BASSMASTER Pro's fishing alone????

[MarkW]

Go to www.bassmaster.com and look through the photo galleries and see how many pro's are fishing alone at Wheeler Lake Elite tournament. Thought they were having that program where you pay BASS to be a ride along partner for the day. Thought they were going to get every boat filled up because it was such a great idea----LOL!!!!!! Guess not!
Interesting though----are they going to polygraph the pro's that fish alone? Camera can't be everywhere. Bet this is stirring up some problems with the pro's we haven't heard about yet.

Can't wait to see how this goes through the year.

[Shimano4Life]

The program is called B.A.S.S. Marshals.......and I agree that it is somewhat of a joke. They have completely dismissed the co-angler status, so now you get pay a large sum of money -- and not get to fish. I'm also interested to see how long this program stays in place. I understand both sides of the co-angler status argument, but it hits home for some because most of us dream of fishing professionally one day. I guess FLW will have to take on the previous co-anglers from B.A.S.S.

[bigrod]

What are you talking about? You couldn't qualify for the elites even if you won the overall co-angler for the year. The only way to make it to the Elites is to place in the top 5 overall in all of the open series. I would think for $100.00 you could learn more from watching one of these pros then trying to fish against them. I was one that hated the thought of stopping the co-anglers in the Elites but after watching the first two events and hearing all of the feedback from the pros I have changed my mind. Two days of following the best of the best along your favorite lake I would say is well worth the hundred dollars. I wish the KY Lake event wasn't allready full with a waiting list!

[Shimano4Life]

What are you talking about? You couldn't qualify for the elites even if you won the overall co-angler for the year. The only way to make it to the Elites is to place in the top 5 overall in all of the open series. I would think for $100.00 you could learn more from watching one of these pros then trying to fish against them. I was one that hated the thought of stopping the co-anglers in the Elites but after watching the first two events and hearing all of the feedback from the pros I have changed my mind. Two days of following the best of the best along your favorite lake I would say is well worth the hundred dollars. I wish the KY Lake event wasn't allready full with a waiting list!

Taken completely out of context.....good for B.A.S.S., bad for co-anglers. The experience is what matters. If you want to sit in a boat all day, not fish, and pay a hundred dollars or whatever, you can ride along with me anyday. You're not fishing against them either -- you're fishing against the other co-anglers. Opinions, are like, well we all know........

[MarkW]

KY Lake Marshall's program may be full----but Wheeler Lake is NOT! I'm hoping a bunch told BASS to stick it with the whole $100 "ride along program"!

Still wondering how these pro's are getting away with fishing by themselves. Also, how are they verifying their catches---the Marshall's were also the witness to them catching fish legally. Bet some are upset if some fish alone and others get to fish with a Marshall.
Still think the whole thing is silly.

[Shimano4Life]

KY Lake Marshall's program may be full----but Wheeler Lake is NOT! I'm hoping a bunch told BASS to stick it with the whole $100 "ride along program"!

Still wondering how these pro's are getting away with fishing by themselves. Also, how are they verifying their catches---the Marshall's were also the witness to them catching fish legally. Bet some are upset if some fish alone and others get to fish with a Marshall.
Still think the whole thing is silly.

AMEN.........

[ryan_ekubass]

with as much money from sponsors and endorsements these guys make it would cost them way more money to cheat in a bass tournament i mean would u give up your free truck adn boat your house and all your possessions not to mention your name because u snagged a fish off the bed. this is the ELITE series not a pick up tournament on taylorsville.... i also think that there is someone who rides with the pros and they usually have a ontorage of 1000000000000 million other boats following them around watching them fish.....

[BPenrod]

Fools and their money soon part! I also don't understand why anybody would want to follow someone around in a boat either. Just my opinion.

[MarkW]

Ryan, I agree----why would you want to lose all that free stuff????? BUT, there are MANY on that circuit that don't have a free truck,boat, salary, etc. and $100,000 looks pretty darn good. Plus not all of the pro's are big name guys and don't have an enourage following them. I hope to God they don't cheat---but, I bet this is something that has come up among the pro's and we just are not hearing it. Bet they thought every boat would have a Marshall in it and wouldn't have to worry about solo fishing. We'll see.

[uk_bassman]

There is a Marshall in every boat. The Marshall gets in the camera boat when the camera guy gets in the anglers boat. Every angler is being watched every second of the day whether it is by a Marshall or camera.

[Tim_T]

There are NO PROS FISHING alone. As was stated when a camera man gets out of the camera boat and into the anglers boat, the Observer gets in the camera boat. There are no Marshall along on the final day as all 12 anglers have a camera boat following them.

On the Elite Series, there is nobody buying their own boats. Even the 100th guy in the standings gets a memo boat.

[bigrod]

I'm not on here to get in a pissing contest but, there are a lot of pros this week fishing by themselves! It is the first day of tournament. The only time the camera crew is IN the boat with the pros is on the final day. I still don't think there is even a chance that any of these guys would cheat. They are the best of the best and they have gotten to where they are by their fishing talent not by cheating there way on. I have followed the Elites this year as much as anyone on here I guarantee you. I have watched every weighin of every tourn. this year, including the classic and this is not the first time there haven't been an observer in every boat every day it is just this time there are a large number of boats without them. I'll say it again, you pay Dave Stewart roughly $300.00 to go on a day trip. Imagine what it would be like to pay just $100.00 to ride with KVD, Skeet and Ike in three days of full fishing fot 1/3 the price. Come on you can't say it is a great deal. I wish it was free but nothing in life is free and if you haven't learned that by now I'm sorry.