Elite Series: no longer pay to play

[Pumpkin Lizard]

https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/bass-elites-pay-103024.html

Looks like winnings have been restructured a little from 11th and beyond.

[Susky River Rat]

It’s good but, who did BASS sell their  financial souls to so this got accomplished? Down the road the true colors of this may show.

[GReb]

I’d be interested to see an example of someone’s earnings last year vs what it would’ve been under new structure. I’d bet it’s better but not drastic. Payouts have been reduced. 

[Pumpkin Lizard]

12 minutes ago, GReb said:

I’d be interested to see an example of someone’s earnings last year vs what it would’ve been under new structure. I’d bet it’s better but not drastic. Payouts have been reduced. 

Their costs have been reduced by $45k can’t be that bad.

[GReb]

6 minutes ago, Pumpkinseed Lizard said:

Their costs have been reduced by $45k can’t be that bad.

Finishing 30th is going from $10,000 to $850

[Pumpkin Lizard]

2 minutes ago, GReb said:

Finishing 30th is going from $10,000 to $850

They definitely won’t like that. 

[Pumpkin Lizard]

54 minutes ago, Susky River Rat said:

It’s good but, who did BASS sell their  financial souls to so this got accomplished? Down the road the true colors of this may show.

it’s more like they robbed Peter to pay Paul.

[Team9nine]

Yeah, this is going to be a disaster after all the dust settles and reality hits after a couple years under this system (IMHO) 

[gim]

1 hour ago, GReb said:

Finishing 30th is going from $10,000 to $850

 

Whoa.  I wonder how many of the anglers were made aware of this when they heard they didn't have to pay any entry fees.

 

"Fine print"

[GReb]

I picked two random anglers. They both earned more in the old format 

 

[DaubsNU1]

This is a business decision.

 

I have never seen a business "restructure" things with the end result of making less money. Nope....it's always about making more money.

 

 

[fishballer06]

I'd imagine this is a dagger in the attempt of burying "that other league" for good. Time will tell if this is for better or worse of BASS and the sport overall. 

[Pumpkin Lizard]

27 minutes ago, GReb said:

I picked two random anglers. They both earned more in the old format 

 

So the anglers had a meeting in New York and they asked for this. Be careful what you wish for!

[F14A-B]

Wow all the top FFS guys are gonna really love this! No entry fees now to win!! That’s about the most lopsided game in town now. 😂 Gerald swindle still gonna finish down in the standings.. it’s gonna be the same people winning..same ffs, it’s just now they don’t even have to pay to win. 

[TnRiver46]

Salzman said he turned down his BPT invite to go fish BASS opens 

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Salzman said he turned down his BPT invite to go fish BASS opens 

Yeah, he’s probably all excited now that he knows as a professional angler on the Elite Series, he can win at least $500 if he can just make the Top 40 cut 😉

[Pumpkin Lizard]

17 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Yeah, he’s probably all excited now that he knows as a professional angler on the Elite Series, he can win at least $500 if he can just make the Top 40 cut 😉

 

I just don't get BASS here. Now that anglers don't have that $45k expense sponsors will have all the more reason to reduce funding. This would be a great thing if the BASS suddenly had increased revenue streams from the additional FOX coverage they are getting and that was what subsidized an elimination of or reduction in entry fees. Instead the message seems to be that anglers now have to go find the revenue themselves instead. Guess everybody better get serious about YouTubing. Seems like a potential disaster to me.

 

Does anyone here know anything about the details of BASS's tv deal? Is BASS buying time on FOX or is FOX actually paying for the content?

 

Also I thought I saw something about General Tire pulling out of the BPT is there anything to that?

[bowhunter63]

It’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out . Seems like there all grasping at straws to keep going. 

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

1 hour ago, Pumpkinseed Lizard said:

 

sponsors will have all the more reason to reduce funding.

Yeah I fill like this could be a big issue. 

[volzfan59]

Sounds like a great move for B.A.S.S. to me. I hope that they can make it work. The mlf couldn’t make no entry fees work, but they can’t seem to make anything work over there. I hope that General Tire is pulling out.

 

#FishingBoatDocks

[Pumpkin Lizard]

Fellow nutmegger Alex Wetherell made a spreadsheet and you can download it.

 

Based on the data it looks like this benefits the anglers at the bottom more than the ones at the top.

 

 

[brophog]

3 hours ago, Pumpkinseed Lizard said:

Based on the data it looks like this benefits the anglers at the bottom more than the ones at the top.

There is a big caveat there. Those guys that weren’t bringing in 45k in winnings this year look relatively better comparing 2024 to the proposed 2025 payouts, but we have to keep in mind they’re still losing money. They’re just losing less of it in the new structure.

 

Edit: Important note in terms of that video analysis. He treats 2025 money as being +$45,000, instead of saying the angler is saving $45,000. His method of accounting makes it looks like an angler that cashed 0 in 2025, but had $15,000 in expenses, is now profiting +$30,000 when in actuality he still lost $15,000 instead of the $60,000 he would have lost had he never cashed out with entry fees.

 

The TL;DR of this analysis is that practically everyone is worse off.

Edited November 1, 2024 by brophog
Clarification

[GReb]

As I believe Swindle said, you have to be a little crazy to decide to become a professional bass fisherman and you better be a hustler too

[Dan N]

After watching some videos from the guys fishing BASS, this looks like a bad move. The pay outs look pathetic. I can’t imagine how most will make any money.