As we enter another season of bass tournament competition around the country, it will be interesting to see if tournament participation grows, holds its own or diminishes.
I raise that question because of discussions I’ve had this winter with anglers, tournament directors and organizations of all levels of competition.
Some tell me they saw a little drop in entries last year and expect it to be down again this year.
Why is that?
The economy and inflation are major reasons. Everything has gone up — insurance, fishing equipment/, right down to the hamburger you put on the dinner table. If a guy has a choice between paying his bills and buying groceries or fishing a tournament, it’s a no brainer. He’s got to stay home.
We see it in boat sales where interest rates have affected those guys wanting to become boat owners and those wanting to upgrade that older rig.
There’s hope that this new administration will reign in inflation, but it’s going to take time.
As I’ve said in previous blogs, anglers think they have to have a $100,000 boat filled with all of the bells and whistles, but that’s not necessary.
There are packages out there that are less expensive and still provide a quality boat and everything you need to be competitive. For example, our 721ZXL is loaded with electronics at $76,000. Or, if you’re trying to hit a smaller budget, you can visit our site and custom-build a boat and get the motor and electronics of your choice.
Costs aside, there is that other elephant in the tournament world room — forward-facing sonar (FFS). Ya’ll know it’s a controversial subject for a number of reasons.
I know this; it has certainly affected co-angler participation and rightly so. Who wants to sit in the back of a boat over 40 feet of water while their pro “pings a minnow” — as my friend Greg Hackney calls it.
The co-angler has always been at the mercy of his pro, but prior to FFS, he had a better chance of learning more and catching fish in a number of different ways.
And, as I’ve said before, I’m not against FFS. I have it, and it’s phenomenal. But the fact is, if you’re a boat owner who fishes tournaments, you’re at a handicap without it. And if you’re a back-seat angler, you’re going to be frustrated.
So what’s the solution? I’ve always felt circuits with co-anglers should consider the shared weight format. You draw a different partner each day, and both the pro and co-angler get credit for what both caught. Each angler carries that combined weight into the next day with a different partner.
I’ve fished the Canadian Open and two U.S. Opens out west where the shared weight system was a huge success. It not only instills the desire to work together as a team, but it also helps those inexperienced guys feel more welcome and part of a tournament.
It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years. The economy should improve and FFS will become more refined and affordable while anglers get better with it.
In the meantime, let’s hope tournament circuits find ways to build interest and attract new faces into the sport.