The 2019 Bassmaster Classic was a weird one.
Sure, Ott DeFoe took home the victory, and was the 4th hometown angler in 6 years to do it. And of course, there was plenty of excitement and drama on the water and on the stage.
But one couldn’t ignore a strangeness as well.
For most of the guys fishing the tournament, it would be there last in the Elite Series for a while. In fact, 69% of the anglers on the water, including the champion, won’t be fishing the Elite Series this year.
A new kid on the block, the MLF, lured them away to fish the Bass Pro Tour. This includes some of the biggest names in bass fishing. Everyone from KVD to Edwin Evers to perennial fan favorite Gerald Swindle.
Roadblocks Facing the Bass Pro Tour
These anglers defected to the BPT as a business decision. Many of the conditions of fishing the Tour are much more favorable to the fisherman. I for one, am very excited about many aspects of the tournament, and am looking forward to attending one this year to cover it.
But it would be dishonest of me not to point out some questions I have about the viability of the product.
First and foremost, it is a made-for-TV format that is not conducive to a live audience. I’ve attended several Classics now, and every year the fan attendance seems to grow.
This year broke records with over 140,000 fans attending. They line up to explore the Expo, the arrive at the arena early to watch weigh-ins, and they ask for pictures with their favorite anglers.
In the BPT, weigh ins happen on the water. Unless you’re stalking your favorite fisherman on a boat, it’s going to be tough to get excited about what he’s doing.
The other question mark for the BPT is the format. As I mentioned before, I’m fairly excited about it, but it is new.
Fans understand the Occum’s Razor approach of the most weight at the end of three or four days. BPT breaks the field up into groups, has different rounds, and a progressive scoring system that resets when you hit the final rounds.
Then there is a scoring system where points carry over for a certain period of time but not for the whole season. If that sounds confusing it’s because it is.
Finally, because of the format, the BPT tournaments are long. Six days is quite a long time for fans to stay invested in the action. The fans I’ve talked to check in early on the tournaments, then again toward the end, and that’s pretty much it.
Competition Is A Good Thing
Don’t let my pondering out loud fool you into thinking I’m a full on detractor of the BPT – I’m not.
I think competition is a good thing in the long run for just about everyone. The anglers certainly saw a benefit.
Both organizations have a benefit as well. For the BPT, they got proven stars and fan favorites to jump ship. Fans will want to pay attention to what their favorite anglers are up to.
For B.A.S.S. they have a chance to build new stars, which in turn, will court new fans.
We will just have to wait and see if the BPT is still around in 3-5 years. They have that Johnny Morris money behind them now, but how long will that last if fans can’t get invested in the action?
One thing is for sure: in 2020, the Bassmaster Classic will still be happening, and whoever it is that raises the trophy, it will be someone who has never won before.
Someone will also win the BPT, and whoever does that will be the first.
I for one am excited for the year ahead.