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  1. #1
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    Federation to align with FLW??

    I came across this interview with Jacobs. It appears that the marriage with B.A.S.S. and the Federation is all but done. I know the meeting is this Saturday, but it sure looks like the writing is on the wall.

    Jacobs On His Offer
    To The Federation

    Wednesday, December 07, 2005





    Photo: FLWOutdoors.com

    FLW Outdoors chairman Irwin Jacobs accused BASS and Ray Scott of mistreating the Federation.

    After BASS VP and GM Don Rucks dismissed seven officers from The Bass Federation Inc. (TBF Inc.), rumblings rattled through the industry about what might occur should FLW Outdoors extend its hand to the BASS Federation.

    That hand is now outstretched.

    In the following interview, FLW Outdoors chairman Irwin Jacobs details a recent meeting that took place between representatives of TBF Inc., FLW Outdoors and Ranger Boats. He also discusses his pending monetary offer to the Federation, and reveals the motives behind that offer.

    (Editor's note: Jacobs is also chairman and CEO of Genmar Holdings Inc., parent company of Ranger, Stratos and Champion, among other boat brands.)

    BassFan: You met last Thursday (Dec. 1) with representatives of TBF Inc. Who was there?

    Jacobs: Forrest and Nina Wood, Randy Hopper (Ranger Boats president), Charlie Evans (FLW Outdoors CEO), Kathy Fennel (FLW Outdoors COO), Keith Daffron (Ranger VP of sales) and myself met with the representatives of TBF Inc. in Flippin (Ark.) last Thursday.

    Was that meeting at your behest or theirs?

    It was both. There had been a couple calls back and forth asking for a session with us, and we said we'd be happy to accommodate them. It turned out to be the appropriate time and place, and I accommodated their schedule and I went there.

    What was the nature of the meeting?

    I think this was really a meeting to understand each other. I told them what's important for us to understand is, What do they have that they like? What don't they like that they have? And what do they wish that they had?

    It was my view going in there that if I couldn't give them what they liked that they had, and if I couldn't replace what they didn't like that they had, and I couldn't offer them something in the area of what they want of me, then I really wouldn't be doing them any favors.

    And I'm confident after that meeting that we can offer them a whole lot more than they're getting today, or have been getting.

    What would some of that be – what you think the Federation doesn't have now?

    There's no secret to the fact that the BASS organization and the BASS Federation really are miles apart. When you write a letter that Don Rucks wrote to them, telling the whole world out there that they were canceling these people out – they're no longer welcome – these are the people elected by the (Federation members) they represent.

    Then, you get a guy like Ray Scott who's just unbelievably irresponsible to write a letter to "cut the cancer out." How could anybody write such a rotten word in respect to the people who give every day of their life to help grow the Federation?

    (Editor's note: Scott did not mention "cancer" in his open letter to Federation members. He did describe the Federation divisional representatives as a "cancer" in a BassFan news story, and supported BASS's dismissal of them.)

    Let me make one thing clear: There's no BASS without the Federation, as far as I'm concerned. If you had the Top 500 fishermen in the world, it wouldn't be enough to keep (BASS) going if they didn't have the Federation.

    So I don't see what these people (BASS) are doing. Based on what we understand of what they're charging and what they're giving, they're not giving (Federation members) anything. They charge them for everything.

    So all these things that (BASS) lists out that they give them really are at the cost of the Federation members. And in fact, BASS gets a whole lot more from them than what they give back based on today's situation.

    As far as we're concerned, we're willing to pay for the relationship with (Federation members) to give them some dollars with which to grow their bass clubs and the state organizations.

    We want to see this grow. We don't want to see this (current BASS-Federation episode) be decisive in the sense of making the Federation go away. That's the last thing we want to do. But based on what we've seen the last 2 weeks, these people at BASS are single-handedly destroying the whole Federation.

    I understand two states have already pulled out (of the BASS Federation). I just heard 39 states have decided not to send the money to (BASS). They're sending it to TBF Inc.

    You said you'd be willing to pay for a relationship with the Federation. Have you put a dollar amount on that yet?

    Not yet, but let me put it to you this way: We're prepared to offer them a seven-figure amount of money, and we'll present that to them before we present it to the media. That's for the entire Federation.

    And that's not buying them, that's just working with them. They're going to be independent the rest of their life, and we think that they should be. Their destiny should always be in their hands, so we couldn't ask them to sell their souls to us for money.

    We'd tell them that we want to give them money to do some things with.

    Is that a yearly figure?

    Yes.

    Obviously, that's a good opportunity for Ranger Boats. Is that what's really behind this offer?

    You say that, and yeah, I hope it is (a good opportunity). But beside that, they say all boats rise in a high tide. The future of the whole industry – the fishing as well as the boating industry – rides on the growth of the grassroots and foundation of fishing.

    These (Federation) people represent it in the most major way of any organization out there. They should be treated very special. They've done more than anybody else, including Ray Scott. He wouldn't have had an organization without them.

    And how this man can sit up there and speak – and you can quote me on this – how can Ray Scott publicly say "carve them out like cancer?"

    I want you to know – and if (Scott) denies this, history will prove him wrong – there wouldn't be a BASS organization without Ranger. It never would have happened. Nina and Forrest made that happen. They joined up with him.

    I'll never forget the first thing Ray Scott said to me one night when he came to our (Ranger) banquet in 1993, when I was the owner of the company. He said, "I have Ranger in my veins."

    The next thing you know, he no longer had a job with BASS, so he had to go out and raise some money for his pockets, and went out there and took a job with Triton. All of a sudden he says it's the greatest boat he's ever had. So no one is more hypocritical than Ray Scott. Nobody.

    To call these people cancer, then to sit there and all of a sudden change his whole support – and I've never said this publicly, but the time is right with what he's doing right now – he's the last person who should open his mouth. He should go off into the sunset very quietly.

    These people (Federation members) are not being treated right, plain and simple – not by Rucks, not by him (Scott), and not by this (BASS director of Federation and angler relations) Gary Jones. None of them. Or ESPN for that matter.

    One of the concerns BassFan has heard the last few weeks from Federation members is about youth – recruiting future bass anglers – and the conservation projects the Federation heads up. Does FLW Outdoors share that concern?

    We do. Those are two areas where frankly we can use their help in a great way. The fact is we're doing a lot of work, but they've got a lot more lifetime experience in doing it, and they're the ones that are doing it. BASS is not doing it. It's the Federation that's doing it.

    We want to support them with that. The single most-important part of growing the sport is the younger generation and conservation.

    The Federation has some media through BASS right now, and they have club- and state-produced media. Did you talk about how you could bring a national media presence to the Federation?

    Let me put it to you this way: They won't be out anything with us. Relative to what they have, they'll have a whole lot more. That's all I can tell you.

    I plan on speaking to the presidents at their big deal in January down in Florida – all 48 of them.

    (Editor's note: There will be a series of Federation meetings prior to the Jan. 11–13 Federation National Championship at Florida's Harris Chain.)

    Is that where you plan to present your offer?

    Hopefully we'll have it in their hands long before that, but I'll come down so I can hopefully answer any questions they might have. I'm really going down there for their benefit, not for mine – to give them a chance to talk to me directly.

    As part of your offer, do you plan to give Federation members a shot at qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup?

    Let me put it to you this way: They'll have a shot at the brass ring in our deal too. And ours is for more money than theirs (BASS's).

    But they'll have more chances than that. They won't have to just wait for that one – there'll be a lot of opportunities.

    So it's your position that there is some business opportunity here, but also that you need to make this offer for the good of the sport? Is that a fair assessment of your position?

    Look, if somebody doesn't step up and do this right now, I have my doubts whether there's going to be (a Federation) organization in place there, so I'm doing it for two reasons.

    One, I think it's very important that what (BASS) created here to separate (the Federation) is God-awful and it does threaten the sheer life of over 30 years of what these people have put their heart and soul into.

    And the other side to it is yes, it's a huge opportunity for us on the FLW side to support and partner with (the Federation), which I think will bring benefits. But to put all that aside, I just want to see them in the mode of growth, not the mode of going out of business.

    Did you lay some of the seeds of this in your meeting with the Federation in 2003?

    No, I told them in 2003 that if they ever got serious about it, our door was open to them. When all (that) confusion was going on, I called them and I received calls back. They said they were anxious to meet.

    We met, and at that time I told them, 'Look, if nothing more comes of this than you get a better deal and you get some real definition for your future because you're meeting here with us, more power to you. I want to see your group flourish. I don't want to see it go backwards.'

    And we (FLW Outdoors) have got a lot more to offer today than we did in 2003. We're a lot different today, in a better way. I'm talking bigger and better than ever.






  2. #2
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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Ray, I'm glad someone else on this board has taken note of the goings on between BASS and The Federation. I was beginning to think that no one here cares one way or the other.

    In the past few days I have written to and received letters from BASS and I think they realize they have messed in their nest.

    Will you be at the Federation meeting tomorrow?? If so I'll see you there and if you'd like to read the letters from BASS (Don Rucks & Ray Scott) I'll have them with me.

    Don Hardesty
    Evansville Bassmasters

    PS I will say this: The Federation has really been lax in keeping the local clubs informed. In this day of the computer and the internet there is no excuse for that. Maybe we can get that changed....

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Don: Are those letters that were written to you personally or copies of the open letters Rucks and Scott wrote to Federation members? I have been following this as I am sure many folks have and so far it looks like BASS is backing up on their initial deadlines etc....but they are still mandating that they have blacklisted the Division Reps from any and all BASS business to include membership. I have not been a Federation member for many years but if I were there would be no way I would keep my affiliation with BASS at the expense of those that I had asked to represent me. I believe the appropriate phrase here is: Leave no man behind

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Dave, I couldn't agree more. One of the letters I received was a form letter and the other was from a low-grade employee with Ruck's and Scotts open letters attached. I'll forward them to you.

    Don

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Don: Thanks for forwarding the letters but my virus scanner deleted them...I don't know why it does that sometimes...guess if I were more computer smart I would know why...lol. I have seen the letters you mentioned (Ruck's and Scott's) and I assume the survey letter must be one sent out to members to get a feel for how the membership feels about this situation. You know it is sad to see all this happening with the Federation. The Federation folks have done so much for the sport on the local level with their work on conservation and the kids program to mention a couple of things they have had such an impact on. Now we have BASS and FLW folks in an all out war trying to court the Federation into playing in their sandbox. Personally I would like to see the Federation tell them both to stick it and form thier own trail dedicated to the weekend angler. With the numbers they already possess getting sponsors should not be a problem and maybe they could refocus their efforts to the principles the Federation was founded on and not have to cater to to the big bucks of ESPN or Walmart.

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Dave I think you are right. At this moment I'm not sure what is going to happen but it should be interesting in Indianapolis tomorrow. There is enough blame to go around but it seems that BASS has only started to come forth since they realize the fat is in the fire. I'm not sure they can save themselves. What really troubles me is the lack of comminucations between all parties. I truely hope the IBF will create some kind of information pipeline to the local clubs so we will have some idea as to what is going on. When we had our local club meeting last Monday evening very few of the guys had any idea that anything out of the ordinary was happening. I'm fortunate in one respect in that I'm retired and can more easily keep up with what is going on. Especially now that the ground is covered with snow and theres ice on the water.......

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Don, I used to be a proud member of the Federation. When ESPN/Disney purchased B.A.S.S. I really thought it was going to get taken to new highs never experienced @ the local level. Well, it didn't take long for the picture to become perfectly clear that ESPN/Disney were strictly in this venture for the money. I dropped out of any Federation Club I belonged to, even the one I was the original founding member.


    I have said since day one, screw ESPN and Disney, go in a different direction. Who do you think the sponsors are going to follow, the 200 or so so called pro's or the 40,000 members who actualy purchase their products? I don't know about them, but if I owned their companys it would be a cut and dry decision. I would follow my bread and butter.

    I truly hope the Federation makes the right decision tomorrow @ the meeting and takes it's members words to heart. Rucks pretty much gave everyone a take it or leave it attitude, so call his bluff and leave it on the table and move on to bigger and better things.


    Ray Rigby

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Ray, this will be my first Federation meeting so I'm not sure what to expect. I don't really relish the drive to Indy tomorrow but I think it's important for our club to be represented. I also believe this meeting will determine whether or not we stay associated with the Federation. Most of what I see coming down from the sanctioning bodies is a lot of work for the club level guy. I'll post the results of the meeting when I get back home. One benefit is that I'll be able to stop at BPS on the way back.

    Don

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Don: your comment about the lack of communications got my curiosity up so I checked out the IBF website...I can see where you are coming from..unless I missed something there I could not find any information at all about what has been transpiring between the Federation and BASS. You might check out the Kentucky BASS Federation site for a guideline when making your plea for better communications. That is where I got most of my information on what has been happening...Donnie Keaton has done a good job there in my estimation of trying to get the word out to all the folks.
    Dave

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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Dave: WOW...what a nice webpage. Makes IBF look like grade school. Maybe we can get something like that going on this side of the river......I'll let you know what happens tomorrow....

    Don


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    RE: Federation to align with FLW??

    Guys,

    Unless your the next Kevin VanDam, does it really matter?

    topwater


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    It matters to some.

    To answer your question, yes it does matter to some folks that fish the Federation. The impact on local Federation anglers could be pretty important. I'm not sure how much you know about the Federation, but for one thing, you can fish your way through the ranks to the Classic (if aligned with BASS) or the FLW Championship (if aligned with FLW).

    From what I've read the FLW is offering a lot more to the Fed than BASS ever has. This could result in the Federation going in a completely new and diferent direction with bigger Federated State, Regional and National tournaments. So yes it does matter to the guys that currently fish the Federation and anglers like myself who left and are considering going back to the Federation. The moves they make right now could launch the Federation to new heights or it could be its death knoll. I for one hope they get it right and remember its the little guys that make the grassroots of that organization.

    The State Federations are really who got the BASS ball rolling in the first place. Ray would not have been able to make BASS what it became without the diehard state guys. I know, I was a member in the Fed from the early 80's to the mid 90's. I wathced the ranks grow in the Mass BAss Federation from like 75 - 100 anglers to over a thousand in a span of less than 5 years. In my opinion that is what really drove BASS and whoever the Federation aligns with should give more back to the guys at the local levels. Like Ray said, who really buys the sponsors products, the few hundred pros or the 40,000+ members of the State Feds? Simple question with a simple answer, however I think BASS/Scott/ESPN forgot that answer a long time ago and may now be in for a very rude awakening.




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