RE: BPT changes – The five-fish-vs.-every-fish isn’t the reason viewership is down. Opinions are split on that and for every one they lose from one camp, they gain from the other. What isn’t split is the opinion on who wants to watch video-game fishing, with the vast majority of fans saying they don’t. Every-fish-counts will only make it more about FFS. Until they figure that out, viewership will continue to subside.
RE: BPT changes – Run the drop in the field for 2024 and let's see who would be out. Very interesting.
RE: Balog on BPT reversal – For the first time, I think Joe missed the point. To me, I don't care if every fish counts or just the biggest five, it is about fish care. No fish in the livewell for bumpy rides and weigh-ins. Spawning fish are released near the bed, not miles away. These tournaments do not have the mortality rates of livewell tournaments. A great example was when they went back to back on the same lake about a month apart several years ago. The fishery held up very well. This is the true value of the BPT format.
YouTube has won the advertising war in pro bass fishing. Forward-facing sonar has leveled the playing field across most tournaments. There’s very little name recognition. Gonna be a tough sled to get the payouts back – B.A.S.S. and MLF had better tread carefully.
RE: BPT changes – Well, seeing as the new rules are kicking out the bottom 35 in the AOY standings, let's see if Boyd Duckett gets kicked off of the BPT in 2025. If Duckett's AOY standings for the last 5 years are actually used then he WILL NOT make the top 35 in points even if he drops his worst points year. All of these guys who drank the Kool-Aid that Duckett was serving probably have buyer's remorse right now. I personally will never buy another Boyd Duckett product in the fishing industry.
So B.A.S.S. forms a committee regarding fishermen who use forward-facing sonar, to give their opinion of FFS. Okay. One thing that neither B.A.S.S. nor their fishermen want to consider is this ... the fans who watch their events. I've been een fishing tournaments on the Louisiana Delta since 1970 – that's 53 years. I've been a life member of B.A.S. since 1972. I am phasing out of competitive fishing, it's just not the same for me. All the guys I started out with and looked forward to seeing each season are all gone, either passed or in homes. The new breed are just different.
If I was young, I would probably fit in. I bought a Garmin LiveScope setup about a year ago. I love to chase big bass and wanted to use it and learn it before forming an opinion on it. It can be deadly, and I predict it will have an adverse effect on some fisheries, especially crappie lakes. I also find it rather boring to watch televised tourneys with the field using FFS. I no longer watch the events.
In talking to other bass fishermen, it looks like there will be a reduction in the number of viewers watching. How many? Who knows, but it will mainly break down by age. The younger guys will like it, many of the guys my age will not. One thing the sponsors and advertisers look at is the breakdown of viewers in groups. Older fishermen have more disposable income, and younger fishermen generally do not. It will, get interesting, committee or no committee.
RE: MLF changes – Boyd’s ship is sinking!
RE: Balog on technology – I agree with Joe. I think B.A.S.S. is misreading the statistics. I have tuned out with FFS. They are trolling around without casting, looking down until they see one to throw at. Definitely not fun to watch. And MLF has lost it's identity. Back to all fish count, but as the first tourney this year showed, and Andy Morgan said on camera, it was more exciting since no one can run away with it. Oh well. Done will MLF too. Just go fishing and stop watching.
RE: MLF changes – Code for “downsizing”?
RE: MLF changes – Five fish killed y'alls views? No. How about all the blatant cheating and rule-changing. What needs to happen is MLF just dissolves and all those guys are left struggling to make it back to B.A.S.S.
RE: MLF changes – This will help the LiveScope fishermen and hurt the bank-beaters. Not sure that is going to help viewership.
RE: MLF changes – Top 35 lifetime is going to make for some interesting math ... where will this leave the guys who qualified out of the Invitationals for the '24 season in '25? Their lifetime BPT numbers will be one season.
BassFan says: The first-year anglers will be under the same qualification criteria as the rest of the field, so yes, their ledger will consist of just one season.
RE: B.A.S.S. forms tech committee – I have zero interest in watching live or even recorded B.A.S.S. or MLF/BPT coverage anymore. The engineers for the sonar companies are engineering much of what makes competitive sport fishing great right out of it. There's something to be said about watching a pro break down a waterway and committing to an area despite not being 100-percent sure fish are there or not knowing the quality/quantity of what's there. I've checked out. Good luck on selling the new angler on $10,000 worth of sonar as well. The circuits are digging their own graves.
Disagree with Joe Balog's opinion on the Bassmaster Opens. It eliminated lots of anglers who only had enough time off to fish three tournaments. His original opinion was right on.
RE: B.A.S.S. forms tech committee – I hate the word "ban", but something must be done. I barely watched any of the last three Elite tournaments this year. I don’t know the answer to solve the FFS issue, but we’re just in the beginning stages of technology in fishing. When will we draw the line?
RE: 2024 Bassmaster Opens schedule – Division 3 stinks!
Dear BassFan Readers: As you may have noticed, new content has not been posted to BassFan.com recently. That’s because in an effort to streamline production,
By B.A.S.S. Communications PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Before the Lake Champlain Bassmaster Elite Qualifier even started, Emil Wagner was telling anyone who
By B.A.S.S. Communications PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Emil Wagner estimated a couple hundred waves crashed over the bow of his boat on Day 2 of the Lake
