  They like to have right around 100 on tour each year.

 

I imagine guys like Clunn or Iaconelli or Swindle or Kennedy could recieve a "legends" exemption.  But that criteria seems to be a little gray and BASS is the one who makes that decision.

 

I looked this stuff up last week when I noticed that Iaconelli was well below the 70 spot.

[A-Jay]

 

A man can dream.

I might even send him a nice card.

A-Jay

[MN Fisher]

31 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

A man can dream.

I might even send him a nice card.

If he'd retire from You-Tube - I'd raise a drink.

 

I don't care about his tournament status.

[SC53]

Well Rick Clunn is 78 years old, so there’s that to consider.

Bernie Shultz is 70. Some of the others mentioned haven’t hit 60 yet. 
Of course a lot depends on their success in tournaments but age plays a big factor in retirement decisions.  The mind is often willing but the body isn’t always.

 

[Tackleholic]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

All of those guys finished below 70th place in AOY so they will not be on the Elites next year, unless they receive an exemption or qualify some other way (like through Bassmaster Opens).

 

Seems like a good time to hang it up if you miss the seasonal cut.

An option for the "old guys" is to take a year off to study and learn to use the new electronics until they are on par with the young ns'.  

[gim]

5 minutes ago, Tackleholic said:

An option for the "old guys" is to take a year off to study and learn to use the new electronics until they are on par with the young ns'.  

 

Perhaps.  But maybe their age inhibits them from learning such a new technology too.  The mind ages just as fast as the body in many cases here.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, gimruis said:

 

Perhaps.  But maybe their age inhibits them from learning such a new technology too.  The mind ages just as fast as the body in many cases here.

I'll confirm that - I'm still trying to learn Side-Scan....I don't even want to think about what my learning curve would be for FFS.

[Tackleholic]

12 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

Perhaps.  But maybe their age inhibits them from learning such a new technology too.  The mind ages just as fast as the body in many cases here.

Good point, I'll add that to my list of personal excuses.

[Choporoz]

25 minutes ago, SC53 said:

Well Rick Clunn is 78 years old, so there’s that to consider.

Right.  But the way he has sounded all year, I thought he'd go another couple years.  The man never sounds old or tired...at least not 78 years old

[TnRiver46]

Didn’t cifuentes win rookie of the year and/or AOY last year ? 

[SC53]

19 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Right.  But the way he has sounded all year, I thought he'd go another couple years.  The man never sounds old or tired...at least not 78 years old

No he doesn’t.  
But at 71, I can attest that the “grind” is real. Standing on the front deck of a boat for anything more than 6-7 hours will wear an old guy out. Heck I’ve got to get the seat out after 4-5 hours 😂

I don’t care how good a shape you are in.  Multiple that by 4 or 5 days of competitive tournament fishing and it’s over. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Yeah Cowboy won ROY and Elite Series wins at Seminole and St. Clair.   

 

Clunn retiring is kind of odd, as has been mentioned, he made no secret about his hunger and desire to win an Elite Series event using FFS.   He's said it over and over the last year, so one could think he didn't have retirement on his mind until very recently.    

 

This sport won't be recognizable in 5-10yrs in my estimation.   The Opens EQ and MLF Invitationals process has ensured that only the most committed, and schooled anglers will be fishing on the Elite Series or the BPT.   The days when you could get on the tours working a normal job and just fishing a division in the Opens are over.  Over the next several years, those EQ and Invitational anglers coming up will be pushing out all the older guys, and unlike the past those EQ and Invitational anglers are much more likely to retain their tour card given the process that prepared them to be there, so old guys coming back isn't a reality either.   

 

There is a youth tectonic shift happening in pro Bass fishing.   25 years ago the best pro anglers had to have decades of experience to become the best, these days the best anglers simply have to have grown up with the internet and mastered FFS.   All the waypoints are out there, and GPS/mapping tech has made it where anybody with a boat can access them.   Technology has trumped decades of experience.   

 

 

[WRB]

The older icons were in their early 30’s when winning tour events. Add 30 years of grinding pro tours it isn’t fire that is going out it’s physical stamina.

Any pro bassets over 60  are close to retirement, they just don’t know it yet!

Tom.

 

[SC53]

Just now, WRB said:

The older icons were in their early 30’s when winning tour events. Add 30 years of grinding pro tours it isn’t fire that is going out it’s physical stamina.

Any pro basset over 60 is close to retirement, they just don’t know it yet!

Tom.

 

Amen Tom. 

[F14A-B]

Bernie is a cool dude but he’s consistently around 100th place every tournament.. idk what’s up with that. 

26 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah Cowboy won ROY and Elite Series wins at Seminole and St. Clair.   

 

Clunn retiring is kind of odd, as has been mentioned, he made no secret about his hunger and desire to win an Elite Series event using FFS.   He's said it over and over the last year, so one could think he didn't have retirement on his mind until very recently.    

 

This sport won't be recognizable in 5-10yrs in my estimation.   The Opens EQ and MLF Invitationals process has ensured that only the most committed, and schooled anglers will be fishing on the Elite Series or the BPT.   The days when you could get on the tours working a normal job and just fishing a division in the Opens are over.  Over the next several years, those EQ and Invitational anglers coming up will be pushing out all the older guys, and unlike the past those EQ and Invitational anglers are much more likely to retain their tour card given the process that prepared them to be there, so old guys coming back isn't a reality either.   

 

There is a youth tectonic shift happening in pro Bass fishing.   25 years ago the best pro anglers had to have decades of experience to become the best, these days the best anglers simply have to have grown up with the internet and mastered FFS.   All the waypoints are out there, and GPS/mapping tech has made it where anybody with a boat can access them.   Technology has trumped decades of experience.   

 

 

It’s already vastly different even this year.. idk, if the last remaining og guys are out.. and if Davy Hite stops. 
 

I guess that will be it for me too. 

[TnRiver46]

20 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah Cowboy won ROY and Elite Series wins at Seminole and St. Clair.   

 

Clunn retiring is kind of odd, as has been mentioned, he made no secret about his hunger and desire to win an Elite Series event using FFS.   He's said it over and over the last year, so one could think he didn't have retirement on his mind until very recently.    

 

This sport won't be recognizable in 5-10yrs in my estimation.   The Opens EQ and MLF Invitationals process has ensured that only the most committed, and schooled anglers will be fishing on the Elite Series or the BPT.   The days when you could get on the tours working a normal job and just fishing a division in the Opens are over.  Over the next several years, those EQ and Invitational anglers coming up will be pushing out all the older guys, and unlike the past those EQ and Invitational anglers are much more likely to retain their tour card given the process that prepared them to be there, so old guys coming back isn't a reality either.   

 

There is a youth tectonic shift happening in pro Bass fishing.   25 years ago the best pro anglers had to have decades of experience to become the best, these days the best anglers simply have to have grown up with the internet and mastered FFS.   All the waypoints are out there, and GPS/mapping tech has made it where anybody with a boat can access them.   Technology has trumped decades of experience.   

 

 

Eh, when I look back thru the history, youngsters have always won a lot of derbies. Parker, vandam, Clunn, Lee all won classics at a young age. The outliers to me would seem to be if an older guy won, like Clunn on the St. John’s a few years ago

 

 

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

...these days the best anglers simply have to have grown up with the internet and mastered FFS.   All the waypoints are out there, and GPS/mapping tech has made it where anybody with a boat can access them.   Technology has trumped decades of experience.   

Probably can't underestimate the value the young guns today have derived from the intense high school and college trails, not to mention the Opens.  These young rookies have spent years fishing lakes all over the country in 200+ boat fields.   I don't imagine most of the guys in the past  had the same intense tourny experience prior to reaching top levels

[fishballer06]

Derek Hudnall retired midseason this year as well (worth mentioning). He finished 98th of 103 guys after only fishing 5 events this year. 

 

Also worth noting these guys and where they finished in AOY this year after fishing all 10 events. 

 

Iaconelli - 94th

Martin - 92nd

Swindle - 88th

Crews Jr - 87th

Kennedy - 83rd

Menendez - 75th

[F14A-B]

43 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

Derek Hudnall retired midseason this year as well (worth mentioning). He finished 98th of 103 guys after only fishing 5 events this year. 

 

Also worth noting these guys and where they finished in AOY this year after fishing all 10 events. 

 

Iaconelli - 94th

Martin - 92nd

Swindle - 88th

Crews Jr - 87th

Kennedy - 83rd

Menendez - 75th

Where did Scott Canterbury finish? I know him and SM are buddies..

[fishballer06]

2 minutes ago, alonerankin2 said:

Where did Scott Canterbury finish? I know him and SM are buddies..

86th

[F14A-B]

20 minutes ago, fishballer06 said:

86th

You know it’s crazy because all these guys are OG fishermen, I mean as OG as it can get and based off the newest technique , FFS. The sport has always been interesting to follow for me however this year has just been vastly different. I’ve seen parts of all 10 events but I will say it’s not very electric to view. I think it was @AlabamaSpothunter that said there was a big shift coming in the sport and I think you’re alluding to that as well.

 

But I’m pretty certain there is little we can do to stop the trend. FFS it seems has become the latest and greatest technique. 
Appreciate the info on where the anglers stand. 

[Susky River Rat]

17 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Probably can't underestimate the value the young guns today have derived from the intense high school and college trails, not to mention the Opens.  These young rookies have spent years fishing lakes all over the country in 200+ boat fields.   I don't imagine most of the guys in the past  had the same intense tourny experience prior to reaching top levels

I agree with this. Right now they are also the most versatile. They can use FFS they can skip docks. They can frog it. FFS is a huge thing to be able to do well. The new guys are probably the best at it. That does not mean they are well rounded in other skill sets. Whether I agree with FFS or not it’s part of the skill set you need to compete. Till that changes they need to get on board or left behind. It’s a job they are getting paid to do.