Rocklin, Calif., January 1, 2008 – Every sport has its own ranking systems; from the BCS in College Football and AP poll in College Basketball to the Power Rankings in the NFL and NBA. Starting in January of 2008, professional anglers in the Western United States will have their own ranking system.
The W.A.R. (Western Angler Ranking) Report is a system developed to rank the nearly 800 pro bass anglers who have entered any or all of the three professional level tournament circuits held in the West over the past two seasons and beyond.
All Pro Anglers who have competed in the FLW Series National Guard Western Division, FLW Stren Series and WON Bass Northern and Southern Pro / AAA Draw circuits in the 2006 and 2007 seasons will be compiled, and given a score based on their results.
At the close of each of their 2008 events; starting with the Won Bass Shasta Pro-Am next weekend, additional points will be added in order to come up with a equitable ranking of the top professional tournament anglers in the Western United States for the past three years.
In 2009 and beyond, The W.A.R. Report will be maintained as a three-year cumulative running total, with the oldest equal result dropping off as the results for each new season event are posted.
Each pro angler will receive points per finishing position for each W.A.R. sanctioned event, with the first place position receiving the highest amount of available points. (i.e. first place Pro Angler receives 173 points in an event with 173 Pro entrants and last place receives 1 point). Total W.A.R. Points and current ranking will then be calculated based on this strength of field as well as strength of circuit weighting formulas. FLW Series National Guard will receive the highest weighting for strength of circuit followed by FLW Stren and WON Bass Northern and Southern Divisions.
The W.A.R. Report is a collaborative effort between co-founders, Charley Almassey, West Coast Inland District Manager for West Marine and Dan O’Sullivan, Contributing Writer to both Westernbass.com, BASS WEST USA, and Senior Writer for BASS ZONE .com.
Westernbass.com will be the exclusive Internet home for The W.A.R. Report web page; anglers will be able to access The W.A.R. Report daily from a new link on the Westernbass.com home page.
The W.A.R. Report was designed to remove speculation and bias as to who the best professional tournament anglers are in the Western United States. The W.A.R. Report was also created to be a pure ranking system that rewards anglers with consistently high performances on the biggest stages available in this region of the country.
“We are looking forward to displaying the pedigree of our extremely talented Western Angler's in a more intense spotlight,” Almassey and O’Sullivan said. “The Western Pros work very hard at their craft, and we want to timely and accurately report their consistent efforts to the whole of the region, as well as the rest of country.
The pair said that their main objectives are to fairly rate and track consistent performance as well as grow the sport of Professional Bass Fishing in the West to a level which is more popular, sustainable and profitable for our anglers and the businesses that support them.
“The W.A.R. Report will be the official measurement of consistent head to head competition amongst the top professional bass anglers in the West, resulting in higher visibility, credibility and marketability for those who stay on top of their game,” they added that, “We expect Western bass fishing fans, amateur anglers and fishing industry leaders alike will all look to this report weekly to accurately gauge which of their favorite pros are proving themselves on the Western tournament trails while building this sport to the level that can sustain those who cannot venture east."
The first edition of The W.A.R. Report will be published the evening of Monday, January 13, 2008, the day after the opening event of the FLW Stren Series 2008 season. It will include both, The WON Bass and FLW Stren Shasta Lake results.
Keep checking Westernbass.com for more info on The W.AR. Report, The Official Ranking of Western Professional Bass Anglers. For More Information and continuing developments keep checking back for more details or email Dan O’Sullivan at danobass@sbcglobal.net.
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