(Editor's note: This is the first of what will be a semi-regular feature on BassFan.com, the Media Roundtable. In it, issues of the day are discussed and addressed by members of the bass-fishing media from around the country, which should result in different perspectives on things. We hope you enjoy it.)
Background
1) More and more tour anglers are mentioning that they are fishing for points. On the BASS side it's to make the new no-entry-fee Elite 50 series, possibly more so than the Bassmaster Classic, which has always been the Holy Grail when fishing for points. On the FLW Outdoors side, it's to qualify to fish for the $500,000 1st-place check in the FLW Tour Championship. Fewer anglers on either tour are talking about trying to win an event, and those who are usually are financially stable, either personally or from long years of fishing.
2) The current high cost (low five figures annually per tour) of entry fees appears to be a big factor in this phenomenon. In other words, anglers are concerned first with breaking even financially, and going for the win might be too much of a risk.
3) It is generally accepted that there's a much higher risk involved in trying to win (or place in the Top 10) than in placing in the 30th-place range.
Question
The Media Roundtable question is: Does the current structure of tour-level professional bass fishing reward anglers more for high finishes (points) than for winning, and if so, is that okay?
Opinions
Richard Simms, Freelance Outdoor Writer, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga, Tenn.
No, I don't believe it does. And even if it did, I don't believe it's an issue either way. Any professional athlete knows he or she needs to be at peak performance for the long haul, not just one game or tournament. And if they perform well consistently for the long haul, the individual "wins" will follow.
I also don't really believe anglers can generally be so specific in their techniques, strategy or fishing styles to differentiate whether they're fishing "for a win," or fishing for "a high finish." It might happen on rare occasions – when an angler looks for a limit vs. big fish. But overall I believe every angler is hoping for the big fish, and the win, on every cast.
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Joe Foley, Host, Land Rover's This Week in Fishing Radio Show, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana
Yes. With that said, most sports with field-based purses – golf, auto racing, extreme sports, bowling, etc. – have both points and money based on the participant's finish. I have never met a pro in any sport who plays just to "get in the Top 20" or whatever. True champions will always play to win. The points (and money) are just assigned to who was better on that given day.
Recently I interviewed an FLW angler whom I congratulated on a Top 20 finish. His response was, "Why congratulate me for that? I should have finished much higher." He went on to say that anything short of winning is failure. Of all the pro anglers I have spoken with over the years, not once did I get the feeling that each didn't have the "fire in the belly" to go for the win, every time.
Fishing for points is a business decision, not a decision based on the internal drive and determination of any world-class athlete. Unfortunately, food has to go on the table and anglers must make enough to survive. Playing just for points is selling your soul to the devil, but some have no choice. Everybody in all walks of life has made similar choices. Pro athletes in all individual pro sports are very lucky that the choice is to play for points or to go for the win. It could be worse: At least the choice isn't, "Would you like fries with that?"
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Scott Richardson, Outdoor Editor, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.
Great fishermen are consistent fishermen. They know fish behavior as they move from lakes to reservoirs, rivers and tidal areas. They know the tactics it takes to adjust and finish high in the standings time and again. Tournament victories will come to them whether they say they're after them or not. And versatility and consistency should be rewarded.
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Ronnie Garrison, fishing.guide@about.com, http://fishing.about.com
The points arrangement rewards consistent fishermen. Although it may encourage more people to try to place rather than win, most of the time professional bass fishermen will tell you they try to get a limit, then go for kicker fish. That probably will not change.
A few professional bass fishermen do concentrate on winning, and it suits their way of fishing. They probably will not change. And most fishermen reaching the professional level have developed a way of approaching a tournament that suits their way of fishing, and probably won't change just to meet the points system.
Points systems will not affect the way most pros approach a tournament. The same ones that now say they are fishing for points probably said they were fishing for a check before.
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Terry Brown, BassFan Radio
I see the points versus pound dilemma at a crossroads. Large payouts, instant stardom for a single win and competition for sponsor dollars have driven anglers to strive towards a middle ground. Over and over we now hear anglers espousing the virtues of a mediocre finish in terms of points. Fishing to win is starting to be a thing of the past. Anglers are now fishing for points, and fishing for points is now tantamount to success. I believe that is a step in the wrong direction. Over and over I hear anglers who are satisfied with mediocrity. It seems few are striving for perfection.
What are factors that lead anglers to arrive at this level of satisfaction? Is it rationalization for not achieving success, or is it truly the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? I understand the economics involved. More money down the line makes it easier to be satisfied now. And on the other hand, not worrying every month about truck and house payments frees anglers to fish unencumbered.
But give me the Gary Kleins, the Rick Clunns and the Denny Brauers and their approach. They go for the wins. For our sport to reach its potential, we need more anglers shooting for the stars instead of only dreaming about them.
