Happy New Year Jim and Best Wishes And Big Fishes....I fished the Northern Swing BASS Open last year and had a great time. I did change my mind before BASS announced NO Co Anglers to Fish The MLF Toyotas As a Co Angler because they Market the Tournaments for Both Anglers. Plus the MLF Toyotas offer the Strike King Co Angler of the year at the Big Tournament you can qualify for. So there is more incentives for a Co Angler to Fish the MLF Toyotas vs BASS OPENS...
In fact Jim the last time I saw you was on Leech Lake in the BASS Open I was in the back of the boat with Randy Howell and you were on the same rock area everyone else was drop shoting. Randy said lets give it an Hour I think we gave it 30 minutes then we went bank fishing. We had a blast.
Gopros solve very little. A friend could literally drive up to my boat, hand me a bass, and drive away without the gopro ever recording anything simply because it was pointed the opposite direction. Perhaps it needs to be mandatory that the camera be placed on the outboard. Then everything would be in view.
The co angler numbers were down due to ffs. Nobody wants to fish in the back and have basically no chance to catch fish. Another reason is to many younger people fishing the opens that don't know anything but ffs. Can't learn much from them.
I wish I could travel and fish big tournaments, but as someone lacking the time, money and skill, I settle for living vicariously through following the BASS and MLF trails. I was sorry to see that decision, because the Opens were a legit chance to for a normal guy to get to meet and fish with an angling icon/hero/legend, whatever you want to call it. I’ve only fished a handful of years as a co, but the people I’ve had the opportunity to meet, and learn from has been indispensable. Also, you can compete against other co’s, even with FFS, just have to choose the tournament a bit. I am mediocre on my best day and managed to catch a few behind a certain 🇯🇵 angler. 😅
Man every year I look at what you pros have to deal with and go through with industry changes and it just keeps getting worse and worse. I think you all deserve better sponsorships, payouts, rules, and organizations. All are in decline in my opinion.
Very good video nobody too police . Such as releasing a dead fish etc . Todd Castledine just done a video about the same thing who’s gonna police the pro in boat by there self
I’m been a Marshal the last couple years while in Florida for the Elites and no there isn’t a Marshal in every boat maybe in some other parts of the country but not Florida. Won’t be a Marshal this year down here though.
September of 2024 Ive been out of tournament fishing and I miss the guys I’ve fished with and against. The tournament scene is a shithole from hell due to one thing… corporate greed. It makes me sick. When is enough profit enough?
All of this greed and yet businesses in the fishing world fail - OMC, various boat brands, tackle companies and so on. This tells me earning profit may not be so simple.
It seems like when FFS got very prevalent on the bass fishing circuits, the sport, watch ability, and competitiveness went downhill quickly! Being a naturalist, I’d be totally ok with banning FFS not only on the competition side but also all together! 🎣
The co anglers learn from their professional anglers and their our future fishermen now they will have to buy a over priced boat to get up to their game and they can’t compete with forward facing in the back of the boat I’m not saying I’m against it that’s my opinion
Something is off. I know that bassmaster is not doing well with bassmaster subscription renewals, and the payout reductions. A lot of changes at once to try to shake things up I guess. I do see some cheating protests coming fast with this model. Good luck.
Buying waypoints is the biggest cheat going on today. If a guy can’t find a winning school of bass on their own. They are not professionals but just flat out bums !!!
One million percent agree! I have little respect for pros who have built their career winnings through the network system. By that I mean those who have local experts at every lake and mine them for info.
Make all bass, tournaments, one angler per boat .Pay to play isn't professional it's gambling. Some people have the money, and some don't . If you fish the mlf bpt or bassmaster, their the only true professional fisherman. Lower level gamblers.
It was great to hear your opinion on this issue. I think it was just getting too hard for BASS to get people to sign up for a number of different reasons, and they concluded those factors were going to lead to fewer and fewer co-anglers. I have always been pro-co-angler and think BASS is making the right decision on the Opens level.
Tournament fishing with ffs is still a game of skill and strategy. Only now with ffs, different skills are emphasized, and different strategies yield success. The sport is still trying to figure out how to make it all work for the majority. Some things will be tried that seem like a good idea, but turn out to be failures. Thanks for watching and enjoy your fishing!
Jim time to bail out. These tournament organizers don’t care about you guys. It’s all about money for the organization. The non tournament public is sick of the lack of respect for the conservation practices of tournaments. Bed fishing spawners, deep summer tournaments and weigh ins are destroying fisheries.
I am starting to think that there are too many tournaments on some fisheries. Tournament mortality exists, and I believe it crops down the number of trophy bass in a lake that has too much tournament pressure. But I can't explain why a lake like Guntersville keeps pumping out 30 pound bags. That lake gets pounder by tournaments! Perhaps heavy grass lakes are more resistant to tournament pressure.
@ Jim I have great respect for guy who do things the right way. I fish lots of water by you and Canada and my lips are sealed on where I go. I’m a pic only guy and things need to change to protect fisheries. The DNR’s are very late to the regulation party and regulations need stiffing. As far as the CO’s being dropped cheating will be a big factor. And the cheaters will screw all you ethical guys without blinking.
Kindly remember there is substantial expense for co-anglers also. Too much expense to justify a boat ride to the middle of the lake and watch pros stare at their screens all day, with little chance to recoup the cost of travel from the back of the boat. The sport is in a downward spiral of industry denial. Understandably, you pros are cash driven, but the industry depends on viewership, advertising revenue and product sales in relation to those. Literally, foreign carp fishing tournament clips on Tik tok are more entertaining to watch than this new version of bass fishing. Does any of this resonate with you Pros?
In the past, I think many co-anglers viewed the expenses of participation as an investment into their own fishing education. They can now get that education for free by live streaming tournaments and watching how-to videos from TH-cam. One thing that hasn't changed over the years for cos is that it is nearly 100% gambling as to whether they win prize money or not. So much luck relied upon who you drew as a pro, and it still does.
Bass went from a top level organization! Too a laughing stock ! Payouts suck ! Did nothing about the cheater box ! And now no co anglers *** Whats next shoreline fishing only ??
All good points Jim .
Thanks for watching!
Good video Jim, I appreciate your insight in the no co-angler allowed
Thanks 👍
would fish in the back of your boat anytime ..
@@IRON49ER1 well, when I have some body in the back of my boat, we just drift down the river with live minnows
The shared weight format is the only way to get more co-angler interest.
That's a fun format, but I wouldn't want to do it that way all of the time. I prefer a pro's performance be based solely on their own abilities.
Happy New Year Jim and Best Wishes And Big Fishes....I fished the Northern Swing BASS Open last year and had a great time. I did change my mind before BASS announced NO Co Anglers to Fish The MLF Toyotas As a Co Angler because they Market the Tournaments for Both Anglers. Plus the MLF Toyotas offer the Strike King Co Angler of the year at the Big Tournament you can qualify for. So there is more incentives for a Co Angler to Fish the MLF Toyotas vs BASS OPENS...
Incentives are what can draw co-anglers. BASS should have provided more incentives.
@@moynaghbassfishes3818 very true
In fact Jim the last time I saw you was on Leech Lake in the BASS Open I was in the back of the boat with Randy Howell and you were on the same rock area everyone else was drop shoting. Randy said lets give it an Hour I think we gave it 30 minutes then we went bank fishing. We had a blast.
Yup, I remember seeing you!
I agree with your concern...perhaps Anglers could be required to use zGoPro camera & turn on their SD card....
Turn in their SD cards
Gopros solve very little. A friend could literally drive up to my boat, hand me a bass, and drive away without the gopro ever recording anything simply because it was pointed the opposite direction. Perhaps it needs to be mandatory that the camera be placed on the outboard. Then everything would be in view.
The co angler numbers were down due to ffs. Nobody wants to fish in the back and have basically no chance to catch fish. Another reason is to many younger people fishing the opens that don't know anything but ffs. Can't learn much from them.
Would you participate anyways if the entry fee was less without dropping the prize money?
@moynaghbassfishes3818 no
Maybe the beginning of the end
Possible.... sadly
I wish I could travel and fish big tournaments, but as someone lacking the time, money and skill, I settle for living vicariously through following the BASS and MLF trails.
I was sorry to see that decision, because the Opens were a legit chance to for a normal guy to get to meet and fish with an angling icon/hero/legend, whatever you want to call it.
I’ve only fished a handful of years as a co, but the people I’ve had the opportunity to meet, and learn from has been indispensable.
Also, you can compete against other co’s, even with FFS, just have to choose the tournament a bit. I am mediocre on my best day and managed to catch a few behind a certain 🇯🇵 angler. 😅
Thanks for watching and enjoy your fishing!
Man every year I look at what you pros have to deal with and go through with industry changes and it just keeps getting worse and worse. I think you all deserve better sponsorships, payouts, rules, and organizations. All are in decline in my opinion.
It's a challenge! Enjoy your fishing@
It really annoyed me, I was planning on fishing some this year as a co. So typical, I miss out on it. 😆
MLF still has co-angler programs at the BFL and Toyota Series levels.
@moynaghbassfishes3818 i think I may go for US Open instead, check off a bucket list item!
Very good video nobody too police . Such as releasing a dead fish etc . Todd Castledine just done a video about the same thing who’s gonna police the pro in boat by there self
🙂👍
That not fair
Thanks for watching!
I’m been a Marshal the last couple years while in Florida for the Elites and no there isn’t a Marshal in every boat maybe in some other parts of the country but not Florida. Won’t be a Marshal this year down here though.
🙂👍
September of 2024 Ive been out of tournament fishing and I miss the guys I’ve fished with and against. The tournament scene is a shithole from hell due to one thing… corporate greed. It makes me sick. When is enough profit enough?
All of this greed and yet businesses in the fishing world fail - OMC, various boat brands, tackle companies and so on. This tells me earning profit may not be so simple.
Way too many co anglers went on to boaters to eliminate them without hurting the future anglers field.
Thanks for watching!
It seems like when FFS got very prevalent on the bass fishing circuits, the sport, watch ability, and competitiveness went downhill quickly! Being a naturalist, I’d be totally ok with banning FFS not only on the competition side but also all together! 🎣
The sport is still trying to figure out how to navigate this colossal change (ffs).
The co anglers learn from their professional anglers and their our future fishermen now they will have to buy a over priced boat to get up to their game and they can’t compete with forward facing in the back of the boat I’m not saying I’m against it that’s my opinion
Well, at least MLF still has some co-angler programs yet.
Something is off. I know that bassmaster is not doing well with bassmaster subscription renewals, and the payout reductions. A lot of changes at once to try to shake things up I guess. I do see some cheating protests coming fast with this model. Good luck.
Thanks for watching, and for your insights.
Buying waypoints is the biggest cheat going on today. If a guy can’t find a winning school of bass on their own. They are not professionals but just flat out bums !!!
One million percent agree! I have little respect for pros who have built their career winnings through the network system. By that I mean those who have local experts at every lake and mine them for info.
Make all bass, tournaments, one angler per boat .Pay to play isn't professional it's gambling. Some people have the money, and some don't . If you fish the mlf bpt or bassmaster, their the only true professional fisherman. Lower level gamblers.
Some tournament anglers deny its gambling. I believe it mostly is.
It was great to hear your opinion on this issue. I think it was just getting too hard for BASS to get people to sign up for a number of different reasons, and they concluded those factors were going to lead to fewer and fewer co-anglers. I have always been pro-co-angler and think BASS is making the right decision on the Opens level.
I would have liked to see some enticing incentives offered up to co-anglers to keep the program going.
Video killed the radio star. FFS killed the co-angler and will eventually kill the sport.
Tournament fishing with ffs is still a game of skill and strategy. Only now with ffs, different skills are emphasized, and different strategies yield success. The sport is still trying to figure out how to make it all work for the majority. Some things will be tried that seem like a good idea, but turn out to be failures. Thanks for watching and enjoy your fishing!
FFS is ruining tournament bass fishing I am not going to pay money to watch a guy look at a screen
Thanks for watching!
Jim time to bail out. These tournament organizers don’t care about you guys. It’s all about money for the organization. The non tournament public is sick of the lack of respect for the conservation practices of tournaments. Bed fishing spawners, deep summer tournaments and weigh ins are destroying fisheries.
I am starting to think that there are too many tournaments on some fisheries. Tournament mortality exists, and I believe it crops down the number of trophy bass in a lake that has too much tournament pressure. But I can't explain why a lake like Guntersville keeps pumping out 30 pound bags. That lake gets pounder by tournaments! Perhaps heavy grass lakes are more resistant to tournament pressure.
@ Jim I have great respect for guy who do things the right way. I fish lots of water by you and Canada and my lips are sealed on where I go. I’m a pic only guy and things need to change to protect fisheries. The DNR’s are very late to the regulation party and regulations need stiffing. As far as the CO’s being dropped cheating will be a big factor. And the cheaters will screw all you ethical guys without blinking.
Kindly remember there is substantial expense for co-anglers also. Too much expense to justify a boat ride to the middle of the lake and watch pros stare at their screens all day, with little chance to recoup the cost of travel from the back of the boat. The sport is in a downward spiral of industry denial. Understandably, you pros are cash driven, but the industry depends on viewership, advertising revenue and product sales in relation to those. Literally, foreign carp fishing tournament clips on Tik tok are more entertaining to watch than this new version of bass fishing. Does any of this resonate with you Pros?
In the past, I think many co-anglers viewed the expenses of participation as an investment into their own fishing education. They can now get that education for free by live streaming tournaments and watching how-to videos from TH-cam. One thing that hasn't changed over the years for cos is that it is nearly 100% gambling as to whether they win prize money or not. So much luck relied upon who you drew as a pro, and it still does.
Bass went from a top level organization! Too a laughing stock ! Payouts suck ! Did nothing about the cheater box ! And now no co anglers *** Whats next shoreline fishing only ??
More sponsors need to be recruited so a portion of that money can be added to payouts. This is a problem for every tournament league.
Cheater box? Is this Randy Blaukat 😅