FLW news...Huge News

[Stretch1]

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=3425

[rdearmond]

This doesn't sound good at all

[rdearmond]

We need Ricky S. to jump in on this one, he usually has the down low on FLW stuff.

[tunaman]

For those of you bitching about the dollars paid out in FLW Fantasy Fishing, this statement should probably push you over the edge:

"Currently, many in the sport believe that Walmart will continue as a sponsor of FLW Outdoors, but at a much reduced level. Walmart is said to be most attracted to the FLW Fantasy Fishing program and will spend most of its dollars there, perhaps functioning on the competitive side as merely an associate sponsor."

Roger

[rich mendoza]

you had to see it coming with cabelas replaceing wal-mart as the title sponser.

[bigbass111]

Cabelas may be changing spots with Wal-Mart but I can assure you they will not Pay as much as Wal-Mart did. Either way FLW will get hurt from all of this, so will ALOT of Team guys.

[Robert F]

Concerning a different subject I had a few phone conversations with FLW staff including Charlie Evans today. Nobody was suicidal.

The WalMart change has been in place for months. National Guard has re-signed. I am sure some sponsors may leave, new ones will drop in. It is none of my concern. I am not relying on FLW to give me anything but a fair professional bass fishing tournament venue.

If money aspects change I will make a decision as to whether FLW is still my tournament organization choice. If I am fishing the Stren Series, the National Guard Western division or either of these under a new title my concern is not about who is the sponsor. My concern is the payback , Championship opportunity and overall quality of the experience.

Every business is having difficulties. FLW is no different than any other bass fishing organization. On second thought they are. They are committed to providing the best tournament accessible to our region and have not postponed, reduced or worse yet vaporized their commitment to the west coast. Can any other organization make the same claim?

[j10b]

Robert you KNOW why bass left. Same reason FLW will scale back. HALF OF THE FIELD! A lot of Western Guys drop support the second something doesnt go their way.

FLW will leave soon too. Seriously lets not latch onto FLW when you have NO idea what they are planning.
Bass left for a great reason and you and I would have left too if we ran it.

[Fast 492]

Hey, maybe we won't have to drive 30 minutes to have a weigh-in anymore , oh wait, you have to make a cut to do that anyways . All kidding aside, I wish them the best of luck and thank you for the best run show on the west coast.

[Ricky-S]

The biggest mistake that a lot of anglers make is pitting BASS against FLW. I guess that is natural in the world that we live in, but in a perfect world the ANGLERS would have the opportunity to fish both as I have in the past.

For me the bottom line is that both BASS and FLW are for-profit organization. I do agree with Tom and others in that it is in the best interest of the anglers to have a non-profit tournament organization that is controlled by the anglers. That day will come as long as we all can come to some agreement not to attack one another’s interests.

I for one have never bought into the argument of one is BETTER than the other. Each has its strengths and flaws. But then again, I also have never wanted to get discovered or to be famous in the bass fishing world.

My only desire is to break even every year while doing what I love. I have no plans of quitting my day job to be a Bass Pro. Been there and done that and I took my butt back to work.

I try to stay out of the politics because fishing is much more fun that way. I would fish every tournament I could IF there were no conflicts and the PAYBACK was in the best interest of the ANGLER.

[GKramer]

As a guy who's had some success out there, how many others, do you think, share your feelings on the role of pro tournaments? What I'm reading here sounds like even you are down grading their importance in the West.

gk

www.kramergonefishing.com

[Ricky-S]

There you go Kramer.

My point is that I try to worry about the things that I can control and not worry about the things that I can't.

I fish EVERY thing and anything as long it doesn't conflict with work, family, and school. Period.

[N.A.R]

If money aspects change I will make a decision as to whether FLW is still my tournament organization choice. If I am fishing the Stren Series, the National Guard Western division or either of these under a new title my concern is not about who is the sponsor. My concern is the payback , Championship opportunity and overall quality of the experience.

AMEN!
See you at Shasta next year!

If the Strens remain the same as last year, the're will be a hundred deep on the waiting list for Co Anglers. Simply put, for the up and coming Anglers we (West) have never seen Co Angling payback like FLW Strens. Why worry if they are coming back or not, just FISH and everything will fall into place......

[rdearmond]

I agree with Ricky-S

1. afford it;
2. doesn't conflict with work and/ or family; and,
3. have fun

To be honest I really don't care who Spenser's FLW as long as the pay out is pretty good and/or I feel, I got a shoot at breaking even. I just love FLW tournaments there fun well organized and to me all the big shots that fish them are pretty good guys. It's just business, sponsorships change all the time, look at any sport they all go through changes. At this time FLW Stren and National Guard are one of the best venues the west coast has if they leave that would s----uck. When the economy was strong most other businesses / sponsors were strong as well as FLW, so there going through changes, heck 2-years ago FLW was slice bread. Now that there making changes everyone whants to through them under the bus