Last weekend, competitors clashed in one of the biggest bass tournaments in the country, yet it slipped under the radar of many fans. We all know it wasn’t the Classic or Cup. Maybe the TTBC or a Big Bass Splash offering prizes in the millions?
Nope. Today, one of the largest events in the nation puts most of the cash into scholarships and is carried out by volunteers.
Last Saturday, 490 teams – that’s 980 anglers – competed in the season-opener of the Southeast Texas High School Fishing Championship Series. It continues a trend of record-setting participation since the series’ inception, and one that doesn’t appear to be losing any steam.
The magnitude of the event is important to our sport for a number of reasons. First, it’s a sign that more young people are embracing competitive fishing as a true sport. This trend is incredibly important for the future of pro bass.
As we all know, pro fishing’s biggest hurdle to growth is the overall misunderstanding of fishing as a passive pastime with an outcome determined by luck. Anyone who’s ever competed in a bass tournament knows just the opposite.
Increased voluntary participation by teens shows that we are making strides. Active, alternative sports are all the rage these days, from paddle sports to a resurgence in skateboarding, and we need kids to view bass fishing in the same light. Maybe they are.
The monster-sized field also shows that adult consumers – those owning boats – are more than willing to lend a helping hand. Remember, every team had a volunteer boat captain. Combined with the event coordinators, weigh-in volunteers and more, more than 500 adults gave up a day, as well as many pitching in sizable funding, to make this event happen.
I’m sure we all know, deep down, the primary reason. These adult boaters and anglers realize what the outdoors can bring a kid. While young people can choose from countless forms of entertainment and activities in today’s world, nothing trumps the outdoors for molding them into respectful members of society. Nothing.
So over 1,500 avid outdoor enthusiasts converged on Sam Rayburn Lake to get the season started, despite chilly December conditions. That’s pretty impressive.
In order to compete, all anglers must be members of the TBF Student Angler Federation. A review of their website shows announcements of bass fishing expanding into schools around the country. It also announces sponsorship news that includes industry giants like Ranger, Berkley, MotorGuide and Cabela’s. The Southeast Texas Group carries its own list of supporters, including Ford Trucks, Minn Kota and Skeeter.
Herein lies where we may have room for improvement. Throughout the sites and social media pages of these groups, I saw the sponsor banners, read the reviews and flipped through the jersey-covered photo galleries. But I never noticed mention of direct sponsor support for the captains and volunteers.
Let’s look at this from another angle by comparison. In the upcoming months, we’ll talk more in depth about a program happening in Florida to encourage anglers to release trophy bass. This program, called Trophy Catch, awards prizes to every angler in the state who catches, verifies and releases a bass over 8 pounds. A review of the Trophy Catch gallery of catches shows hundreds, if not thousands of anglers entered in the program. And get this: every single one gets a gift card from Bass Pro Shops for a minimum of $100.
So why aren’t we seeing this type of support for youth fishing events? Perhaps someone at Cabela’s, with their corporate logo on the TBF website, could better answer that question. In my mind, every volunteer boat captain, event coordinator and adult supervisor should be going home with a gift card.
For the time being, I think it’s in everybody’s best interest, regardless of your place in fishing or place in the world, to consider what they can do to continue the upward swing of the youth fishing trend. While I have been critical in the past of these programs, it appears I was wrong; they have truly taken hold, and offer the greatest potential for industry expansion. Even more, that expansion will last far into the future.
As many top executives in the fishing world huddle around at boat shows, the conversations often turn toward future uncertainty. Boat builders, for example, are well aware that the average age of consumers purchasing their products continues to increase. Well here, right in front of their eyes, may be the solution to their problem. I just hope they see it – and put the people in place to nurture the opportunity.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
