The Lake Toho Bassmaster was the first tour-level event to utilize the new shared-weight format for co-anglers. It was a mess, and a failed experiment. I don't think it achieved the objectives of BASS, nor of the BASS Athletes Advisory Council – which is to "elevate the sport to a true professional level" by minimizing/eliminating the influence of the co-anglers. Nor does it serve the BASS co-angler members.

I hope next season BASS makes the necessary changes to accommodate one group or the other, because it can't serve both. At least, I don't think so – although others may believe it can work with a few tweaks.

If you're still unaware of the new shared-weight format, it works like this: Each day the pro's best five fish are added to the co's three best fish. The total weight determines the co-angler's standing.

Day 1: Old Versus New

When I looked at the day 1 co-angler standings on the BASS website on Wednesday evening (Jan. 26), I was amazed - amazed that BASS actually listed the number and weight of fish caught by the co-anglers. I thought BASS would just list the combined pro+co weight, so guys like me couldn't make comparisons of who "should" be leading versus who really was.

But there it was on the website. Even though I don't like the shared-weight format, I thought, kudos for at least presenting the information.

But the co-angler standings were very confusing. If you were unfamiliar with the format, you'd think BASS forgot to sort the standings by weight – or maybe listed the boat order instead. While the pro's weights descend from heaviest in 1st place on down to the 18 who blanked on day 1, the cos' weights were mostly random.

It would have helped to list the combined weights in order, then list the actual number of fish and weight for the co-angler alone beside it.

As it turned out, BASS was testing a new stats program and the information was actually a glitch. But since I had the information to play with, I couldn't resist the temptation: I had to make the comparison, and figure out who would've been ahead under the old format.

I want to be clear that I do not disparage any of these co-anglers, and have every confidence that they all fished as hard as they could. I'm using them only as an example to illustrate a point.

Here are the Top 6 co-anglers from day 1 as presented on the BASS website, followed by the fish they caught. Note there was a tie for 5th.

1. Kent Brewer -- 2, 3-14
2. Roy Bailey -- 2, 4-04
3. Eric Persson -- 3, 6-15
4. Donald Coots -- 2, 4-09
5. Tom Burks -- 3, 11-03
5. Wayne Morgan -- 2, 5-06

Here's another look at the data. This time, I ranked the co-anglers by their catch and put their official standing in parentheses.

1. Clint Mease -- 3, 12-05 (12th)
2. Tom Burks -- 3, 11-03 (5th)
3. Fred Rigdon -- 3, 9-14 (35th)
4. Eric Persson -- 3, 6-15 (3rd)
5. Matt Fair -- 2, 5-14 (38th)
6. Robert Barrett -- 3, 5-10 (43rd)

When all the standings that day are considered, Mease, with 12-05, was tied for 12th in the standings with someone who caught 4-14. Burks, with 11-03, was tied for 5th with someone who caught 5-06. The 35th-place tie was held by one guy who caught 9-14 and another who weighed 1-05.

How would you feel if you'd caught a limit big enough to rank in the Top 5 on co-angler weight alone, yet there you sat in 38th? I'd feel a bit upset about it myself.

Day 2: No More Data

By the end of day 2, two more interesting things had happened. First, BASS got its stats program working and revised the day 1 co-angler standings to show just the shared weight – not the actual co-angler weights I saw earlier. So I have to retract my earlier kudos. Second, the co-angler who made the Top 12 cut in 12th had caught no keepers. He zeroed, but his pros' weights got him in the finals.

I wouldn't know that if the BASS site didn't show how many fish each co-angler caught, along with the pro+co combined weight. I won't be surprised if that little tidbit of information disappears soon too. Not that I'm cynical or anything – I just expect it to happen. What sense does it make to show how many fish each co-angler caught if you don't also show their individual weight?

As I expected, the day 2 standings shuffled dramatically. Any pro who made a big move on day 2 carried his co-angler up with him – even if the back-seater didn't get a bite. For example, Ron Shuffield moved from 54th to 5th on the pro side, Scott Rook jumped from 70th to 6th and Jay Yelas moved from 79th to 10th.

I can't say for sure who their amateur partners were, but just from playing with the stats, I think Rook put his co-angler on fish and then catapulted him 84 places up the standings. Here are three instances I deciphered by using the co-angler individual weights available for days 1 and 2. This is based on the unofficial standings available to the press from the BASS media trailer.

> William Norris (41st with one fish at 1-10 on day 1) caught three for 4-15 on day 2. He fished with Omori (biggest bag of the tournament on day 2, 17-15) and moved up to 1st.

> William Micciulla (88th with no fish on day 1) caught three for 5-03 on day 2. He fished with Scott Rook (17-12) and moved to 4th.

> Matt Fair (38th with two fish, 5-14 on day 1) caught one for 1-09 on day 2. He fished with David Walker (13-12) and moved to 6th.

This format presents a chance to go from the very back of the field to a Top 10 – without catching a bass. That's empty heroics to me.

Day 3: Top 12 For Zero

Lutz Spika qualified for the Top 12 in 12th with zero fish to his personal credit. He fished with Jeff Kriet on day 3. It's too bad for both of them that Kriet couldn't duplicate his day 2 heroics, when he bagged 11-10 and helped boost his day 2 partner, Marty Scoggins, from 43rd to 9th.

First, I'm not picking on the poor guy who didn't get bit for 3 days. It's probably not for lack of trying. Heck, it was tough out there. But I'm just shaking my head over a format that allows such a performance to garner a Top 12 finish and a $1,200 check. And it could just as well have been a 1st-place finish and a new boat.

Yes, to do that, the "winner" would probably have to really luck up and draw out every day with the pro who ended up catching the day's big bag, but stranger things happen in bass fishing.

In the end, I'm glad that Tom Burks, the co-angler who won, did catch some good fish. Not that I'd tell him he shouldn't have won if he didn't catch them – everybody knew the rules when they signed up, I hope – but man, I'd feel bad taking the trophy if I didn't outfish most of the rest of the co-angler field. The trophy, to me, should say: "I fished better than anyone else in this tournament."

I don't think I'd have a problem taking home the boat, though. Yes, in my mind there is a difference. If you're going to go ahead and pay $650 to play the game, don't be ashamed if you hit the jackpot. The boat would just be my lottery win, and we all started with the same luck of the draw.

Do Something

And just in case you think I've got nothing good to say about the new BASS format, let me note that I really do believe BASS is trying to turn this into a true professional sport – as much as that is possible. Most of the pros like the changes, since they attempt to minimize the impact of the co-angler (like I would really stop trying to upgrade my limit after catching three bass).

But the co-angler competition is a very cool subculture that BASS and some of the pros just don't – or won't – clue in to.

I don't want to quit my day job, or fish the front of the boat in the Opens. That's not my goal. But I love to rub elbows with my angling heroes, learn from them first-hand and put their lessons to immediate use amid the buzz of a big-time tournament. I want to compete in as fair a manner as possible with other co-anglers fishing under the same conditions – my weight against theirs.

I'm not saying I'm a great fisherman, but I just don't want someone else fishing for me. If I bomb, it's not because my pro had a bad day. If I do well, it's not because someone carried me.

The Toho co-angler winner, Tom Burks, agreed. After his win, he had this to say: "My total weight on the third day was 7-01. I had a total weight of 23-03 ounces. It was 48-plus-pounds with my pros' weights. I had enough weight with my own fish to have easily have made the Top 12 pros. But I could have lost 1st place by someone getting the right draw for 3 days.

"Something needs to be done," he added. "My recommendation would be to give the non-boater half the pro's weight, and to get that weight, the non-boater would be required to catch at least one keeper that day. There is another side to this too. You might have a couple of good days, and then draw a pro who shuts you down and you could be hurt badly.

"The bottom line is it's hard to have a level playing field for the folks fishing from the back of the boat. What makes this more of a problem is you're fishing for big money with an entry fee of $650."

I don't even buy into Burks' modified shared-weight idea. The crux of the matter is, there are serious co-anglers, and there are casual observers. BASS needs to decide which group it wants, and either go back to the way it was with cos against cos, or go to a pure observer format like in the E50s. This hybrid, in-between stage we're in now leaves too much room for frustration and hard feelings among co-anglers – if they're at all competitive.

And if they're not – if they're "just happy to be there" and hang out with and learn from the pros – then the paying observer role suits them perfectly.

Parting Shot

I don't know what the stat sheets at the BASS tournament trailer will look like from now on, but the co-angler sheet will probably show just the combined weights. At least you'll know how far behind you are, so you can tell your pro partner how much he has to catch the next day to move you up to the money spots.

But in reality, the shared-weight format just means the co-angler standings mean nothing until the final bags – both pro and co – are weighed. That takes some of the excitement out of it for the co-angler. Since you can't beat the other guys on your own, it's like kids on the playground: "My pro can whoop your pro."

Other Thoughts and Notes

> Co-angler winner Tom Burks is the Indiana State BASS Federation District 5 director. He nearly limited each day for a total individual weight of over 23-03. His individual weight overwhelmed the Top 12 co-anglers, and probably the whole field. He can be proud of his trophy.

> While 18 pros zeroed on day 1, 76 co-anglers did too, and 14 of them were with pros who blanked. They're the last 14 co-anglers listed in the standings. The other 62 cos who came back empty-handed were scattered throughout the standings – even in the 7th- and 8th-place spots.

> BASS doesn't list the pro-co pairings each day like the FLW Outdoors website does for its events. I wish BASS would. I like to slice and dice the stats right there online – sorting and re-sorting. It provides lots of entertainment when I can't be out on the water fishing, and is actually very useful for doing research for articles. I also like to see which pros my bass club buddies draw out with when they fish as co-anglers.

> By my reconstruction from the stat sheets I have available, Spika was privileged to fish with Kevin Wirth (day 1 leader, 15-05), Marty Stone (day 2, 8-12) and Jeff Kriet (day 3, 1-14).

> The Lake Toho Final Day story on the BASS website said Burks' total weight was 22-12, but it didn't provide the combined weight – in contrast to the way the standings were listed.

Jonathan Manteuffel is regular contributor BassFan who fishes the co-angler side of tournaments as often as he can. When not fishing, he's hard at work as a systems engineer for a defense contractor.