BASS BLOG - July 12, 2007 More running off at the keyboard . . .
You have to credit to the folks at FLW Outdoors for deciding to bring the FLW Tour into modern-day, big-league fishing by tightening up the rules regarding pre-tournament fishing information.
In announcing its 2008 schedule, FLW officials said that there will now be a 12-day off-limits period during which competitors cannot solicit or receive information from anyone other than a fellow competitor.
Although I would have liked to see the off-limits period be at least three weeks, it’s a major step forward. Gone are the days where an FLW Tour pro could spend as much as a month on the tournament waters.
Another strong rule change involves the three-day practice immediately before a tournament. “During practice, pro anglers may fish only with other confirmed tournament anglers, immediate family members, approved sponsor representatives or approved media representatives,” according to a FLW Outdoors press release.
Good idea. Gone are the days when a FLW competitor could hire a guide and get a last-minute tour of the tournament site.
Both are great decisions.
I would like to see one more: eliminate the sponsor exemptions that allow a pro to qualify for the FLW Tour without actually qualifying for it. That would make the FLW Tour more of a big-league circuit, instead of its current AAA level.
And it would avoid such embarrassments as when Shinichi Fukae won the FLW Tour Angler of the Year title — without ever qualifying for that tour. In fact, the Japanese pro had never fished a SINGLE FLW event of any kind at any level. Instead, he had been admitted through the efforts of a Ranger Boat dealer in his native Japan.
Did you hear about the big-league Bassmaster pro who has posted eight top-10 finishes (seven in the top-five) in the last 11 tournaments?
No, I’m not recounting the latest heroics of Kevin VanDam. I’m talking about Sheri Glasgow, whose run through the Mercury Marine Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Triton Boats is a dominance even KVD would love to claim.
The 40-year-old Oklahoma pro says the reason for her success is mostly mental.
“This year I had a mental strategy that has really helped me,” she told me recently. “I’ve taken every tournament as its own separate entity. Instead of looking at it like I have to conquer this whole season.
“Then I take each tournament and break it down even more. Every day my goal is to try to come in with five. Once you break down every tournament to each individual day, it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.
You dissect things down small enough to where you don’t get mentally overwhelmed.
“A friend of mine in Oklahoma once (asked) me that when you go to a tournament weigh-in and see people come in with their limit, how many fish do they have? I said five. Then he asked me of all those people that came in with limits, how many caught 20 fish to cull up to their five and which ones had five bites all day long? I told him there was no way to know. That was his point.
“He said, ‘So how many bites are you looking for every day?’ Five.
So every day when I fish, once I’ve caught one, I tell myself four more bites. I catch another one, and I say three more.
“All I’m doing is looking for five bites in each individual tournament day and then hoping that I get those five bites all three days. Whether I get 20 to cull up to that five or I get five, it doesn’t matter.”
I asked Glasgow why her style seems so well-suited to the WBT?
“I think it is that I try to stay as versatile as I can,” she replied. “That seems to work well. Like everybody I have stronger points, but if I can catch fish in deeper water by throwing a spinnerbait, then I try to do that. And if I can catch them shallow throwing a spinner, I’ll try to do that.
“I try my darnedest to apply to what the fish want and not necessarily try to catch them how I want them to bite. I think that’s one of the things that help me. That’s the only thing that I do that might be different from somebody else.
“A lot of people have their strong points and that’s how they fish. And if the fish bite that way, they win doing it. And if they don’t, they go fish the way they want to fish. I try to just throw whatever I need to throw and fish how I need to fish to get those five bites each day.”
BASS BLOG - July 10, 2007 More running off at the keyboard . . .
It is a sign that professional bass fishing has arrived in the sports world — clichés that have become overused code terms on television coverage, in print and especially on the Bassmaster Elite Series weigh-in stage.
As an old weigh-in junkie, I have come to cringe — no, make that detest — the following terms, nicknames and corny phrases that linger at tournaments like a smelly cloud.
(OK, I admit I'm entering curmudgeon-hood).
Kevin VanDam's cookies
I'm sure Sherry makes great cookies. For all I know he may be the next Mrs. Fields. But after hearing KVD credit her culinary skills for his success in recent years, my taste buds aren't remotely interested.
Believe me, VanDam is no Cookie Monster. As they used to say about MJ, it's not the shoes. With KVD, it's not the cookies (unless they are steroid-laced).
Hack Attack
First coined by former BASS emcee Fish Fishburne, Greg Hackney's nickname was cute and appropriate at the time. In fact, for the first thousand times…
But it has gotten old, real old. Especially since now that Hack's Attacks have gotten fewer and farther apart. Even when he gets hot again, the term "Hack Attack" should be banned from stage, screen and page.
Going Ike
One of the more clever clichés to come down the BASS pike. It may not be accurate, but I credit Denny Brauer with coining the phrase. At the very least, he popularized it more than anyone.
Here's my problem with this overused slogan: no one can Go Ike like Ike. So the term doesn't fit. When Brauer tells the camera that he's about to "Go Ike," he's wrong. At his age, he's not up to it.
Come to think of it, not even Iaconelli has been Going Ike very often in the boat this season. Of course, he hasn't had much reason to celebrate…
Fishing in the Moment
Speaking of Ike, this was his pet phrase when he being so dominate in past seasons. And From the Kicking A Man While He's Down Department: given the very pedestrian performance he's had this season maybe he should try Fishing in the Past.
The Baby Pattern
Give me a break. Every few years somebody comes a long and wins a tournament while his wife is pregnant. Yeah, and every few years I clean up the garage — doesn't make it a pattern.
Do you know how many pros fall flat on their faces in tournaments while their wives are blessed with child? A helluvalot more than the Fred Roumbanis's and Preston Clarks of the world.
Speaking of my buddy Preston, maybe he should be working on another set of triplets just in case.
Skeet Reese's So-Called Dancing
OK, maybe in California what the Skeeter does with his feet is considered smooth moves (I'm not exactly hip), but to me it look like the rapid foot movement and flailing of a man about to fall out of his boat. Thankfully, he is not called on to perform this "skill" on stage now that he catches bass like a maniac.
Ditto's Ike's break-dancing.
BASS BLOG - July 5, 2007 More running off at the keyboard . . .
A couple of the Bassmaster Elite Series boats are sure to stand out from the crowd in upcoming tournaments on lakes Champlain, Erie and Oneida.
And not because of their wraps.
Veteran pros Tim Horton and Brian Snowden have forsaken their Procraft fiberglass boats (temporarily) and will be piloting 21-foot Tracker Tundra Deep V aluminum models.
“Bass Pro and Tracker have wrapped the boats and rigged them especially for big water bass-fishing situations,” Snowden says. These boats will allow ourselves, as well as our co-anglers, the advantage over other anglers to travel further in rough-water situations.”
These boats, designed primarily for big-water walleye fishing, should provide a smoother ride when those notoriously fickle bodies of water get windy, wild and wooly.
But it will be odd seeing those high-profile bass pros doing a little low-riding in their walleye sleds.
Is it just me, or has the big hot-dog eating contest suddenly become big news? When did competitive eating become a sport?
All of the hype and coverage of this week’s Nathan's International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest makes me want to regurgitate (oops, bad choice of words). But it has convinced me that professional bass fishing is waaaaaaay down the totem pole of sporting ventures.
Consider that ESPN owns BASS and has continually expressed its interest in growing fishing to a big-league level. Yet, its coverage of this Man Bites Dog contest dwarfs anything the Bassmaster Classic has ever received on SportsCenter and ESPN.
Consider that the hot-dog contest was broadcast live on July 4th — treatment the Classic hasn’t received.
But maybe there are good reasons for that. First, 30,000 spectators attended the event in 2006. Secondly, 1.5 million households were said to have tuned into the live telecast of guys stuffing dogs into their mouths.
We had 30,000 spectators watch the final round of the 2001 Classic in the New Orleans Superdome. But the Classic has never broken the one million mark in viewers with all of its Classic coverage viewership combined — never mind 1.5 million for one show.
Maybe competitive eating is the next NASCAR. Competitive bass fishing isn’t.
Speaking of fishing and television, tournament angling was featured on the CBS News With Katie Couric this week. And not in a good light, I might add.
From the folks who brought us Dan Rather and who tried to rewrite history to defame President Bush’s military record, comes a feature on cheating in bass tournaments, which, judging by this report, must be absolutely rampant all around the country.
CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi, who looks like she wouldn’t no a fishing rod from a lightning rod, chose a small weekend tournament on Lake Seminole as the setting for her report. It was pure country bumpkin and none of the sophistication and professionalism that is on display at BASS and FLW events.
Alfonsi asks, “Why would someone cheat at fishing, of all things?”
“Dollar bill, honey! Dollar bill, that’s all there is to it,” answers Richard Predmore, organizer of the Buddy Bass tournament in Bainbridge, Ga. “When you cast for cash, it’s money! Some people think they can get away with it.”
Alfonsi continues: “After all they are only a few eyes watching, on big lakes, with big money at stake. Last year, pro fisherman took home more than $9 million in prize money.
“But even at Predmore’s small tournament, amateurs — like Mike Webster — can net big prizes.”
Predmore says, “You start getting up there, a $50,000 boat, $100,000 cash, like today you’re talking $2,000, but you work for a living, that’s a bunch of money.”
Alfonsi: “So, on the lake, they focus on bringing in a big bass. On shore, they’re concentrating on catching cheaters. Every fisherman at this tournament is subject to a lie-detector test.”
Predmore: “We’d prosecute them, personally, I would,”
Alfonsi: “Everyone loves to talk about the ‘one that got away.’ But with the law lakeside, a cheating fisherman won’t be one of them.”
You can view the video for yourself at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/04/eveningnews/main3016169.shtml
Barf bag not included.
Lamb good choice for PAA
Good news came this week with the announcement that Craig Lamb has been appointed as general manager of the Professional Anglers Association.
Good news for the pros. Good news for the leagues. Good news for the sport.
I've known Lamb since I started covering the sport 25 years ago and consider him a friend. He remains a long-time senior writer for Bassmaster and BASS Times, and has seen the sport (and industry) from all sides.
He is the perfect person to lead the PAA onward after its impressive inaugural tournament and festival on Lake Fork this spring — for several reasons.
First, Lamb has no hidden agenda. He harbors no animosity towards BASS (unlike some) and owns the perfect management style to get along with the leagues. In fact, perhaps for the first time the PAA might actually make some headway with FLW Outdoors officials.
And strides are more likely to be made on behalf of the pros without the cloud of suspicion toward BASS/ESPN that that has hamstrung PAA leadership at times.
Secondly, he knows the business from all sides. Although he's just 47, Lamb's background includes outdoors media (book and magazine publishing), corporate marketing and communications, television programming and production, and Internet site development and managing.
His career stints have included four years with Ranger Boats, plus two stays with BASS; and he has served as a communications or marketing manager for such companies as Gaylord Entertainment, The Nashville Network and VIACOM.
As General Manager, Lamb will be in charge of implementing PAA policies adopted by its Board of Directors and overseeing the organization's programs and operations, including standards, membership, charitable ventures, education, tournaments and the PAA website.
"It has been truly rewarding to make 'bass fishing' a lifelong career, and I look forward to being part of its continued growth through my association with PAA and its members and partners," Lamb said on the PAA website.
Good for him. And them.
It's the shoes
Ken Climo, the top-ranked disc golfer in the world, recently signed a deal with Bite Footwear to wear the sport's first footwear specifically designed for disc golfers.
You know what disc golf is? It's a fancy game of Frisbee.
Why hasn't some fishing pro (or his or her agent) made similar progress with someone like Nike or Reebok? Food for thought…
Not their first rodeo
Ever notice how many BASS pros have a background in professional rodeo?
Jeff Reynolds, Terry Butcher, Randy Dearman and Brian Clark, winner of the recent Bassmaster Central Open on Lake Texoma, to name a few. Plus, the co-angler ranks have included former world-champion rodeo cowboy Bobby Del Vecchio of Arizona.
There is one glaring common denominator between the two careers — both are a demanding sport with no guarantees and a failure rate that would rival that of actors and restaurateurs.
BASS BLOG - June 29, 2007 More running off at the keyboard . . .
Much love
Even after a quarter century of covering the bass tournament scene, there are certain aspects of the sport that I absolutely love. I love the respect that most pros show each other. I love that you don't have to stand 6-foot-5, weigh 240 pounds and be built like a bodybuilder to succeed. I love that Kevin VanDam is the picture of our sport.
I love that an angler can catch 30 pounds one day and strike out the next; and that a guy can get shut out the first day, catch 30 pounds the next and climb into contention for the tournament championship. I love that these pros are so accessible to their fans. And the media. I love that there are few prima donnas (compared to other sports).
What I love most is the sportsmanship that is more inherent in tournament bass fishing than in any other sport. Maybe that's why I despise the television series "Ultimate Match Fishing."
I can remember seeing a show I believe was called "Championship Fishing" that actually included referees in striped shirts hovering over a pair of anglers as they battled it out on the water. I absolutely hated it. And I don't like "Ultimate Match Fishing" for many of the same reasons.
First, a disclaimer: Joe Thomas, the man behind UMF, is a good friend and one of my favorite pros. He knows my opinion on the show and we have agreed to disagree.
UMF does a disservice to the sport by using a format that regularly shows off the seamier side of a sport that rarely witnesses such unsportsmanlike behavior on the BASS circuit.
Here's is what the show's website says about UMF: "The concept of Ultimate Match Fishing is to bring 12 of the top names in competitive bass angling together for the first time in an original Outdoor Channel production where the participants are matched head-to-head in a seeded, bracketed, single elimination made for television bass fishing event. The anglers will share the same boat, the same water, and their own unique strategies and perspectives as they battle through the bracket to be crowned the Ultimate Match Fishing Champion!"
On the surface, that sounds OK. But why do you need referees trailing these pros and looking for infractions of rules that are exclusive to this made-for-television competition. And the basic format makes it OK for one angler to absolutely screw over the other.
I remember a show where one pro had the lead entering the final segment and took obvious glee in being able to take the other pro out into open water — and away from the fish — to protect that lead. The losing pro was visibly upset about it, and I would be, too.
That is not tournament fishing. But the uninformed television viewer who saw that would think that such backstabbing is commonplace on the BASS and FLW scenes. It isn't.
I love the real image of our sport. And I'd like to see it portrayed more accurately.
Fall from grace
As a fisherman, Frank Scalish is too good and experienced to be in 107th place — next to last — in the Bassmaster Classic standings.
The Ohio angler is an accomplished pro, a past BASS winner. How does such a fall happen?
If this were golf, Scalish would be ticketed to Q School to have to re-qualify for his Tour card. As it is, he has just four tournaments to right his ship.
Surprise, surprise
The biggest surprise in the top 20 of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings?
The rookies, Derek Remitz and Casey Ashley, deserve consideration. But my vote goes to Jared Lintner, who is third behind KVD and Skeet Reese.
The quiet Californian is enjoying a terrific sophomore season after finishing runner-up to Steve Kennedy in the top rookie race last season.
This guy is for real.
BASS BLOG - June 25, 2007 Running off at the keyboard . . .
Call him "Mr. Amazing"
We're running out superlatives to describe the guy formerly known as the Kalamazoo Kid and now simply as KVD (like Michael Jordan became known as MJ).
One thing has become abundantly clear — watch out after the Michigan Machine has a rare bad tournament performance.
Last weekend's victory at Grand Lake came after VanDam's very pedestrian (at least for him) 39th-place showing at the Smith Mountain Lake event. And his last win at Lake Guntersville came on the heels of his 55th-place floundering at Clarks Hill.
Just how ridiculously good is this guy?
Last season, he gets DQed for an entire tournament and still almost wins the Bassmaster Angler of the Year title.
I'll say it now — call the dogs and kill the fire, the 2007 AOY race is over. Now that he's wrested the lead from Skeet Reese, KVD won't relinquish the AOY to anyone.
Consider this: there are four Elite Series tournaments remaining: Lake Champlain, Lake Erie, Potomac River and Lake Tohopekaliga.
KVD has vast experience on the Great Lakes, so Erie should be a slam-dunk for him. On Champlain, which is sometimes called "The Other Great Lake," his past BASS finishes are 9th, 24th and 26th.
He has practically owned the BASS stops on the Potomac, finishing 30th, 4th, 3rd, 24th, 1st, 5th, 3rd, 19th and 13th. And his track record on Toho is 5th, 12th, 26th, 25th, 4th and 16th.
Skeet is a terrific fisherman, but the odds are just too heavily in VanDam's favor.
Here's another incredible fact about KVD that fishing fans might not realize: he performs this fantastic in the face of a far greater challenge than that of his fellow competitors.
Why? First, the guy has more demands on his time than anybody in the game. Prefishing a tournament site? Forget about it. No time. Sponsor obligations, media duties, charity events, representing the sport so well — KVD gets pulled from every direction 365 days a year.
He can't even escape it on the water. Did you read that KVD had more than 50 boats following him Sunday at Grand Lake? And he still won!
It just makes his consistency at the top all that more remarkable.
In my 20-something years of covering the tournament scene, I've noticed that bass pros are often like lemmings, particularly when it comes to how they dress.
Case in point: the tournament shirt.
In the 1980s, everybody sported patches sewn onto a shirt that was tucked into their paints. Then Roland Martin came up with the idea of converting a fly-fisherman's vest into a patch platform. That was followed by embroidered sponsor logos on vests. The pros then ditched the vests and switched to embroidered shirts, particularly the breathable, quick-drying version that was invented by a company named Tarponwear.
Today, most of the Elite Series pros are wearing a synthetic jersey with screened logos that is even more hideous than the patch-covered vest. These colorful jerseys make the anglers look like sissy English soccer players. And none tuck them in, so the touring pros have never looked sloppier.
Blame it on Jeff Kriet. He was the first to bring this look to the tour. And, of course, the rest of the flock quickly followed his lead. The final straw for me was seeing Tommy "Old School" Biffle sporting the latest look.
Is my buddy Preston Clark shaping up to be a "flash in the pan?"
That is a legitimate question. Currently, the personable Florida pro is 89th in the Classic standings — after finishing 78th last season.
Clark made the 2005 Classic (and '06 Classic, too) in his first year on the tour. He then became an instant hit in the bass world with his record-smashing performance in the 2006 Classic on Lake Toho. A couple of months later, he set the record for largest four-day catch in BASS history en route to winning at Santee-Cooper. Since then, it's been all downhill.
His Elite Series finishes have been 62nd, 76th, 68th, 96th, 96th, 62nd, 102nd, 61st, 91st, 45th, 72nd, 98th, 50th, 67th and 78th.
So was it just a flash of brilliance that we've seen countless times on the nation's top bass circuit? I suspect that it is not. Knowing Preston, I believe there's a lot of substance there. He's got the skills and ability to fish with the big boys; but he's obviously struggling with the mental side of the sport.
I'm pulling for him. With infant triplets, another toddler, a terrific wife and the sport's best smile, a highly successful Preston Clark is good for professional fishing.
BASS BLOG - June 21, 2007
Watching the Rick Morris appeal of his disqualification in the recent Bassmaster Elite Series event on Smith Mountain Lake. It will be interesting to see what occurs and how it impacts the rule that has allowed anglers to dive in for a hooked bass as long as they maintain contact with their boat — a la Mike Iaconelli last season at Table Rock Lake.
Here's an idea that will settle any future questions: make a rule that says you have to have both feet on the surface of the boat at all times for it to be a legal catch.
Problem solved.
BASS and ESPN officials have tried a variety of different formats in the six years that the Sports Giant has owned the king of fishing organizations. And they are to be praised for attempting to break the mold.
But when I witness the tiny crowds like we had at the Major in Greensboro, I think back to the Elite 50 format where the competitors were launched at 10 a.m. and weigh-ins started at 7 p.m. Why did we go away from that?
Fishing fans loved it and the crowds were above normal. Finally, working folks were able to come to the Thursday and Friday weigh-ins; and fishermen were able to watch the festivities without missing the prime afternoon bite on weekends.
Might that format had saved the Majors? We'll never know&
Tell me again, how many anglers will qualify for the 2007 Jacobs Cup, er, Forrest Wood Cup, er, FLW Tour Championship Aug. 2-5 in Hot Springs.
Something like 82 guys earn a pass and a shot at the $1 million top prize (if you run a Ranger with a Yamaha or 'Rude, and use the right electronics, fish goop and underwear). That's almost as many as the entire Elite Series field.
Then there are the various routes that lead to the championship. They include the luckiest owner of a Ranger boat and fishermen from the FLW Tour, FLW Series, Stren Series and Bass Fishing League.
As for the FLW Tour Championship, can you spell D-I-L-U-T-E-D? Is it just me, or does this make no sense? How can this be a true championship event with 80-something people involved?
Here's a test to see just how sharp a fishing fan you are.
Name the three pros that have cashed a check in every single Elite Series tournament this season.
Here's a hint: the answer doesn't include KVD, Skeet or Ike.
Look for the answer down below. . .
Years ago, professional fishermen dreamed of the day when they would reach a level where they could actually stand a chance of getting a soft-drink sponsorship like other pro athletes. Based on several deals signed since the inception of the Elite Series, the sport has reached that lofty level.
Tim Horton has had a regional deal to promote Coke's new energy drink Vault since the 2006 Bassmaster Classic. Fellow Alabama angler and Women's Bassmaster Tour pro Jo Dee Bucki secured a sponsorship with the Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Co., to promote TaB Energy (designed specifically for women). "My sponsorship with the Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Co. didn't come overnight," she says. "I'm constantly networking, making contacts and building relationships throughout the Birmingham area." The contact with Birmingham Coca-Cola came through networking in her hometown. Bucki is a founding member of a local organization called Professional Sales Association and through it she met the marketing director for the local bottling company. "Women are typically the ones who determine what is purchased on a daily basis for their families," Bucki adds. "Companies will benefit by using professional anglers from the WBT because we're unique and exciting and we can market to an untapped audience." Three years of trying paid off for Michael Iaconelli, the sport's high profile, high-wire act, when he signed a deal with Pepsico to promote Mountain Dew just before the 2006 Classic. The largest soft-drink company sponsorship belongs to former Bassmaster Angler of the Year Aaron Martens, whose Elite Series Triton sports the colors and logo of Coke's Vault. His deal is believed to be in the six-figures range of compensation.
By the way, the first pro to ever get a soft-drink endorsement deal was David Fritts, who had a regional Mountain Dew deal for six years in the late 1990s.
ANSWER: Jeff Kriet, Jared Lintner and Cliff Pace.
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BASS BLOG - June 18, 2007
Welcome to the Bass Blog, a collection of my personal views and things that I find interesting after spending 25 years covering the professional bass scene. This blog, which will appear twice a week on ESPNOutdoors.com, will feature opinions and other material that, hopefully, you will find interesting, surprising, intriguing, candid, controversial, insightful and more.
At times, it will be the kind of no-holds-barred stuff that you can't find anywhere else on the Web. Other times, it will open your eyes to sides of the sport — and business — that you are likely not very familiar with.
And I hope you will be moved to comment on my words, opinions and statements — using today's cyberspace form of the water-cooler discussion.
Let's get started.
Big news out of BASS and ESPN this week. In summary, the Majors are history, Bassmaster Elite Series entry fees and payouts stay the same, and the pros get to use their own boats in 2008.
Some observations:
• The Majors were a great, ambitious idea that never worked. The cost of putting on these no-entry-fee events was just too much when you consider the lack of a payoff. Not only was the winner awarded $250,000, but BASS spent huge money on things like renting arenas, staffing and advertising — while ESPN footed the big bills associated with same-day television coverage.
Despite spending considerable advertising dollars and marketing the events especially hard, the Majors never drew the kind of interest (and weigh-in crowds) that BASS/ESPN had envisioned.
• Some Elite Series pros whined about the payout not increasing and the entry fees not decreasing, but the savvy anglers know that the big money associated with this circuit isn't in the payouts. It's in exposure and prestige, which translates into the biggest sponsorship deals in the history of the sport.
That's a big reason why the five top earners in terms of endorsement dollars fish the Elites: Skeet Reese, $600,000; Gerald Swindle $515,000; Kevin VanDam $500,000; Jason Quinn $400,000; Michael Iaconelli $370,000; and Marty Stone $320,000.
• For years, the chorus I've heard most often among my friends who cast for cash for a living is something like: "If we only had our boats we would be able to get those big deals with non-endemic companies (i.e., Coke, American Express, Nike, etc.)."
The promise of fishing out of their own boats on television days is enough to secure those much-desired $100,000-plus deals, they claimed. Now we will see.
It should be interesting to see what happens from here. If those pros are right, the mega-money deals should start rolling in. And those that squawked at paying the $55,000 entry fees should start clamoring to get a spot in the Elite Series.
Regardless, all of the pros should send a big "thank you" to BASS boss Tom Ricks.
Here's a funny line.
Some of the Elite Series pros refer to the FLW Tour as the "Fishing Little Worms" tour because of the tough conditions that have plagued the circuit's tournaments in recent months.
It makes the pros on both sides appreciate the basic Elite Series format that aims to stage events on great bass lakes at prime times.
Congratulations to Chris Baumgardner, who earned his first FLW Tour victory by winning last weekend's stop on the Potomac River. It was a long time coming — the quiet N.C. pro has been trying since 1996.
Also, congratulations to my buddy Sandy Melvin, who made his first top-10 cut in his 12 seasons with the FLW Tour. This guy could be a force in the bass world if he would quit spending so much time guiding on the salty water out of Boca Grande.
Some good things about our sport:
• The enormous crowds at the Elite Series stop at Smith Mountain Lake. Further evidence that BASS and FLW needs to continue taking tournaments to new areas.
• Long-term economic impact of $1 million for the Smith Mountain Lake region, as estimated by local tourism officials.
• The crop of rookies in the Elite Series this season. Phenomenal.
• Don Corkran's return to head the BASS Federation Nation.
• The inaugural FLW Series Western Division.
• Quick-thinking Kevin Wirth.
The Elite boys are on Grand Lake this week and the fishing should be a repeat of last June's shootout (although the high-water conditions might hurt some fishermen).
This pundit's picks: Mike McClelland (a no-brainer, cover-my-butt pick); Ish Monroe, Gary Klein and Ken Cook (my long-shot pick).
