Getting Reel - Fishing News

Is BASS Re-surging past FLW?

by Don Zaegel on December 2nd, 2007

     If you ask any particular crowd of tournament anglers which circuit is better between BASS and FLW, you will almost always get a one sided answer. Of course the answer will depend on what group of anglers you ask. Regardless, their reply will always be one or the other with no space in between. The best comparison I can think of, is if you go up to an American pick-up truck or hot rod enthusiast and ask him, “Ford or Chevy”? Your answer is going to be that one rules and the other sucks for whatever reason and every now and again you will get a straggler who will say, Dodge! It is the same thing in the world of tournament fishing and it has become this way because of a dedicated loyal group of followers to their respective circuit.

     BASS has been around longest of the two with it’s first tournament being held in 1967. The tournament hosted 106 anglers and was held by fishing pioneer Ray Scott. Since that time, BASS, for the most part, has been the authority in the competitive fishing industry. Throughout this time there has been ups and downs, but BASS has always found a way to make adjustments through innovation like the creation of the Federation Nation in 1995 and by listening to the voices of the angers.

     Which such a rich history behind it that I didn’t even begin to touch on, many might wonder why I would even be begging the question, “Is BASS re-surging past FLW”? Here is why. In 1996, Irwin Jacobs, the Chairman of Genmar Inc, the worlds 2nd largest boat builder with brands such as Ranger, Champion, and Stratos, created the FLW Tour. His intention was to create a high-profile tournament circuit that would lend itself to high profile TV and attain the stature that most other professional sports have. Not so easily done, but in 1997 Irwin Jacobs aligned the FLW with Wal-Mart. A big lift for the circuit that would help gain them national attention.

     When the tour began, it immediately recruited a new crowd of anglers who were trying to establish themselves in BASS or were just waiting for their turn in line to compete. The tour also recruited some of BASS’s highest level of anglers who looked at this as another opportunity to compete in additional tournaments. With tournament fishing being so competitive, we see more anglers come and go than we see stick around. Making a living being as a professional angler is not an easy task, so the opportunity to make extra money by competing on both circuits was not uncommon. FLW almost seemed to embrace it by using BASS’s best anglers to help thrust it forward to gain the same recognition that BASS had.

     Between the inception of the FLW, the tournament fishing industry has really exploded. The FLW is just what the industry needed. In order for the market to grow, it really needed to see BASS receive competition by another circuit. The competition between the two to become the front runner in competitive bass fishing has forced the two to continuously raise the bar over the other with higher purses and better opportunities.

     To give you an idea of what I am talking about. In 2000, the FLW championship payed out $250,00 to 1st place winner Dion Hibbdon. In 2003, the same tournament paid out $500,00 to winner David Dudley. Now in 2007, we saw the largest individual angler payout of $1 million to Championship winner Scott Suggs. A new landmark in tournament fishing. The payout quadrupled in 7 years. Impressive!

     Allot of the growth in the FLW had to with sponsor backing and  consistent good judgement making by it’s leaders. With this sort of growth, BASS was starting to see a sort of “changing of the guard” and they knew they had to react. Many of BASS’s top pros had made a permanent transition into the FLW seeing it as a better opportunity to make more money. 

     In 2001, BASS was purchased by ESPN, who we know is the world wide leader in sports. The intent was to help BASS draw in better TV coverage and recruit bigger sponsors. Translation, more money.

     The immediate response by the angling community was that this ”could” prove to be a good move but many anglers chose to keep a solitude opinion and let the formation speak for itself.

     The attempt by ESPN/BASS to draw in more money was quickly failing by 2005 and so in 2006, they formed the Elite Series. The intent of the Elite Series was to allow the anglers to bring in their own sponsors, allow them optimum exposure, and in turn solicit major non-endemic sponsors. ESPN saw this as the only real way to grow the sport beyond were it was at. Bigger entry-fees were created, wrapped boats were mandatory, and higher payouts were promised. ESPN/BASS saw this as the solution to fix the “broken” state it felt like it was in because of the large success of the FLW.

     When the formation of the Elites was announced many of the pros that were faithful to BASS saw the formation as unreliable, feeling that the FLW was going to provide better security for them and their sponsors. With BASS selling itself to ESPN and now dramatically changing the structure of it top series, they appeared on the outside to be in distress. This caused many anglers to permanently leave BASS and dedicate themselves to the FLW. Anglers like Jay Yelas, Larry Nixon, Mark Davis, and a handful of others.

     With much doubt circulating within the BASS community and the angling community in large, the Elite Series set out to deliver on its promise to provide its anglers with a better opportunity to make more money and secure their lifestyle as a professional angler. Their $100,000 regular season event payouts, qualification into to the entry free $250,000 Elite Majors, and qualification into fishing most lucrative event the Bassmaster Classic were just a few of the opportunities it had to offer.

     To say the least, so far the Elite Series has been successful and delivered on its promise to the anglers. Now as we see anglers like Mark Davis make the transition back over from the FLW to BASS, this could be an indicator that BASS and its Elite Series is starting to re-gain its trust from the anglers. Something that has been on a teeter totter for the past 5-6 years. While BASS still doesn’t offer any purse as large as the $1 million offered to the FLW Cup Champion, could this be the next milestone in the long standing history of BASS?  

Share This

Related Stories

KVD Wins Kentucky
Dianna Clark Wins 3rd Stop on WBT
Mark Davis - No Decision
Legend Boats & the WBT
Fred Roumbanis Wins on Murray

POSTED IN: BASS, BASS Elite Series, BASS Opens, BASS Women's Tour, FLW, FLW Series, FLW Stren Series, FLW Tour, FLW/BFL Series