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THE
B.A.S.S. EXPERIENCE
By:
Tim Paes
April
17, 2003.... BASS founder Ray Scott established the Bass
Anglers Sportsmen Society in 1967; I have to wonder if he could have
imagined what it would become in the 21st century. With
anglers competing for prize money in excess of $100,000, I don’t think
anybody could have imagined the growth this sport would see!
For the most part,
the tour has predominantly been an eastern affair. They did have a
western invitational series that garnered limited success from 1997
through 2002. But now, for the first time in its history, the BASS
national tour is making a western swing. The bass tournament
organization has held events on the California Delta and Clear Lake,
bringing the likes of Denny Brower, Kevin Vandam, Mark Menendez, Roland
Martin and many more to the west coast.
Many of the top
anglers now fishing the tour, have western roots, however several moved
east to be closer to the lakes they visit on their tournament trail.
Still others are incurring the expense of travel and months away from
home for the opportunity to fish this prestigious circuit. Anglers such
as Skeet Reese, Mike Reynolds, Ish Monroe and Robert Lee have made the
sacrifice and are enjoying the success of their decision.
I had the opportunity
to cover the Delta’s first day weigh-in for fishfactory.com.
I’ve watched BASS weigh-ins when they were here before, however this
was much different. As you walked through the gate and viewed the
sponsor expo along with the sponsor graphics on the bass boats, you
could see and feel the difference.
In my opinion
California has deserved this national exposure for a very long time. We
are ranked number 3 in BASS memberships and have some of the top bass
fishing locations in the nation, not to mention that some of the
toughest competitors on the trail cut their teeth right here in the
west.
With the television
coverage from ESPN
Outdoors, you can see the sport taking the step to the next level.
The tournaments are more viewer friendly now that they cut the field to
12 on the 3rd day and 6 on the final day of competition. The
television audience will always see the winning anglers and patterns.
I believe ESPN and
BASS are attempting to take tournament fishing to the level that NASCAR
presently enjoys. It would be hard to question their objective or argue
the success they have built to this point.
The weigh-in could
only be viewed as exciting and entertaining as tournament MC, Fish
Fishburne created enthusiasm amongst the crowd that numbered in the
thousands. They have found a way to entertain during the arduous process
of weighing several hundred bags of fish.
Even though I was
there to work, I found it hard to not be a fan. To see and interview the
anglers that I have watched on television for several years was enough
to bring out the kid in anybody, let alone somebody that enjoys
tournament fishing!
I think the move to
put the west on the national tour was the right move for BASS. I hope to
see more national events next year and for several years to come. For an
organization to be touted as the premier circuit, I believe it needs to
be nationwide.
BASS will be back
this fall with a Western
Open Series, which is a welcomed addition to their tour. However the
travel required competing in the opens is quite extensive and may be a
detriment to their ability to draw full fields. The expense and time
required to complete the circuit makes it tough for the average angler
that does have the ability to compete at this level, but may not have
the means.
I hope that I am
proven wrong and we have full fields at all three of the events this
fall. But whatever the outcome, the western angler needs to feel
confident that BASS is committed for the long haul, no matter how long
it takes. The west can support BASS, but that support will take time to
build and starts in knowing that they won't pull out, even if the first
few years are lean.
For tournament news
and stories, visit www.fishfactory.com,
for more information on BASS events, visit www.bassmaster.com. |
