(Editor's note: Harold Sharp was the first tournament director Ray Scott hired. Sharp left BASS long ago, but as all readers of BassFan FeedBack know, he still feels passionately about the sport and the company he worked for – and often has strong, entertaining opinions about both. Here are three such timely opinion pieces from him that we felt worked well together. Enjoy.)

On the Bassmaster and FLW Tour Championships Being Held on Tough Fisheries

The precedent for the Bassmaster Classic and Forrest L. Wood Championship location was set many years ago when the first outdoor show was added to the Classic. This was in 1981 at Montgomery, Ala.

The drive-in weigh-in went inside, an outdoor show was added, and each year after that the Classic and now the FLW Championship must look for a place to fish close to a large city because the weigh-in and outdoors shows must find buildings that can handle a large crowd and outdoor show. It must also be near a large population that will support the show and provide a weigh-in crowd for TV.

In short, these two large events outgrew a good fishing hole in the boondocks long ago. BASS had several Classics before 1981 where the contestants and press outnumbered the weigh-in spectators.

Regardless of where these events are held, a group of great anglers will always find enough fish for someone to win. If it's tough fishing or good fishing, it will be the same for all contestants.

But you can't hold these events in Podunk, Ark. with one small motel 20 miles away and the outdoor show in the school gym. We outgrew that long ago.

On the BASS Points System

I figured out a way to beating the BASS points system. This is a scenario that did not happen, but could.

At the last Bassmaster Elite 50 before the Classic, the Top 12 making the cut on day 2 are all anglers that need Classic qualifying points. So they get together at the end of day 3 at the ramp and check each bag to see who has the largest weight. When this is determined they all agree to the following plan:

> The angler with the largest bag on day 3 will weigh in. The other 11 anglers will release their catch at the ramp and will check in 11 empty bags.

> On day 4, the leader will keep what he catches and the other five anglers will catch and release all day and check in again with five empty bags.

The results will be that one of the Top 6 will be the winner and receive $100,000 plus 305 points. The other 11 anglers will be tied for 2nd place. They will split $102,300 11 ways for $9,300 each, which is more than anyone except the Top 6 would have won.

But the big bonus is that each of the 11 anglers will receive 295 points. This is more points than all but the Top 2 would have received, and is a gain of 41 points for whoever finished 12th, plus $3,300 more cash.

This is not a violation of BASS rules. Nothing in the rules state you must weigh your catch. BASS has been awarding the same points to tied anglers all along.

So the 11 tied at 2nd place would all gain Classic points and half would gain money simply by tossing their catch back. Catch and release never looked better.

The point-scoring system will not work. It never has, and is so complicated that no one can predict what it will do. BASS and FLW both should scrap it before someone figures out another plan to beat it.

The Crystal Ball

I took a look into my crystal ball and here's what I saw in the future:

> ESPN got fed up with BASS and started selling it off.

> They sold the BASS tournament department to Mercury/Brunswick with an agreement that ESPN retained the TV rights.

> They sold the BASS publications back to Helen Sevier.

> They cut the BASS Federation adrift and a few very sharp club presidents and directors, of which they are many, reorganized it under The Bass Federation Inc. (BFI). They are now organizing bass clubs and controlling their tournaments in a worldwide organization that has BASS, FLW and anyone in the fishing business looking at BFI as a valuable resource.

> BASS/Mercury increased their Triton owners tournaments. They also cut a deal with Bass Pro Shops to be their merchandise sponsor.

> Skeeter/Yamaha increased their Skeeter owner tournaments, and with some help from BassFan and Cabela's became the third major bass tournament circuit.

> Helen Sevier moved the BASS publications back to Montgomery and all BASS members became subscribers to Bassmaster Magazine, which now reports on the three major circuits and all bass fishing. BASS Times becomes the official magazine for BFI.

> The three major bass tournament circuits include:
- BASS-Mercury-Brunswick-Triton-Bass Pro Shops-Toyota-Citgo-Busch-ESPN TV
- FLW-Evinrude-Ranger-Wal-Mart-Chevy-Fox TV and many more
- Yamaha-Skeeter-Cabela's-BassFan-OLN TV
- With Dodge-Ford-Chevron-Exxon-Viagra-Coors-Miller Lite-and others paying attention

> The three major circuits schedule all their tournaments on top of each other, forcing the pros to decide which circuit they will fish and opening them all up to many new anglers.

> The circuits appoint a full-time Professional Bass Fishing Commission to promote, control and advance professional bass fishing to a major outdoor sport by organizing a series of seasonal fish-off tournaments leading to a world championship, just like baseball, basketball and football, with spectators paying to watch and all. They even included BFI as the fourth major circuit.

> Now everyone is Bass fishing again.

> Everyone is having fun again.

> Everyone is selling all the product they can produce.

> Many anglers are making a living.

> And the PAA (POd And Angry) stopped making smoke and returned to making a living and enjoying this great sport.