Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

ash wrote: ↑Mon Sep 18, 2023 12:07 pm "The Bilge" is simply one of the best Elite Pro-level podcasts. Trait and Chris bring the good bad and ugly into the conversation, and quite frankly, it's refreshing. The West was lost a long time ago, and the fact that Elite pros say they cant afford to travel tells ya everything you need to know about the state of our sport. Same thing that a pro could win an event, and it wouldn't even cover the cost of a new boat - it's gotten silly.

kb wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 5:17 pm I beg to differ with the Zaldain's and really wish they wouldn't use terms like "West Coast Fishing is Dead" to gain listeners to their podcast. They have a really good podcast and great guests and yes the West Coast did take some lumps with the whole Wild West Bass situation but a far cry from dead. The week that the entire WWBT world fell apart WON Bass held the Cal Open with 150 entries on both sides and it was won by an angler less than a year out of a college fishing program who is also a guide on the lake.

Let's focus on what we have in the West for a minute and yes there are some unknowns like the BAM circuit and the BAM Pro Tour. I think the BAM Pro Tour is probably too soon and I would like to see Mark and the crew build the pro am circuit with the most possible anglers on both sides and hold off on splitting the anglers for an "Elite Style Event" it is a little soon. For many the familiar faces of WWBT might not be a good thing but I think Mark is controlling his investment and this year will tell a great deal. He seems to have the support of many of the industry folks and has a great publication already in place for coverage.

WON is adding an event in Nor Cal with Shasta and at a great time and hopefully that event will pull some of the Pacific Northwest guys down as well...if it does you will soon discover those guys are freakin hammers! I am sure there are some other things coming down the path from WON Bass that they will let us know about soon. The Cal Open in April on Clear Lake.... I am signed up!

Even with the low turnouts MLF and the Toyota Series is headed back out West and Alan listened about kicking off every year at Havasu and anglers not enjoying catching very few fish during their week's vacation. For the first time in quite some time they will be kicking off the 3 event series at Clear Lake, Havasu in May is crowded but way better fishing and then the Delta in June and a no entry fee championship in November. I have talked to a lot of anglers that are excited to give MLF Toyota's a try.

NewJen has a good schedule for both the teams and the pro ams and they continue to draw decent numbers with great championships. Two boats for the Team TOC is a pretty strong prize package. Those concerned about personal issues between the owners are kind of grasping here. I never asked a tournament director about their divorce or cared honestly..... just weigh the flippy things and go home! I think we will see NewJen be a very strong team circuit with increased numbers across their regions.

BBT and Future Pro just keep kicking out 100 boat events and some great annual events like the UFC and the Snag Proof. They do have some teams that should probably venture out of that level but those guys make their anglers comfortable and they know what they are getting.

ABA will likely increase in many of their regions like Shasta and more folks fishing them will only be better they have room for improvement but know how to do it many of us fished those 250 boat TOC's in their past and they were great even if we couldn't figure out all those options!!!!

Dealer sponsored events like the Anglers Marine Customer Appreciation Tour, Phil's Props Circuit and others draw great and look out this year I think you will see large fields in those events. I see the 100 plus boat fields for a few of those events.

If you want more payback work on bringing some more folks to the events, make if fun and remember over 60 boats and most all the boat companies will more than double your payback if you are in the compliant product.

The return of Lake Mead not the Open....yet but a return and large national fields for the Open at Mojave again this year.

So no I don't think the West is Dead and as much as we would all enjoy a Bassmaster Elite or two or a Bass Pro Tour event here in the West the bottom line is the fishing and the lakes aren't keeping those org's out of here. The cost for the anglers to travel and the fact that we don't have the communities (Visitor and Travel Bureaus or Chamber of Commerce's) that will pay the fee to bring them out here like other places in the country will. So why should they come they were stiffed on that money by communities here in the West in the past and we put together some of the biggest crowds BASS has seen and yet you wouldn't have filled a tour bus with the crowd of fishing fans that showed up in Sacramento this spring that weren't related to someone fishing the event..... lots of reasons why but the results speak for themselves. I follow both BASS and MLF and know the players......not all the players but recognizing them. To Trait's point about nobody able to fish the Opens and qualify she is right on but there is a pretty long list of West Coasters giving the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals a run and most of them came from the Toyota Series. If Bassmaster brings an Elite event to the Delta or Clear Lake guess how many Californians will make a cast......1 Bryant Smith!!! Bringing the Elites here isn't increasing participation in our Western events, having good events with decent paybacks at a time when people want to go. If you want to increase participation in the pro-ams buy the directors a calendar so they can see someone is going to suffer when you hold 5 pro level events back to back to back to back to back and 3-6 days off needed for each......

The west is far from dead and I know the Zaldain's have to have edgy titles and some controversy to keep listeners and get new ones but those titles don't help the west either. Not with sponsors, not with anglers and not with those that support or make their living off of fishing here in the West.... I speak from experience and do just that guys so I take offense to those kind of grand stand filling headlines. I really don't blame any of the National Tours for not coming to the West I get it and if you think we can support it like they do in the Bass Belt then just pack your happy butt up and go to the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa this spring and get back to me when you get home about your thoughts on what you witnessed it is amazing. We do not have the sheer number of anglers that fish for Bass like those states but we are a far cry from dead here in the west.... Chris and Trait I will be at the Open for a few days if you really want an OG West Coast guy with experience wearing headphones and doing interviews you both have my number! Would love to see you both!

And if your kid wants to be a Googan Dude schedule an appointment with their school counselor ASAP!!!! If you are telling your high school angler that they are going to make it as a professional bass angler and don't need a back up plan schedule yourself an appointment with any counselor even sooner. If you are grooming your teen for a career as a professional bass angler I hope you are pushing them into business classes, public speaking classes, photography and film classes, drama, shop class, english and basic math so they can figure out the difference between an 1/8th and 3/16th weight and the payback...... 1 in 5 with a 100 boats will always pay 20 places......quit asking how many places are they paying!!!

Ok it is way too long and a very Cooch like response so I will leave you all with this Har Har Har!

We have always fished for our own money and some sponsor help like prize boats and motors that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

kb wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 5:17 pm I beg to differ with the Zaldain's and really wish they wouldn't use terms like "West Coast Fishing is Dead" to gain listeners to their podcast. They have a really good podcast and great guests and yes the West Coast did take some lumps with the whole Wild West Bass situation but a far cry from dead. The week that the entire WWBT world fell apart WON Bass held the Cal Open with 150 entries on both sides and it was won by an angler less than a year out of a college fishing program who is also a guide on the lake.

Let's focus on what we have in the West for a minute and yes there are some unknowns like the BAM circuit and the BAM Pro Tour. I think the BAM Pro Tour is probably too soon and I would like to see Mark and the crew build the pro am circuit with the most possible anglers on both sides and hold off on splitting the anglers for an "Elite Style Event" it is a little soon. For many the familiar faces of WWBT might not be a good thing but I think Mark is controlling his investment and this year will tell a great deal. He seems to have the support of many of the industry folks and has a great publication already in place for coverage.

WON is adding an event in Nor Cal with Shasta and at a great time and hopefully that event will pull some of the Pacific Northwest guys down as well...if it does you will soon discover those guys are freakin hammers! I am sure there are some other things coming down the path from WON Bass that they will let us know about soon. The Cal Open in April on Clear Lake.... I am signed up!

Even with the low turnouts MLF and the Toyota Series is headed back out West and Alan listened about kicking off every year at Havasu and anglers not enjoying catching very few fish during their week's vacation. For the first time in quite some time they will be kicking off the 3 event series at Clear Lake, Havasu in May is crowded but way better fishing and then the Delta in June and a no entry fee championship in November. I have talked to a lot of anglers that are excited to give MLF Toyota's a try.

NewJen has a good schedule for both the teams and the pro ams and they continue to draw decent numbers with great championships. Two boats for the Team TOC is a pretty strong prize package. Those concerned about personal issues between the owners are kind of grasping here. I never asked a tournament director about their divorce or cared honestly..... just weigh the flippy things and go home! I think we will see NewJen be a very strong team circuit with increased numbers across their regions.

BBT and Future Pro just keep kicking out 100 boat events and some great annual events like the UFC and the Snag Proof. They do have some teams that should probably venture out of that level but those guys make their anglers comfortable and they know what they are getting.

ABA will likely increase in many of their regions like Shasta and more folks fishing them will only be better they have room for improvement but know how to do it many of us fished those 250 boat TOC's in their past and they were great even if we couldn't figure out all those options!!!!

Dealer sponsored events like the Anglers Marine Customer Appreciation Tour, Phil's Props Circuit and others draw great and look out this year I think you will see large fields in those events. I see the 100 plus boat fields for a few of those events.

If you want more payback work on bringing some more folks to the events, make if fun and remember over 60 boats and most all the boat companies will more than double your payback if you are in the compliant product.

The return of Lake Mead not the Open....yet but a return and large national fields for the Open at Mojave again this year.

So no I don't think the West is Dead and as much as we would all enjoy a Bassmaster Elite or two or a Bass Pro Tour event here in the West the bottom line is the fishing and the lakes aren't keeping those org's out of here. The cost for the anglers to travel and the fact that we don't have the communities (Visitor and Travel Bureaus or Chamber of Commerce's) that will pay the fee to bring them out here like other places in the country will. So why should they come they were stiffed on that money by communities here in the West in the past and we put together some of the biggest crowds BASS has seen and yet you wouldn't have filled a tour bus with the crowd of fishing fans that showed up in Sacramento this spring that weren't related to someone fishing the event..... lots of reasons why but the results speak for themselves. I follow both BASS and MLF and know the players......not all the players but recognizing them. To Trait's point about nobody able to fish the Opens and qualify she is right on but there is a pretty long list of West Coasters giving the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals a run and most of them came from the Toyota Series. If Bassmaster brings an Elite event to the Delta or Clear Lake guess how many Californians will make a cast......1 Bryant Smith!!! Bringing the Elites here isn't increasing participation in our Western events, having good events with decent paybacks at a time when people want to go. If you want to increase participation in the pro-ams buy the directors a calendar so they can see someone is going to suffer when you hold 5 pro level events back to back to back to back to back and 3-6 days off needed for each......

The west is far from dead and I know the Zaldain's have to have edgy titles and some controversy to keep listeners and get new ones but those titles don't help the west either. Not with sponsors, not with anglers and not with those that support or make their living off of fishing here in the West.... I speak from experience and do just that guys so I take offense to those kind of grand stand filling headlines. I really don't blame any of the National Tours for not coming to the West I get it and if you think we can support it like they do in the Bass Belt then just pack your happy butt up and go to the Bassmaster Classic in Tulsa this spring and get back to me when you get home about your thoughts on what you witnessed it is amazing. We do not have the sheer number of anglers that fish for Bass like those states but we are a far cry from dead here in the west.... Chris and Trait I will be at the Open for a few days if you really want an OG West Coast guy with experience wearing headphones and doing interviews you both have my number! Would love to see you both!

And if your kid wants to be a Googan Dude schedule an appointment with their school counselor ASAP!!!! If you are telling your high school angler that they are going to make it as a professional bass angler and don't need a back up plan schedule yourself an appointment with any counselor even sooner. If you are grooming your teen for a career as a professional bass angler I hope you are pushing them into business classes, public speaking classes, photography and film classes, drama, shop class, english and basic math so they can figure out the difference between an 1/8th and 3/16th weight and the payback...... 1 in 5 with a 100 boats will always pay 20 places......quit asking how many places are they paying!!!

Ok it is way too long and a very Cooch like response so I will leave you all with this Har Har Har!

We have always fished for our own money and some sponsor help like prize boats and motors that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

jiggin4bass wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 1:16 pm The guys in video are trying to tell you if you fish as a pro on the west coast.
Don't Quit Your Day Jobs.

jiggin4bass wrote: ↑Thu Sep 21, 2023 1:16 pm The guys in video are trying to tell you if you fish as a pro on the west coast.
Don't Quit Your Day Jobs.

Caleb.Smith wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2023 5:59 am There is a reason most of these pros have turned to YouTube and filming their tournament experiences key word "supplemental income".

ash wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 6:47 am

Caleb.Smith wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2023 5:59 am There is a reason most of these pros have turned to YouTube and filming their tournament experiences key word "supplemental income".

Supplemental Income and 100x the exposure world wide for their sponsors - I know, you know.

ILW wrote: ↑Wed Oct 04, 2023 8:04 pm Well there goes that theory...
and thank you for all the videos Caleb. Really enjoy them.