It was obviously done for a reason and those I could careless doesn’t effect me. I stopped watching professional bass fishing a few years ago. To me its turned into a joke. Thats just my opinion.
Tyler Berger's breakdown of John Cox;s 2024 earnings vs 2025 New Deal on Bass Fishing HQ is amazing! If John Cox can't make money the whole system is broke!
Professional bass fishing is the exact same thing as professional poker.......If you have money, you can play any tournament or cash game, but it doesn't mean you are profitable, nor does it mean you are a professional. Thanks for the great videos!
The squeaking hinges on the door is the best analogy I’ve heard to date. It doesn’t just apply to bass fishing, that analogy works for business, the country, the world, etc.
Professional fishing is dying….. that is very spot on. The past time of fishing is thriving. And that’s what I do, fish! Keep em coming bud. Awesome content.
Sounds pretty simple to me. One step forward, two steps back. It's at least good bassmaster isn't effectively borrowing money from their customers at 0 percent interest anymore. The positive person in me hopes it's the start of things getting better. But I can tell you this, if BASS was a publicly traded company, I wouldn't be lining up to invest.
If they all put in $2,000 side pot each tournament. Pay top 50 $4000 each. It would make it kind of like the payout from a year ago. Say they had 100 angler's they could divide up $200,000 however they want its there side pot money. Plus what Bass pays.
Todd when I was a child growing up i watched bass masters every Sunday morning and dreamed to one day walk on that stage but I didn’t want to be called a professional. Just a common man with dreams to fish with awesome guys
In the real world, money doesn't grown on trees. Keeping the entry fees and making the pay outs better is a Democrat thought process with tax payer dollars.
Read an article saying they did this to get rid of the bottom 3rd of the current field and to get a younger and more motivated group to come in and fish. It said the current group was stagnant and just there to collect the scraping by lower payouts. Not really sure anything below the top 10 will be able to sustain with the new payouts🤷♂️
@@jordankline5520 I just seen a spread sheet on each angler on payouts of 2024 and if they did the same in 2025. There were anglers winning $20k to $40k less in 2025, the angles that was coming in 60+ place won more with the 2025 payout
@ interesting. I guess if you are consistently not getting a check the new payout maybe better for you. If last year you didn’t even win your entry fees back new payouts may help, but you still have travel expenses. Who wants to fish with their own money and break even for the year though?
What is stagnant is the television production of Bassmaster live fishing events. BASS needs to take a page from the PGA. Up until the late 80’s. Watching golf was excruciating. Now it’s four days of really good coverage. BASS needs to find a way to make the tournaments exciting to watch. Their individual fishermen coverage is pathetic. I would bet that at any given time during a tournament someone is catching a fish. They need to find a way to cover and broadcast that.
BassMaster needs to get ahead of this and start writing articles that cater to the general, recreational NON-tournament fisherman. They are losing the rank and file fishermen due to thinking tournaments are everything. They can't even do the tournaments very good any more.
Todd, after listening to yours I listened to Kyle welcher on the subject. He said that most bass pros make their money on sponsors and if they have good sponsor income they should like the no entry fee format. It seems like u live in “tournament alley” and u can fish a lot of local team tournaments where others like me don’t have that near by. Unique for u I think vs most of us.
I think it's more of a bragging rights thing these days for people to say I fished the Elites or tried to qualify for the Elites because when you consider everything that goes in to fishing these tournaments you're 100% on point very few people make money actually fishing the vast majority of the money comes from sponsor dollars. No entree fee might help a little but an off year is going to hurt much worse. I'm right here in the SW Louisiana/E Texas area and I've looked into jumping into some bigger tournaments in the area. Me and my dad also fished some team tournaments growing up and was looking into doing it again but the amount of money you can make for the investment of the travel/tournaments just around here is so much higher then just about anything at the professional level. I'm not saying the payouts are better even though some are pretty awesome but what it cost to fish compared to the payout is much better...
I agree with u! It's not worth it.Putting this out there.I have fished tournaments for 50 yrs.what I would tell young people now, take Todd's advice watch his videos and listen.He tells u a way to make a living fishing! I fished those yrs jumping here and there, not really getting it.I fished most of my tournaments on Belton lake and I have done well there and some other central Texas lakes.If I was young I would follow Todd's advice and would have done 10 times better! I'm 74 now and it's too late even though I still fish local stuff!!
Todd, most people aren’t smart enough to see what you’re saying. In the movie “The Devil’s Advocate”. Al Pacino played the devil and in character he looked straight at the camera an said “Envy, my greatest invention”. Case closed 😁👍💯
Agree Todd. I think they've diluted the industry at the top level with all of the leagues. I see a big re-set coming in the near future. I feel with sponsor money struggles and inflation driving all of the cost up, we'll see a much smaller group of (professionals) soon. Which will help the guys that survive make a sustainable income.
If you want true professional fishing, it has to have funding from outside sources. Not just bait and tackle companies sponsorship dollars. It needs real funding. Talking about TV broadcast company dollars. And there is only one way that happens. The entire tournament format has got to change full stop. Front to back, side to side and, top to bottom. Kind of like that door you were talking about, you can’t fix it, by replacing the door. The whole house has to be leveled. There has to be a format that can fit into a 3 hour window, and it has to be done in a way that can generate live viewership on tv networks. Nobody wants to watch 3 guys sit at a damn desk and talk about the good ol days. Weigh in format has to be changed to catch, weigh, release. The tv product has to be something that naturally creates the drama of a live sporting event, because that is what drives people to want to see the events during the live broadcast. And nobody really wants to sit around and spend 8 hours trying to watch one sporting event. You can spend 8 hours watching football on Sundays because it’s 3-5 individual competitions that you’re keeping up with. So the whole format of tournament fishing has to be broken down and completely rebuilt anew. It has to become something that naturally creates a story line, with drama, a hero, a potential spoiler, an ascension and a downfall. It can’t be artificially created. It has to be something that the format itself lends itself to generating. And then when that gets figured out, the tv money will be there, and the way that they monetize streaming right now in fishing is laughably bad. So, if anyone would ever like to be living in a time where professional fishing is a real thing, those things must be figured out. Bait and tackle company sponsors can’t fund everything. Anglers shouldn’t have to fund anything. But the only way to get to that reality, is to change the product from what it has always been, into what it should’ve always been trying to be. Marketable.
It cost money to put on tournaments . No entry fees takes 4.5 million of revenue from B.A.S.S. Now maybe B.A.S.S. is making a boat load of money from sponsors and can afford bigger payouts . I wouldn’t know . But since the majority of tournament anglers don’t actually make a living on winnings . Then it seems to me a no entry fee format is good . At least for guys starting and trying to get started. It might be a lateral move . But it reduces the risk . You’re right though . It’s a broken system . It was hard to make money before and it’s hard now . There’s just not enough money in fishing . It should be a week end regional format . Top guys advance to something bigger . A championship . Or maybe a 4 tournament championship series. BASS IMO was best when they were fishing for 40k. Sleeping in there trucks and the all had other jobs.
Again, I agree with the sport trajectory downward which has been ignored for a decade. As I say often, Johnny Morris, with help of KVD as the ambassador, a new "Professional" League can be created where the anglers are paid to compete. I believe it has to center around revenue sharing of TV & streaming content. Pay the talent and not just the executives. Make this a true sport and not gambling
I can't imagine a sponsor, any sponsor, not expecting something in return for their money, espically a business for profit. Money from a family member with no ties, yes. But a business, no way is it FREE.
Todd, you come from working old school as in I can do it myself and if not, then this is probably not ment for me. I think people who have had help sometimes lose the do or die attitude since if they don’t do well it’s not their money so it doesn’t hurt so much. Why don’t Bass raffle some extra spots at a high cost for people who want to be there and willing to pay a large cost just basically for the experience. You know some people have unlimited funds and would pay and that money can go directly to winnings that they will most likely never win. Fishing, the only pay to play sport with no guarantee pay of any kind. Great video.
@ No I mean all the tournaments. It’s dead money the performers at the top can make it. I’m saying you want to fish the elites, 150K plus to enter. Just an idea to put some more money in these guys pockets. I used to want to tournament fish but unfortunately it’s not as profitable as a regular job.
It's a business, if the company ain't making money. pencil pushers adjust the numbers and call it breaking news. The other "Professional" sports are making money, but they sell tickets, drinks, hotdogs, parking, etc. In fishing, the athletes have to pay to compete, one way or another.
For those of us who have played this game for decades; be it locally, regionally, or nationally, we all know who Todd Castledine is and that is in fact among the top 10% no matter where he decides to fish. You don’t have to explain anything to anyone that thinks differently because there will always be these clowns that are green and don’t know much about the reality’s of bass tournament angling. Then there are the coolaid drinkers that just gargle on whatever bass feeds them as if they can do no wrong…. This is a classic bait and switch. Smoke and mirrors …that being said, bassmaster can’t stay in business without being profitable and the fan base is only so big. Too many top level tours has diluted what was already a struggling business unit….i don’t know man …maybe bassmaster can continue to replace older established anglers who are fed up with the eagerly blinded rich kids that make up the collegiate level of the sport and just make that a constant churn. By the the time an angler reaches 30 and has a family and realizes that he can’t make it off what is available, he will be replaced by a new rich kid who can stay on the water longer and have daddy float the expenses….perhaps this is the business model the bassmaster wants…it sure looks that way
Why does nobody bring up payback percentage? At the end of the day, bass is putting up over 4 million for elites with zero entry fees required. 40K per year per angler is way better than anything else going right now. If guys want to fish for more money further down the field, why not just use side pots so they can continue fishing for their own money on top of what BASS puts up?
@ let’s be honest, almost all the names left in 2019 and they barely skipped a beat. They could be hoarding way more of their revenue and you’d still have hundreds of guys clamoring to get in the elites.
I remember you making a statement on an old video about..."a company paying your entry fees" vs. "Naaaa, why don't you just pay ME.". if in fact these guys were making deals with companies to pay their entries rather than paying them directly...? Is that a real thing?...I'm very curious about this now
Is this why Zona quit! Maybe everyone needs to quit to get it right ,is this what you are saying.I get what you are saying .I guess what I am saying if you want to fish FISH,if you dont want to DONT.You are still fishing for $100,000 with no entry fee ,ITS professional gambling ,not fishing!
They may not have entry fees for tournaments, but bass fishing is still a pay to play sport on any level. You still have to have a boat costing 10’s of thousands to be competitive in any real tournament. Bass fishing is turning back into a very expensive hobby and local tournaments are getting more popular because folks are realizing that.
If BASS is not getting any entry fees from the elite anglers, does it matter how many anglers they have on the circuit? Can they reduce the number of anglers to the point where the lowest place gets at least the majority of the travel expense back? Or does the number of anglers on the circuit have an influence on their sponsorship dollars?
It is a STEP BACKWARDS for the sport. Not “professional” standard. My opinion. Most of US guys that fish can do “SIMPLE MATH”. Figures DONT Lie, but LIARS CAN FIGURE. My opinion.
Todd along with Johnny Schultz are the two most intelligent guys in this game. That's my opinion based on the people I've personally watched over the years. Don't back down TC . The sport needs you!
Miliken put out a video, where he said if he took the places he did this year compared to the no entry places he was like $45 K less money with no entry fee.
I can see how guys who consistently place in the Top 10-15 in the Elites could get Entry Fees covered by sponsors. The sponsors want their brand/products to be associated with winning and success. Anyone consistently outside the Top 20, better be independently wealthy, or have a hell of a You Tube presence.
So what brought about the change? Was it a few anglers complaining about the entry fees? We really haven't been told why Now some anglers don't have to pay to win nothing or win $100k
I don't tournament fish but watch all of it. I think they shot themselves in the foot. To get $500.00 and spend $2000.00 to fish the tournament. The math speaks for itself!!!!!!!!!
I'm trying to understand what you are saying here and in the previous video. I can tell from your response to me you don't think I get it. So here's my take based on you and some other YT feedback. Anglers will no longer pay entry fees and they now have less upside or a pot to pull winnings from. If you finish top ten, fine. Below that you aren't gonna make a living. Seems to me the BASS model is dying. There is not enough spectator support and eyes for tournament level sponsorship for attractive purses or "checks" as you say (as opposed to golf on TV sponsored by Mercedes). And I also said in the old way if an angler is paying taxes on sponsorship money, it is his money but is passing through his hands to BASS. I communicated or commented on a Matt Stefan video and he said his winnings covered half his expenses. That is not sustainable. It was in his words and I paraphrase, the thrill and dream of tournament fishing. Many are gambling. So what do tackle companies do for exposure to products if they don't sponsor professional fishermen? An astute angler should be able to contract with one or more fishing related companies to be their hired gun. Of course their results have to show they are worth it. I pay attention to professional anglers selling a product. Without a sponsors "salary" how are they going to fish and raise a family? The model has to change. If it doesn't only forty people will fish BASS. And in the same way you said you don't care about the old model, I don't care if all these fishermen are able to fish professionally. I hope they do but if not, they need to hustle something else up.
The major tournament organizations should get rid of all current so called pro fishermen that only fish for the money. Have no entry fees and let the guys out here who just love the sport and won't whine about limited electronics and modest payouts fish their tournaments.
Anyone who thinks you couldn’t qualify if you wanted to obviously doesn’t know you. I’m just a kayak angler (have a 20’ bass boat I don’t enjoy as much) and no dog in the fight but it’s not rocket science how the payouts work. (Don’t work?)
Just because someone has a different opinion doesn't mean you need to act like your opinion is the only opinion. You act like your opinion is 100% the only thing that counts
Why not just drop entry fees to 2k and keep the money spread out with B.A.S.S. + entry fees? Very strange move to jump straight into zero entry fees with drastic payout decrease
Wait a minute. You actually thought Bassmaster would eat 4.5mi? How did you think this was possible? You said they could "figure it out somehow". Where were they going to magically come up with the money? Like everything in life, there's risk and reward. Now the risk for every angler has been reduced, and, rightfully, so too has the reward. Also, you made the point that when an angler receives sponsorship for his entry fees, he pays those fees himself, which is true. Now, that 45k can go into his pocket, instead of into the pot. Some say, "well, the sponsors won't pay it now". But why? If the angler was worth a 45k investment before, is he not now worth it? At the very least, the angler can renegotiate with his sponsor for a lesser amount, which still goes into his pocket (money he didn't have before), and it increases the ROI for the sponsor. It's a win-win.
Ben Millakin did a good one ! 1 Example was Jacob Foutz! If he replicated in 25 What he did in 24 !! He would loose 34 Grand !! Theirs nothing good about this
I mean couldn’t they still have entry fees but add all that money they are coming up with to make pay way better like pay more spots or make top payouts more or make entry fees way less but still pay what they used too
NIL deals for college athletes dwarf anything an Elite angler can make with that new payout structure. There is a reason deals with anglers are declining 🤔
@jaym8257 You can contribute to any angler you want. Anglers appear to be far less savvy than college athletes. Only one seemingly capitalizing on the public directly is James Watson with his #FBD apparel line and he got suspended for two years MLF
Professional fishing is dying and the hype is too. Bassmaster doesn't not have money like other professional sports so they squeeze in what they got. They hope for a top Angler to win a few, show the trophy's like its some big deal, but it really isn't.. and while all the other anglers suffer financially.
Just surprised you can make a decent living fishing team tournaments. After taxes, tournament expenses, home expenses, medical insurance boat and truck maintenance and insurance and be able to put away money for retirement and kids college education, without sponsors money.
I made a living for ten years doing it, I wouldn't say I put away money for retirement when I was in my 20s and 30s. I'm in a different position now that I'm head of product development for Strike King. What hasn't changed is I still come out way ahead of most Elite guys when it comes to profit off of fishing tournaments.
@ good to hear. As a former retired banker, if Strike King has a 401 K I would highly recommend putting as much $ as you can for retirement. It comes around quickly. Good luck from a long time subscriber.
Actually Todd,if you do the math the guys in the top 10 will loose money with the new payout schedule & the guys under 50 make out..Jacob foutz would've lost 45k
So you want everyone to get a participation check no matter how bad you get your teeth kicked in by the guy putting in the work everyone gets paid . I think they should pay the top 3 and the rest can kick rocks . Again my opinion
Since all of a sudden we randomly have an extra hundred thousand dollars to give out at each tournament. Why not keep entry fees the same and add that hundred grand to the top 10 and have $150,0001st place? These people at the top at bass are just completely out of touch man. It’s sad.
Todd gets it. A “Professional” should be a “Subject Matter Expert”. My salary as an SME is $240,000/yr + expenses. Either Bass Tournaments are really screwing people or being a “Professional Fisherman” is a really bad career path. I hate it- I loved tournament fishing 20yrs ago….thank the Lord I didn’t pursue “my dream”.
Iys easy don't complain about how you have to have sponsors to make money because of entry fees and payout then complain win the take the entry fees away and lower payout make up your minds😂😂😂
No that's not the stupidest quote The stupidest quote is "snitches get stitches"... Got some anglers feeling like they're on the east block of Angola or something lol thug Life😂
When are the pros gonna step up and protest what BASS is doing to the game of fishing (It's not a sport). Are these pro really that bent over to the point they are willing to destroy themselves because they are slaved by these companies?? This is good news for you stupid handicap scopers. Traditional fishing has literally been killed for good now. Good job guys.
If you're taking money out of your home and spending time away from your children and significant other you're probably a real good person and you got a brand new bass boat
It was obviously done for a reason and those I could careless doesn’t effect me. I stopped watching professional bass fishing a few years ago. To me its turned into a joke. Thats just my opinion.
It was obviously done for a reason and those I could careless doesn’t effect me. I stopped watching professional bass fishing a few years ago. To me its turned into a joke. Thats just my opinion.
Tyler Berger's breakdown of John Cox;s 2024 earnings vs 2025 New Deal on Bass Fishing HQ is amazing! If John Cox can't make money the whole system is broke!
Professional bass fishing is the exact same thing as professional poker.......If you have money, you can play any tournament or cash game, but it doesn't mean you are profitable, nor does it mean you are a professional. Thanks for the great videos!
The squeaking hinges on the door is the best analogy I’ve heard to date. It doesn’t just apply to bass fishing, that analogy works for business, the country, the world, etc.
Unfortunately, professional fishermen are simply professional gamblers...
Boom
Thank you for telling us the truth and keeping it all honest!!! Keep doing what you're doing!!!
Totally agree with you Todd. Keeping it real 💯
Professional fishing is dying….. that is very spot on. The past time of fishing is thriving. And that’s what I do, fish! Keep em coming bud. Awesome content.
I agree with this. Competition will be at the local bass club or local larger organizations.
@ for sure.
Sounds pretty simple to me. One step forward, two steps back. It's at least good bassmaster isn't effectively borrowing money from their customers at 0 percent interest anymore. The positive person in me hopes it's the start of things getting better. But I can tell you this, if BASS was a publicly traded company, I wouldn't be lining up to invest.
This video should have 100k views! Great talk on the subject!
If they all put in $2,000 side pot each tournament. Pay top 50 $4000 each. It would make it kind of like the payout from a year ago. Say they had 100 angler's they could divide up $200,000 however they want its there side pot money. Plus what Bass pays.
Steve Kennedy is perfect example of what you’re trying to describe to the audience. Great insight!!
14:00 minute mark. 'Dreams..... dude I'm not 8 years old anymore' Absolutley effing hilarious, vintage T.C.
I totally agree with you Sir. God Bless you and yours.
Todd when I was a child growing up i watched bass masters every Sunday morning and dreamed to one day walk on that stage but I didn’t want to be called a professional. Just a common man with dreams to fish with awesome guys
Todd speaking truth. Love it
Tyler berger did a great analysis on this everyone should watch..keep the entry fees make the payouts better ..
In the real world, money doesn't grown on trees. Keeping the entry fees and making the pay outs better is a Democrat thought process with tax payer dollars.
@glynnreid1217 oh I call BS ON THAT..Letting Anglers make a check is a conservative outlook..cutting paychecks is a Democrat way of life..
Read an article saying they did this to get rid of the bottom 3rd of the current field and to get a younger and more motivated group to come in and fish. It said the current group was stagnant and just there to collect the scraping by lower payouts. Not really sure anything below the top 10 will be able to sustain with the new payouts🤷♂️
I believe numbers shows that this new payout helps the lower tier anglers
@ really? 😕
@@jordankline5520 I just seen a spread sheet on each angler on payouts of 2024 and if they did the same in 2025. There were anglers winning $20k to $40k less in 2025, the angles that was coming in 60+ place won more with the 2025 payout
@ interesting. I guess if you are consistently not getting a check the new payout maybe better for you. If last year you didn’t even win your entry fees back new payouts may help, but you still have travel expenses. Who wants to fish with their own money and break even for the year though?
What is stagnant is the television production of Bassmaster live fishing events.
BASS needs to take a page from the PGA. Up until the late 80’s. Watching golf was excruciating. Now it’s four days of really good coverage.
BASS needs to find a way to make the tournaments exciting to watch. Their individual fishermen coverage is pathetic. I would bet that at any given time during a tournament someone is catching a fish. They need to find a way to cover and broadcast that.
NOTHING will change until the Anglers join together & protest this mess..
Where will the prize money come from?
As if it were a Constitutional Right, lol. Form a union and see what happens, lol.
@glynnreid1217 unions AREN'T for the people. You were brainwashed to think so...
@@jaym8257 Same place it's ALWAYS come from..BASS isn't eating 4.1mil..They just want you to think they are...
BassMaster needs to get ahead of this and start writing articles that cater to the general, recreational NON-tournament fisherman. They are losing the rank and file fishermen due to thinking tournaments are everything. They can't even do the tournaments very good any more.
Todd, after listening to yours I listened to Kyle welcher on the subject. He said that most bass pros make their money on sponsors and if they have good sponsor income they should like the no entry fee format. It seems like u live in “tournament alley” and u can fish a lot of local team tournaments where others like me don’t have that near by. Unique for u I think vs most of us.
Good for you all!! Massively expensive,but should have kept the pay out the same,it’s a wash,and that my friend,is bullshit!!
I think it's more of a bragging rights thing these days for people to say I fished the Elites or tried to qualify for the Elites because when you consider everything that goes in to fishing these tournaments you're 100% on point very few people make money actually fishing the vast majority of the money comes from sponsor dollars. No entree fee might help a little but an off year is going to hurt much worse. I'm right here in the SW Louisiana/E Texas area and I've looked into jumping into some bigger tournaments in the area. Me and my dad also fished some team tournaments growing up and was looking into doing it again but the amount of money you can make for the investment of the travel/tournaments just around here is so much higher then just about anything at the professional level. I'm not saying the payouts are better even though some are pretty awesome but what it cost to fish compared to the payout is much better...
It’s gambling. You still have to put the money for expenses. The odds of even breaking even at the end of the year are stacked against you
I agree with u! It's not worth it.Putting this out there.I have fished tournaments for 50 yrs.what I would tell young people now, take Todd's advice watch his videos and listen.He tells u a way to make a living fishing! I fished those yrs jumping here and there, not really getting it.I fished most of my tournaments on Belton lake and I have done well there and some other central Texas lakes.If I was young I would follow Todd's advice and would have done 10 times better! I'm 74 now and it's too late even though I still fish local stuff!!
Love the common sense approach.
I don't think anyone could explain the situation any better than that. Pretty simple
Thanks.
I'm just glad I enjoy fishing and watch but don't depend on it for a living
Todd, most people aren’t smart enough to see what you’re saying. In the movie “The Devil’s Advocate”. Al Pacino played the devil and in character he looked straight at the camera an said “Envy, my greatest invention”. Case closed 😁👍💯
Been saying it for a while now. “Professional” bass fishing is a dying sport.
Todd I agree with you 100% and I am glad that you always speak your mind and tell it like it is.
Agreed. I’m subscribed because Todd is the most straightforward and honest take on all things bass fishing.
I think BASS is a house of cards. Ray Scott made money. Bill Dance made his on Tv shows.
Agree Todd. I think they've diluted the industry at the top level with all of the leagues. I see a big re-set coming in the near future. I feel with sponsor money struggles and inflation driving all of the cost up, we'll see a much smaller group of (professionals) soon. Which will help the guys that survive make a sustainable income.
Forest for the trees people! BTW Todd, will you be posting vids on your Toyota Championship preparation and then practice?
Agreed. Bunch of BS. They had a chance to separate themselves from MLF. Boyd move if you ask me. Trying to make something sound better than it is. SMH
I would have rather seen all anglers receive a 30k salary and that leaves a million for the classic but this was a step in the right direction.
If you want true professional fishing, it has to have funding from outside sources. Not just bait and tackle companies sponsorship dollars. It needs real funding. Talking about TV broadcast company dollars. And there is only one way that happens. The entire tournament format has got to change full stop. Front to back, side to side and, top to bottom. Kind of like that door you were talking about, you can’t fix it, by replacing the door. The whole house has to be leveled. There has to be a format that can fit into a 3 hour window, and it has to be done in a way that can generate live viewership on tv networks. Nobody wants to watch 3 guys sit at a damn desk and talk about the good ol days. Weigh in format has to be changed to catch, weigh, release. The tv product has to be something that naturally creates the drama of a live sporting event, because that is what drives people to want to see the events during the live broadcast. And nobody really wants to sit around and spend 8 hours trying to watch one sporting event. You can spend 8 hours watching football on Sundays because it’s 3-5 individual competitions that you’re keeping up with. So the whole format of tournament fishing has to be broken down and completely rebuilt anew. It has to become something that naturally creates a story line, with drama, a hero, a potential spoiler, an ascension and a downfall. It can’t be artificially created. It has to be something that the format itself lends itself to generating. And then when that gets figured out, the tv money will be there, and the way that they monetize streaming right now in fishing is laughably bad. So, if anyone would ever like to be living in a time where professional fishing is a real thing, those things must be figured out. Bait and tackle company sponsors can’t fund everything. Anglers shouldn’t have to fund anything. But the only way to get to that reality, is to change the product from what it has always been, into what it should’ve always been trying to be. Marketable.
You’re correct but most of the public just can’t stand to watch people fish. It’s way lower on the totem pole than watching golf.
Without Ray Scott. It will always be broken
It cost money to put on tournaments . No entry fees takes 4.5 million of revenue from B.A.S.S. Now maybe B.A.S.S. is making a boat load of money from sponsors and can afford bigger payouts . I wouldn’t know . But since the majority of tournament anglers don’t actually make a living on winnings . Then it seems to me a no entry fee format is good . At least for guys starting and trying to get started. It might be a lateral move . But it reduces the risk .
You’re right though . It’s a broken system . It was hard to make money before and it’s hard now . There’s just not enough money in fishing . It should be a week end regional format . Top guys advance to something bigger . A championship . Or maybe a 4 tournament championship series. BASS IMO was best when they were fishing for 40k. Sleeping in there trucks and the all had other jobs.
Again, I agree with the sport trajectory downward which has been ignored for a decade. As I say often, Johnny Morris, with help of KVD as the ambassador, a new "Professional" League can be created where the anglers are paid to compete. I believe it has to center around revenue sharing of TV & streaming content. Pay the talent and not just the executives. Make this a true sport and not gambling
I can't imagine a sponsor, any sponsor, not expecting something in return for their money, espically a business for profit. Money from a family member with no ties, yes. But a business, no way is it FREE.
I support but golf you make nothing if you don’t make the cut
PGA tour players receive a salary of $32k-35k per year. The players that make the cut get paid from the purse of that tournament.
@ also the revenue from the TV deal alone is worth more than BASS
Todd, you come from working old school as in I can do it myself and if not, then this is probably not ment for me. I think people who have had help sometimes lose the do or die attitude since if they don’t do well it’s not their money so it doesn’t hurt so much. Why don’t Bass raffle some extra spots at a high cost for people who want to be there and willing to pay a large cost just basically for the experience. You know some people have unlimited funds and would pay and that money can go directly to winnings that they will most likely never win. Fishing, the only pay to play sport with no guarantee pay of any kind. Great video.
That's called the BASS Opens.
@ No I mean all the tournaments. It’s dead money the performers at the top can make it. I’m saying you want to fish the elites, 150K plus to enter. Just an idea to put some more money in these guys pockets. I used to want to tournament fish but unfortunately it’s not as profitable as a regular job.
It's a business, if the company ain't making money. pencil pushers adjust the numbers and call it breaking news. The other "Professional" sports are making money, but they sell tickets, drinks, hotdogs, parking, etc. In fishing, the athletes have to pay to compete, one way or another.
For those of us who have played this game for decades; be it locally, regionally, or nationally, we all know who Todd Castledine is and that is in fact among the top 10% no matter where he decides to fish. You don’t have to explain anything to anyone that thinks differently because there will always be these clowns that are green and don’t know much about the reality’s of bass tournament angling. Then there are the coolaid drinkers that just gargle on whatever bass feeds them as if they can do no wrong…. This is a classic bait and switch. Smoke and mirrors …that being said, bassmaster can’t stay in business without being profitable and the fan base is only so big. Too many top level tours has diluted what was already a struggling business unit….i don’t know man …maybe bassmaster can continue to replace older established anglers who are fed up with the eagerly blinded rich kids that make up the collegiate level of the sport and just make that a constant churn. By the the time an angler reaches 30 and has a family and realizes that he can’t make it off what is available, he will be replaced by a new rich kid who can stay on the water longer and have daddy float the expenses….perhaps this is the business model the bassmaster wants…it sure looks that way
Why does nobody bring up payback percentage? At the end of the day, bass is putting up over 4 million for elites with zero entry fees required. 40K per year per angler is way better than anything else going right now.
If guys want to fish for more money further down the field, why not just use side pots so they can continue fishing for their own money on top of what BASS puts up?
@@MJ_Bass BASS isn’t fronting a dang thing
@ let’s be honest, almost all the names left in 2019 and they barely skipped a beat. They could be hoarding way more of their revenue and you’d still have hundreds of guys clamoring to get in the elites.
Its only a good idea if you can make more money now than last year. After all the expenses, what did you make?
😮 The whole point of fishing a tourney is too WIN $$ ! YA go where your going to profit the most ! THATS What your doing
I remember you making a statement on an old video about..."a company paying your entry fees" vs. "Naaaa, why don't you just pay ME.". if in fact these guys were making deals with companies to pay their entries rather than paying them directly...? Is that a real thing?...I'm very curious about this now
Is this why Zona quit! Maybe everyone needs to quit to get it right ,is this what you are saying.I get what you are saying .I guess what I am saying if you want to fish FISH,if you dont want to DONT.You are still fishing for $100,000 with no entry fee ,ITS professional gambling ,not fishing!
hey man thank God i did no choose this path for a living .... not what it seems
6:45 into it and so forth, wheeew that’s heavy! Reality though.
They may not have entry fees for tournaments, but bass fishing is still a pay to play sport on any level. You still have to have a boat costing 10’s of thousands to be competitive in any real tournament. Bass fishing is turning back into a very expensive hobby and local tournaments are getting more popular because folks are realizing that.
If BASS is not getting any entry fees from the elite anglers, does it matter how many anglers they have on the circuit? Can they reduce the number of anglers to the point where the lowest place gets at least the majority of the travel expense back? Or does the number of anglers on the circuit have an influence on their sponsorship dollars?
It is a STEP BACKWARDS for the sport. Not “professional” standard. My opinion. Most of US guys that fish can do “SIMPLE MATH”. Figures DONT Lie, but LIARS CAN FIGURE. My opinion.
Todd along with Johnny Schultz are the two most intelligent guys in this game. That's my opinion based on the people I've personally watched over the years. Don't back down TC . The sport needs you!
It is not about intelligence - it is about having some huevos.
I heard Sidepot is coming to the Elites nest year, $200 entry.
Honestly, I'm finally going to graduate with my PhD and all I want is a tin rig and flip wood. No derbies just throw a buzzbait and disappear.
Miliken put out a video, where he said if he took the places he did this year compared to the no entry places he was like $45 K less money with no entry fee.
I can see how guys who consistently place in the Top 10-15 in the Elites could get Entry Fees covered by sponsors. The sponsors want their brand/products to be associated with winning and success. Anyone consistently outside the Top 20, better be independently wealthy, or have a hell of a You Tube presence.
So what brought about the change?
Was it a few anglers complaining about the entry fees? We really haven't been told why
Now some anglers don't have to pay to win nothing or win $100k
I would love to fish with you!!! Tell them how it is- Thank You
Interesting
i see this as a situation of bass slowly turning there league into a 50 man field like mlf has done.
Hey Todd, how did you do on Texoma?
I don't tournament fish but watch all of it. I think they shot themselves in the foot. To get $500.00 and spend $2000.00 to fish the tournament. The math speaks for itself!!!!!!!!!
I wouldn’t practice anymore. Show up the day before. Keep sponsors happy and just go fish.
I wouldn’t waste money on living and gas to practice
I'm trying to understand what you are saying here and in the previous video. I can tell from your response to me you don't think I get it. So here's my take based on you and some other YT feedback. Anglers will no longer pay entry fees and they now have less upside or a pot to pull winnings from. If you finish top ten, fine. Below that you aren't gonna make a living. Seems to me the BASS model is dying. There is not enough spectator support and eyes for tournament level sponsorship for attractive purses or "checks" as you say (as opposed to golf on TV sponsored by Mercedes). And I also said in the old way if an angler is paying taxes on sponsorship money, it is his money but is passing through his hands to BASS. I communicated or commented on a Matt Stefan video and he said his winnings covered half his expenses. That is not sustainable. It was in his words and I paraphrase, the thrill and dream of tournament fishing. Many are gambling. So what do tackle companies do for exposure to products if they don't sponsor professional fishermen? An astute angler should be able to contract with one or more fishing related companies to be their hired gun. Of course their results have to show they are worth it. I pay attention to professional anglers selling a product. Without a sponsors "salary" how are they going to fish and raise a family? The model has to change. If it doesn't only forty people will fish BASS. And in the same way you said you don't care about the old model, I don't care if all these fishermen are able to fish professionally. I hope they do but if not, they need to hustle something else up.
Is $100k for first and $30k to second part of the problem?
The major tournament organizations should get rid of all current so called pro fishermen that only fish for the money. Have no entry fees and let the guys out here who just love the sport and won't whine about limited electronics and modest payouts fish their tournaments.
Anyone who thinks you couldn’t qualify if you wanted to obviously doesn’t know you. I’m just a kayak angler (have a 20’ bass boat I don’t enjoy as much) and no dog in the fight but it’s not rocket science how the payouts work. (Don’t work?)
Just because someone has a different opinion doesn't mean you need to act like your opinion is the only opinion. You act like your opinion is 100% the only thing that counts
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Why not just drop entry fees to 2k and keep the money spread out with B.A.S.S. + entry fees? Very strange move to jump straight into zero entry fees with drastic payout decrease
Wait a minute. You actually thought Bassmaster would eat 4.5mi? How did you think this was possible? You said they could "figure it out somehow". Where were they going to magically come up with the money? Like everything in life, there's risk and reward. Now the risk for every angler has been reduced, and, rightfully, so too has the reward. Also, you made the point that when an angler receives sponsorship for his entry fees, he pays those fees himself, which is true. Now, that 45k can go into his pocket, instead of into the pot. Some say, "well, the sponsors won't pay it now". But why? If the angler was worth a 45k investment before, is he not now worth it? At the very least, the angler can renegotiate with his sponsor for a lesser amount, which still goes into his pocket (money he didn't have before), and it increases the ROI for the sponsor. It's a win-win.
Ben Millakin did a good one ! 1 Example was Jacob Foutz! If he replicated in 25 What he did in 24 !! He would loose 34 Grand !! Theirs nothing good about this
Seems to me they're cutting the field essentially...
A lot of my bass fishing tournament club friends love the casino. I think it is the same rush. Get a real job , make real money the honest way.
Many Olympic athletes lose money even when they medal.
I mean couldn’t they still have entry fees but add all that money they are coming up with to make pay way better like pay more spots or make top payouts more or make entry fees way less but still pay what they used too
Please explain to slick Johnson what a pro actually means
NIL deals for college athletes dwarf anything an Elite angler can make with that new payout structure. There is a reason deals with anglers are declining 🤔
Yeah, there is no pool of money. NIL and professional fishing can't be compared. You can contribute to you local colleges NIL collective.
@jaym8257 You can contribute to any angler you want. Anglers appear to be far less savvy than college athletes. Only one seemingly capitalizing on the public directly is James Watson with his #FBD apparel line and he got suspended for two years MLF
@@J.L.ScottFishing Yeah, making money fishing is difficult. Maybe need to go back to the local bass clubs.
Professional fishing is dying and the hype is too. Bassmaster doesn't not have money like other professional sports so they squeeze in what they got. They hope for a top Angler to win a few, show the trophy's like its some big deal, but it really isn't.. and while all the other anglers suffer financially.
They actually made it worse
Just surprised you can make a decent living fishing team tournaments. After taxes, tournament expenses, home expenses, medical insurance boat and truck maintenance and insurance and be able to put away money for retirement and kids college education, without sponsors money.
I made a living for ten years doing it, I wouldn't say I put away money for retirement when I was in my 20s and 30s. I'm in a different position now that I'm head of product development for Strike King. What hasn't changed is I still come out way ahead of most Elite guys when it comes to profit off of fishing tournaments.
@ good to hear. As a former retired banker, if Strike King has a 401 K I would highly recommend putting as much $ as you can for retirement. It comes around quickly. Good luck from a long time subscriber.
Actually Todd,if you do the math the guys in the top 10 will loose money with the new payout schedule & the guys under 50 make out..Jacob foutz would've lost 45k
My comment got taken down because I called you what Milliken calls his subscribers. Thats crazy 😅😅
So you want everyone to get a participation check no matter how bad you get your teeth kicked in by the guy putting in the work everyone gets paid . I think they should pay the top 3 and the rest can kick rocks . Again my opinion
Since all of a sudden we randomly have an extra hundred thousand dollars to give out at each tournament. Why not keep entry fees the same and add that hundred grand to the top 10 and have $150,0001st place? These people at the top at bass are just completely out of touch man. It’s sad.
Todd gets it. A “Professional” should be a “Subject Matter Expert”. My salary as an SME is $240,000/yr + expenses. Either Bass Tournaments are really screwing people or being a “Professional Fisherman” is a really bad career path. I hate it- I loved tournament fishing 20yrs ago….thank the Lord I didn’t pursue “my dream”.
Iys easy don't complain about how you have to have sponsors to make money because of entry fees and payout then complain win the take the entry fees away and lower payout make up your minds😂😂😂
No that's not the stupidest quote The stupidest quote is "snitches get stitches"... Got some anglers feeling like they're on the east block of Angola or something lol thug Life😂
How to become a millionaire in fishing! Start with a billion dollars
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When are the pros gonna step up and protest what BASS is doing to the game of fishing (It's not a sport). Are these pro really that bent over to the point they are willing to destroy themselves because they are slaved by these companies?? This is good news for you stupid handicap scopers. Traditional fishing has literally been killed for good now. Good job guys.
Maybe Trump daddy will buy BASS and make bassin great again.
If you're taking money out of your home and spending time away from your children and significant other you're probably a real good person and you got a brand new bass boat
Top performers earn less, donors make more. Everyone gets a trophy
Now it makes sense why Zona left! 38th place for 500.00, really? 🤦♂️🫤 Average possible winnings may be 7k a year 🤣. So many will tank, so sad.
It was obviously done for a reason and those I could careless doesn’t effect me. I stopped watching professional bass fishing a few years ago. To me its turned into a joke. Thats just my opinion.
Cool story.
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