1simplemann

It doesn't really matter how long the the WON Open has been going on. My point is this. If WON can have success out here then BASS can to. Simple. Central and northern,southern Opens typically have about 150-160 boats. BASS could have that many out here too with a little promotion. BASS holds themselves out to be the world's and the nation's leading authority on bass fishing yet they ignore a 1/3 of the nation that they operate in. Look at the an Elite roster. It's full of western anglers. They didn't get there by fishing a TVA reservoir every weekend. They learned their skills by fishing at home just like the rest of the country. There are lots of us out here and we spend money. If we had events to go to that were within reach, we would go to them.

Logan, It wasn't taken as an arguement. There is a misconception somewhere in BASS(and other places apparently) that the West won't support Open's out here. If the Western Outdoor News can put on an Open on Lake Mead and get 207 boats then BASS can do the same thing. They are the leading Bass fishing organization in the country. With their promotional abilities, I see no reason they can't have the same success W.O.N. is having out here. IMO it doesn't take 350 boats to put on a successful Open. We don't have the population base that you do but we definitely have the fisheries!

2017 WON Bass Open on Lake Mead has 207 boats entered. Guys entered from all across the West! If these guys are doing it then BASS can too. Western anglers will support Western Opens.

I just looked over on FLW's website and lo and behold there's a Western Costa going on right now at Clear lake. If FLW can do it then why can't BASS?

I'm not up to date on FLW. You mention the Costa series. and 5 regional divisions. Is there a Western division. If so maybe I should fish that. I've always heard that FLW is more for the working man.

Jake, you make some valid points. FLW pro's do fish the Opens and how can you restrict BASS pros but not the others? I'm not sure what the answer is. I do understand the concept that an Open is an Open and should be open to everybody. Maybe if a Classic berth wasn't on the line? As I'm typing this an idea came to mind. A pro division and an amateur division? Just throwing that out there. In my mind I still view the that Opens are for the guys trying to make to the next level. Triple A Minor leagues was a good analogy. Some Major league'rs do get sent down so AAA have to deal with it. So you are right that if a you can't handle a few Pro's at an Open then how do you expect to handle a full roster of them. I guess what bother's me about it that some of these guys voluntarily step down looking for that easy payday and/or that Classic berth. The guys that have to re-qualify don't bother me so much because they wouldn't be there if they didn't have to. the FLW guy's dont bother me so much either they are trying to find out if they are "Elite Material" or not. To me though, the bigger issue is the new format. I don't desire to fish the Elites so I'm not trying to qualify. However, I do have that dream to someday fish the Classic. Notice I said fish it, not win it. 3 weeks vacation, some $$, some angling ability, a few great days on the water and it's a possible dream. I bet there are thousands out there just like me. My dream just got a LOT harder. Most likely it's out of my reach now because not only is a huge $$ commitment, but it's also a huge time commitment away from my family. I can't justify either to my family. The Opens are supposed to be a test of Angling Ability and nothing else. Now it's about financial ability, availability, and then angling ability. If a guy doesn't have all 3 then he shouldn't ever bother to apply. Also why is BASS is crying about turnout in the West, when anglers pay the fee's! the events are free to the public but the roster's are full. Are they losing money when they come West? Lot's of prime fisheries out here. A local guy here just caught 29lb in one day. smallmouth! 52lb for 2 days. If that's not world class, then I don't know what is. And that's in my home state. The Columbia River is Outstanding, Idaho has some lakes that are awesome at times. California has some amazing fisheries. All of these fisheries and several that I haven't mentioned could easily sustain a BASS Open. Why make guys travel half way across the country to fish an Open when there are plenty of excellent fisheries here in the West. Look at all the Pro's that have to move East just so they can compete. If they don't, they will get left behind. I'm done for the night. I'll check in tomorrow

Rich F, You right on target. Before, A guy had to have decent job, 3 weeks vacation and a dream. Now he needs truthfully, a great job o, 5 weeks vacation (which is rare) and a dream. And also some angling ability in both cases. Also before IMHO, a guy had to live geographically near the Opens to be competitive. Now, a SE or midwest angler has the advantage. It's possible a Northern angler can be competitive but he is at a financial disadvantage when trying to reach the Big O in FL. Also a Western angler doesn't stand a chance. It would take him days to get to ANY of the scheduled events. Why BASS doesn't have a Western division is beyond me. It's simple. Divide the country in 4 or 5 sections and have a championship if you want . maybe add a few Classic for the additional Opens. I don't this format will last long. Also why do Elites get to fish the Opens anyway? I view the Opens as the Minor leagues and the Elites as the Majors. Open guys can't just jump in elite's They have to earn their way in. Elite's shouldn't be able to jump down a level just so they can have a shot at the Classic because they didn't qualify.

Have you guys seen the new Open's format? Instead of 3 Open"s per division.(North,south,and central) BTW Where's the West division?, there will be a Central and Eastern division w/ 4 Open's per division and a championship of the 2 divisions. Sounds great. Not! Most of the Opens are in the southern half of each division. 1 Open out of 8 in the North and once again 0 events in the West. If any of you guys want a shot at the Classic, You'd better have deep pockets and a lot of time on your hands regardless of where you live. If you live out West, you'd better buy Lucas Oil grease by case because your gonna need it for all the miles they expect you to put on your trailer. LOL Seriously though, when is BASS is gonna wake up and make these things feasible to fish for everybody in the country and not just the Southeast? Aren't the Open's supposed to be about angling ability and not financial/time commitment ability?

He's a heck of a stick. Makes a good case for the top 20 anglers fishing in the finals in every event. Congrat's A-Mart!

2018 AOY tourney hasn't been set yet. I would love to go to this year's tourney. It's just not in the cards for me.

That's good to know. I don't know what a Life membership will set me back but it's something I've been intending to do for a while now. If I do that, then I shouldn't have any problems. Depending on where the AOY tourney is then I might even register twice.

Hopefully you'll get "the Man" himself. I have a feeling something special is going to happen there.

The application dates are the just after Thanksgiving. I have always planned on becoming a Life Member. For some reason i just never got around to it. How many times have you Marshaled?

He had to. The guys coming up are too good. I guess not making the Classic really put a fire into him.

FF, I plan to register at the earliest date possible. The reason I asked about the the life membership was because I noticed that life members get to apply a week sooner. I wasn't sure if it was a 1st come, 1st serve situation. You make it sound that way especially since you said the sooner a guy a applies then the better his odds are at day3 marshaling. I think that potentially watching 3 pro's for 3 days is a great value. Even watching 2 pro's would be a bargain for $150. Any idea on how fast slot fill up? Did you apply early or was it some time before you applied?

Bringing this to the top. I have a few questions. I have the opportunity to be a marshal for one of the tournaments next year. I think it would be a blast. I might not get another opportunity for quite some time. What can I do to increase my odds? What's the success rate for actually getting to be a marshal? Is it 1st come,1st serve? I'm a BASS member but not a Life Member. Should I be to help my success rate? I think being a marshal would be an incredible learning opportunity and don't want to miss my chance. Thanks in advance.

I believe that not too long ago some people were saying he was all washed up. The King has returned! He's back and with a vengeance. Is 90lb's of smallmouth the largest 4 day bag ever?

just saw it. Fast paced for sure! I think Hackney may have set sort of record for a period or the 3 rd period. He wacked em'!

This one is a little different. Their calling it the World Championship. Only the top 12 guys. MLF got the show on CBS. Apparently that's a 1st for a fishing show. Anyway, because of the channel change, my DVR missed the 1st episode. I have since fixed that but would like to watch it. Anybody know if this is going to be replayed on the Outdoor Channel or somewhere else?

I have MLF set up to record on my DVR. The World Championship is on CBS so it didn't record the 1st episode. How can I view that?

It was a play on my baseball analogy. As a player, I would rather be on a world champion team than personally being league MVP. That's just me. You may see it otherwise.

Would you rather be the World Series champion or the MVP?

My partner caught a 5lb'r there using a black,blue jig and craw around this time last spring. As far as the rest of the state goes, drop shots are your friends. As well as tube baits(green pumpkin). I do fairly well with spinnerbaits over here in the river.

I'm sure he gets the point either way.

The ball is metal but the clam is plastic. I have two sizes. The big one is mounted up front. It is mounted upright and hardly moves. I can tighten the heck out of it without fear of it breaking. The smaller one is at the console and is at an angle like you have yours. It never stays in place after a run. Always moves. I just finished mounting the mini Kong today so I'll be getting a test run soon. We'll see how it does after a summer of fishing. There's a KVD Kong mount. that thing will never move and is super adjustable. Very $$$$$