randy, yesterday on the pod cast "after the cast" andy montgomery said he hated FFS and wished it would go away. he was talking to edwin evers and ott defoe the night before MLF event on conroe. He meant it and I loved it.
Personally couldn’t care less about elite series it’s just a bunch of rich guys that scope or most anyway. I don’t even watch any of their social media either because there’s nothing to learn from it. Ever since ray scott sold out it has become a shit show now throw ffs in the mix unwatchable.
The number of anglers in the Classic has nothing to do with it. When a recreational angler with a UA-cam channel has 500,000 subscribers and is putting out 2 videos a week, and the manufacturers are advertising on 100 channels with a combined million views per week, their product gets way more exposure than sponsoring a few pros.
Randy proves my point that todays Pro Anglers need to have other streams of income other than fishing. It’s becoming clearer everyday that sponsors at the level they were 30 years ago is gone. Anglers need to have employment outside of fishing that will allow them to be anglers on the weekend. Being a full time professional Bass fisherman is going the way of the affordable Bass boat. It is becoming or has already become an elitist sport. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Trying to make a living in an ever shrinking arena year after year is nuts. The professional bass fishermen in 2025 had better see the writing on the wall and secure other means of making money or they will get caught out in the wind when the industry crashes.
@@robertdtimmerman You’re right it ain’t what it was and why anyone sponsers a so -called pro is beyond me at this point too many hands in the pie. UA-cam gets way more exposure to the public. Not to mention why would a Old school tackle manufacturer sponsor them all they promote is a jig head minnow or a wiener worm. Pro fishing is doa as far as I’m concerned.
There will be tons of guys that lose everything fishing the Pro level events. I think there will always be a core group of fans that continue to watch and be involved following these tournaments. This is in these guys blood. They will suffer, lose relationships, go through financial deviation. But, they will continue to do it. They are addicted. And I understand it……but I just can’t justify it for myself. I will continue to follow tournament fishing. Only interested in best 5 type tournaments. That’s just what I like. Also…..I have and use FFS…..but I do agree it is really, really boring to watch.
More people, more entry fee's. The elite series only cares about $$$. Not the anglers, not the fish, not the ecosystems and most certainly not our future.
I remeber those days too. And even though I disagree with you about the Federation, which celebrated the roots of what created Bassmaster in the first place, I think all the additional tournament trails/organizations out there now have spread the same sponsorship dollars much thinner. I believe if Bassmaster was still the only game in town, it would carry the same prestige it used to. Having said that, given the decrease of sponsor money, increasing the # of competitors in the classic does dilute it even further. Here is something you will like though. A group of older fellas in east central TN are starting a Senior trail for anyone over 50. All tournaments are safe light until 2PM. And the best part, NO FFS!
It's definitely not easy to follow the sport or favorite angler these days. I enjoyed watching B.A.S.S. tournaments on ESPN when I was a kid. One episode in particular sticks with me to this day. Jimmy Crisp on Table Rock Lake. Good times for the sport. As for the Bassmasters Classic, I'm not sure if 56 is appropriate, as long as it represents the top anglers based on an even points system.
My opinion on the Classic is, just because you are able to make the elites you don't just get into the classic. Earn your way up the ladder just like the pros have to, you haven't proved anything other than you won in the open.
At some point the fishing is going to have a huge decline. Can you even imagine how fish are being taken now.. On my local lake it started to decline from almost everyone trolling with live bait.. Hardly catch any big fish now.. This will ruin fishing in the near future, watch and see..
I agree to a point . Scale it back on the opens - top 2 boaters . College and HS should qualify for the Bass Nation national championship 4 from that tournament. Cut the Elites to 35 ….. this puts the Classic qualifiers in the low 40’s
The issue is the sports have to do what they have to do to grab fans and new anglers, the old school guys are getting old and could care less bout the new electronic but guess who do these new young and upcoming kids who will be the next bass master classic champion .I know a lot of us don’t like chain but it’s happening and will continue these new kids love the electronics and that’s who they catering too
It’s sad…it’s mediocrity, that’s all I can say. It will always have a special place in my heart, but it’s not the same. The Natural born fishermen can’t show their skills anymore. There is no one to learn from. It’s sad that you see leader boards with names on it you don’t recognize… I had never heard of the last 2 classic winners! I’m not saying they are not good, how will we ever know? It blows my mind that BASS didn’t make more of stance on this. I feel like I’m cheating on my girlfriend by watching the BPT the last 2 days! But there’s at least 2/3rd that they have to catch them without it…
Your a hypocrite in so may ways Your bitching about everyone else Saying how bad tournaments are but you will be right out there killing bass in the name of money
Tournament fisherman are the face of their sponsors and the bass fishing industry. These guys are trying to make a living doing what they love. Who are you to say what is a real job….and why do you care?
As someone who would absolutely be on cloud nine to qualify for a Bassmasters Classic, I have to disagree on this one. Out of the tens of thousands of anglers, 56 guys ain’t a lot…it’s still a heck of an achievement to qualify.
You should take this video down. Leave it to you to piss and moan about a situation that has existed for close to 20 years. First off, there has never been 60 participants for a Classic. Going off of the BASS website, 2024 was the highest at 56 anglers. Secondly, I went back 18 years and looked at the results. I would have gone further, but the site doesn't have the data. The lowest was 2012 at 49 and the years before that were higher. Over 18 years, the Classic has averaged 52.5 anglers. So in essence unchanged for close to 2 decades, but you're going to blame these numbers on the anglers inability to get sponsorship money?
1st comment, why not have people, new people, have the chance of a lifetime to qualify for the ckassic? I like it. Not the same old same old, gotta win in order to compete n fish!
🥚/ 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆. Had your chance and collected your own participation trophies, real or imagined. Others can now have their chance to win fair and square.
Tournaments are a joke just a bunch of rich yuppies gambling and killing fish in the end go to a casino ..its time to ban these joke of a Tournaments all together
@@winstonrocco1981 UA-cam is definitely a major player, but qualifying for a Classic is a HUGE opportunity...it puts an angler in front of millions of fans on the largest stage. If they had a UA-cam channel prior to making the classic, I'm sure fishing on that stage would help their channel quite a bit too. Just as I'm sure their guiding business would take off a bit after qualifying. And if they actually do well in the Classic and get airtime, all of that would get a huge boost. It all depends on your perspective. I totally agree with Randy on a lot of things, but not on this at all. He also got into the sport when there were far less competitors, so the top 35 then made more sense. Now, there's so much competition that having 56 anglers complete is completely fair...
I also don't like that he only seems to care about the "super stars" in this case. Doesn't seem to give a dang about the average guys coming up having a dream and a shot at making it.
Aren't there like 200 elite pros? If so that ea. means only the top 25 % qualify ... seems reasonable ... for an event that should be banned, anyway ....
@@wmkoehler3942 Most fisher.that I consider Pros are spread out amonst all the varios circuts,Rookies are well rookies,till there not.Elites are watered down!What does Trump have to do with this?
At some point the fishing is going to have a huge decline. Can you even imagine how fish are being taken now.. On my local lake it started to decline from almost everyone trolling with live bait.. Hardly catch any big fish now.. This will ruin fishing in the near future, watch and see..
randy, yesterday on the pod cast "after the cast" andy montgomery said he hated FFS and wished it would go away. he was talking to edwin evers and ott defoe the night before MLF event on conroe. He meant it and I loved it.
I saw that this morning
Personally couldn’t care less about elite series it’s just a bunch of rich guys that scope or most anyway. I don’t even watch any of their social media either because there’s nothing to learn from it. Ever since ray scott sold out it has become a shit show now throw ffs in the mix unwatchable.
Nailed it!
I could complain but I'm one of em 😂
Why aren’t they just weighing the fish with an official scale and putting them back into the water?
Exactly
They probably can’t be trusted and their egos want to show off the dying fish at the weigh-in.
100% Randy. Pro fishing has been diluted to 💩. Greed(addiction) will continue the decline.
The number of anglers in the Classic has nothing to do with it. When a recreational angler with a UA-cam channel has 500,000 subscribers and is putting out 2 videos a week, and the manufacturers are advertising on 100 channels with a combined million views per week, their product gets way more exposure than sponsoring a few pros.
As with most everything else greed turned it into 💩...
Randy proves my point that todays Pro Anglers need to have other streams of income other than fishing. It’s becoming clearer everyday that sponsors at the level they were 30 years ago is gone. Anglers need to have employment outside of fishing that will allow them to be anglers on the weekend. Being a full time professional Bass fisherman is going the way of the affordable Bass boat. It is becoming or has already become an elitist sport. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Trying to make a living in an ever shrinking arena year after year is nuts. The professional bass fishermen in 2025 had better see the writing on the wall and secure other means of making money or they will get caught out in the wind when the industry crashes.
@@robertdtimmerman
You’re right it ain’t what it was and why anyone sponsers a so -called pro is beyond me at this point too
many hands in the pie. UA-cam gets way more exposure to the public. Not to mention why would a
Old school tackle manufacturer sponsor them all they promote is a jig head minnow or a wiener worm.
Pro fishing is doa as far as I’m concerned.
There will be tons of guys that lose everything fishing the Pro level events. I think there will always be a core group of fans that continue to watch and be involved following these tournaments. This is in these guys blood. They will suffer, lose relationships, go through financial deviation. But, they will continue to do it. They are addicted. And I understand it……but I just can’t justify it for myself.
I will continue to follow tournament fishing. Only interested in best 5 type tournaments. That’s just what I like. Also…..I have and use FFS…..but I do agree it is really, really boring to watch.
More people, more entry fee's. The elite series only cares about $$$. Not the anglers, not the fish, not the ecosystems and most certainly not our future.
@5280OutdoorsCO BASS couldn’t care less about you or anyone else it’s obvious.
There is no way all those bass that are caught and kept will live throughout the duration of the tournaments.
Totally agree
I remeber those days too. And even though I disagree with you about the Federation, which celebrated the roots of what created Bassmaster in the first place, I think all the additional tournament trails/organizations out there now have spread the same sponsorship dollars much thinner. I believe if Bassmaster was still the only game in town, it would carry the same prestige it used to. Having said that, given the decrease of sponsor money, increasing the # of competitors in the classic does dilute it even further.
Here is something you will like though. A group of older fellas in east central TN are starting a Senior trail for anyone over 50. All tournaments are safe light until 2PM. And the best part, NO FFS!
I agree, how awesome would a 24 angler field with the same payout be.
if its all about being a household name, i am changing my name to Kitchen Faucet!
Poaching is becoming a huge problem from people that have no respect for our laws
The Classic, like the Elites, are irrelevant until BASS makes their tour valid and bans scoping.
It's definitely not easy to follow the sport or favorite angler these days. I enjoyed watching B.A.S.S. tournaments on ESPN when I was a kid. One episode in particular sticks with me to this day. Jimmy Crisp on Table Rock Lake. Good times for the sport. As for the Bassmasters Classic, I'm not sure if 56 is appropriate, as long as it represents the top anglers based on an even points system.
@@toddg.2638
Those days are gone thanks to the actions of the organizations
My opinion on the Classic is, just because you are able to make the elites you don't just get into the classic. Earn your way up the ladder just like the pros have to, you haven't proved anything other than you won in the open.
At some point the fishing is going to have a huge decline. Can you even imagine how fish are being taken now.. On my local lake it started to decline from almost everyone trolling with live bait.. Hardly catch any big fish now.. This will ruin fishing in the near future, watch and see..
I agree to a point . Scale it back on the opens - top 2 boaters . College and HS should qualify for the Bass Nation national championship 4 from that tournament. Cut the Elites to 35 ….. this puts the Classic qualifiers in the low 40’s
next year, every one in the Elites will get an Invitational invite....as long as they use FFS!
The issue is the sports have to do what they have to do to grab fans and new anglers, the old school guys are getting old and could care less bout the new electronic but guess who do these new young and upcoming kids who will be the next bass master classic champion .I know a lot of us don’t like chain but it’s happening and will continue these new kids love the electronics and that’s who they catering too
It’s sad…it’s mediocrity, that’s all I can say. It will always have a special place in my heart, but it’s not the same. The Natural born fishermen can’t show their skills anymore. There is no one to learn from. It’s sad that you see leader boards with names on it you don’t recognize… I had never heard of the last 2 classic winners! I’m not saying they are not good, how will we ever know? It blows my mind that BASS didn’t make more of stance on this. I feel like I’m cheating on my girlfriend by watching the BPT the last 2 days! But there’s at least 2/3rd that they have to catch them without it…
@@PatrickWalker_theBassAngler
Agree
It all stems from technology now there is magazines that people read because it all done on line now
Listening to you b.a.s.s. will be out of business by the end of next year .
Your a hypocrite in so may ways
Your bitching about everyone else
Saying how bad tournaments are but you will be right out there killing bass in the name of money
Let’s see get a real job! We need skilled people in almost every sector of the economy. Bass fishing is a recreational activity and not a career.
Tournament fisherman are the face of their sponsors and the bass fishing industry. These guys are trying to make a living doing what they love. Who are you to say what is a real job….and why do you care?
As someone who would absolutely be on cloud nine to qualify for a Bassmasters Classic, I have to disagree on this one. Out of the tens of thousands of anglers, 56 guys ain’t a lot…it’s still a heck of an achievement to qualify.
In this weeks episode of angry old pro angler rants about pro fishing…
You should take this video down. Leave it to you to piss and moan about a situation that has existed for close to 20 years. First off, there has never been 60 participants for a Classic. Going off of the BASS website, 2024 was the highest at 56 anglers. Secondly, I went back 18 years and looked at the results. I would have gone further, but the site doesn't have the data. The lowest was 2012 at 49 and the years before that were higher. Over 18 years, the Classic has averaged 52.5 anglers. So in essence unchanged for close to 2 decades, but you're going to blame these numbers on the anglers inability to get sponsorship money?
Their desperation shows
1st comment, why not have people, new people, have the chance of a lifetime to qualify for the ckassic? I like it. Not the same old same old, gotta win in order to compete n fish!
You must have gotten a trophy for participating lmao
Like I said, they’re giving out participation in trophies with that format
@@randyblaukatintuitive
Your correct dei at work lol
Don't even care about the classic, illl be watching npfl
🥚/ 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆. Had your chance and collected your own participation trophies, real or imagined. Others can now have their chance to win fair and square.
@@mistertwister1816
Scope of course
Having 10 🐐 ain’t either!! 🤣
Cut it to 35 and keep it that way! BASS has no sense of tradition at all.
Tournaments are a joke just a bunch of rich yuppies gambling and killing fish in the end go to a casino ..its time to ban these joke of a Tournaments all together
Making a Classic is still life changing…and can still very much attract sponsors…
@@GregDelR33
Don’t think it’s much of anything these days UA-cam gets the lions share of advertising dollars change my mind.
@@winstonrocco1981 UA-cam is definitely a major player, but qualifying for a Classic is a HUGE opportunity...it puts an angler in front of millions of fans on the largest stage. If they had a UA-cam channel prior to making the classic, I'm sure fishing on that stage would help their channel quite a bit too. Just as I'm sure their guiding business would take off a bit after qualifying. And if they actually do well in the Classic and get airtime, all of that would get a huge boost. It all depends on your perspective. I totally agree with Randy on a lot of things, but not on this at all. He also got into the sport when there were far less competitors, so the top 35 then made more sense. Now, there's so much competition that having 56 anglers complete is completely fair...
I also don't like that he only seems to care about the "super stars" in this case. Doesn't seem to give a dang about the average guys coming up having a dream and a shot at making it.
@@GregDelR33
You gotta have deep pockets to dream
Aren't there like 200 elite pros? If so that ea. means only the top 25 % qualify ... seems reasonable ... for an event that should be banned, anyway ....
106 pros
I believe its 104
PROS,106,LMOL Average angler would beat half of them on any given day.
@toddaldrich1936 really..ok trump
@@wmkoehler3942 Most fisher.that I consider Pros are spread out amonst all the varios circuts,Rookies are well rookies,till there not.Elites are watered down!What does Trump have to do with this?
At some point the fishing is going to have a huge decline. Can you even imagine how fish are being taken now.. On my local lake it started to decline from almost everyone trolling with live bait.. Hardly catch any big fish now.. This will ruin fishing in the near future, watch and see..