Keeping up with current events, big news comes this week with the start of the tournament season as things got under way in south Florida at the Lake Okeechobee BFL event. That tournament drew a monstrous field of around 230 boats, and the next slotted event – the Costa Series opener at the same venue – has reported a full field of 250.

That’s a pretty big deal. It wasn’t long ago that many tournament fishermen were complaining about small field size and reduced purses. Now, it appears things are on the upswing.

Sure, there will always be exceptions. Northern-based tournament trails face participation problems for reasons that continue to baffle directors. Perhaps the problem lies in the lack of a true “northern” trail, with tournament organizations often attempting to blend multiple regions into one hodgepodge of events. But, when it comes to the other divisions, there’s apparently serious interest in bass derbies these days.

Coming back to the event at hand, the new Costa Series should prove successful. I, for one, am excited to see Costa Del Mar involved in FLW’s entry-level pro circuit, which previously changed title sponsors more often than I changed my line. Reports are that Costa has signed a long-term agreement; something desperately needed at this point. The Costa brand is the dominant player in many markets, including saltwater and beachside/lifestyle, it’s big with young audiences and will likely continue to take over the bass market with such a marketing influx. Good for them – they make good gear.

The opening Costa tourney is a true eye-opener as well, as the full field event is also reported to have a lengthy waiting list. But what are the implications to such a push?

First off, it shows that, despite half of the media reporting otherwise, the nation’s economy continues to be strong. Bass tournaments, especially those of this caliber, where entrants pay-to-play at whatever frequency they choose, are entirely driven by disposable income and fuel prices. When each cooperates, we see big numbers of participants.

But I feel the high level of participation also shows that the plans of our major tournament trails are coming to fruition. For some time now, it’s been apparent that both FLW and B.A.S.S. desire to get more participation at their triple-A events. Qualification for the Classic continues to be the B.A.S.S. incentive, while FLW utilizes a no-entry-fee championship, as well as some Forrest Wood Cup berths, to push things along.

Evidently, these methods are working. Not only is participation through the roof, we’re seeing many of the nation’s best fishermen taking part. This week alone, legendary anglers Stacy King and Tommy Martin both announced their desire to stay closer to home and fish triple-A.

Not long ago, I was critical of the tours nearly forcing their best athletes into these divisions, and I continue to be. I still feel that, if the intended purpose for these circuits is to showcase up-and-coming anglers and give them at shot at qualifying for full-time status, full-time pros shouldn’t take part. But, as bass fishing is not yet a major sport, many tour anglers are forced to take part in nearly any competition they can find in order to make a living.

Also, these “entry-level” events are far from entry-level in the cost department. While I’ve never gone back and truly compared apples to apples, I would nearly guarantee that today’s events offer far smaller cost-to-reward ratios than those earlier this century. Personally, I remember not long ago paying entry fees that were less than half of what they are now for these same events and competing for nearly identical prizes. But that’s another story for another day.

In any case, division of the ranks would only lead to higher delineation and celebrity status of the true pros. Many have been behind this for some time now, but continue to have their hands tied for reasons previously discussed.

The tournament trails have attained their intended goals of increasing participation in Open and Costa events. These tournaments are less costly to produce and offer higher overall income for the organizations. They are being greeted by the out-stretched arms of local fishermen all over the country, who now consider $1,500 to be an entry-fee norm. Mission accomplished.

Therefore, now is the time to segregate the ranks. Doing so will only add validity to the top, and there will always be anglers willing to fork over the big bucks and fill those fields.

The problem lies in having those same anglers filtered down. We’ve discussed this countless time here; I can’t race against Jeff Gordon or go head-to-head on the golf course with Bubba Watson.

Everything is in place to continue to elevate our athletes. The question becomes whether the powers-that-be will realize it.

(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.)