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So Bassfan has an article today that BASS is considering a no info policy after the 2018 schedule is announced. The only info the pros will get is what they glean during the official practice period.So what do you think? I like that it levels the playing field. Weve all heard rumors of buying GPS info and hiring locals. While I hate it for the local guy who picks up a few extra bucks, the end result is you make your own way.John
i totally agree
Huge advantage to anglers who benefitted prior to rule change. I think they outta just enforce existing rules. Which they dont.C.O.D. Jr. III
So what if they start mixing in less frequented venues? BASS seems to have a fairly regular set of venues. They get paid to bring the tournaments to various cities, why not expand the market a bit and lessen the advantage?
If theyre not gonna bust anyones ass then it wont matter what rules are or where they goC.O.D. Jr. III
I thought they already had this rule in place?
Wheeler always gonna be wheelingC.O.D. Jr. III
No- this new rule would make all info unavailable as soon as schedule announced. Currently they beg borrow and steal legally until 30days prior.C.O.D. Jr. III
clownshoes wrote:Wheeler always gonna be wheelinghaha, him and a few others are really good at the local/GPS game
interesting, is this is a recommendation from the “advisory board”, aka the old guard. I bet they are mad so many Elite rookies are kicking butt this year by putting in time learning new waters like Cherokee. All this does is make it even harder on rookies, as the established pros already know lake X, Y, and Z because BASS visits a lot of the same venues over time. Even the original 30 days off-limits was started because rookies were camping out (just as the older more established pros did when they started) for weeks before an event and winning most of them. The more established pros couldnt do that with sponsor commitments, seminars, TV shows, and the like. honestly, stupid to have a rule that is impossible to enforce.
The writers above are some very knowledgeable people in regards to bass fishing events. They have some interesting observations that are very accurate. Presently there are a ton of rumors on the future of bass angling and Bassmaster in general. Rumors are like knowledge or the information stream, some are accurate and some are not. There is a lot of quality in that this will hamper the rookies ability. There is a failure to realize that before they release a schedule there is internal knowledge or where these events are going to. Contracts, agreements, CVB groups, Sports Commissions and more all have to approve the funding. Thus knowledge is out there before the frame is set. There is also an aspect that many overlook, the information highway is aging for those longer term professional anglers, and the highways are glittered with gold on the internet and social media for those young upstart anglers that can navigate further than their cell signal. The game is changing and it always will.
I guarantee this isnt coming from the “old guard”. So imagine Bill Dance (using him to avoid any current competitor) calls you as a local and asked for a ride or some help. Hes a legend/famous so who would say no? This is how most of these guys make a living – they are going to hate leaving stuff to chance of 3 days of practice. Can you imagine putting $5,000 on the line and not getting all the info available? Hell I ask for help for a $20 youth event for my girls!
I know is for certain. I had a pro try to get me to take him to Rayburn back in February. I politely declined. Its a loose loose for me, if he doesnt catch fish, then I should have showed him different stuff, if he does catch fish, then the whole world will know about my spots. Also, a former AOY and well established pro fb messaged a buddy of mine looking for info inside of the thirty day rule. I lost a lot of respect for the guy. If they cheat now, why does changing the rule matter? They will just continue to cheat.
Couple of observations from someone who bought the t-shirt and wore holes in it.1) Advisory Board is made up of a fairly good cross section of the Elite field. Each member also has a group of anglers he has contact with who have the opportunity to relay their thoughts to the group as a whole.2) Information gathering has gone on since the very first fishing derby. Tales of certain pros having people “fish for them” are not tall tales, theyre true. Anglers at the top level, and even those at the local level, today are some of the best ever at gathering and gleaning info on lakes. Whether its lures, patterns, numbers, or just general info, almost every current aspect of any given body of water can be obtained via the internet, Facebook, or a phone call. There are numerous pros on both Tour level circuits that have a “buddy” on every body of water that exists in this country. J Peiserich is correct, those at the top of the food chain who ask for info are the ones who get the best info. Come on; if youre going to get info on a lake, are you going to ask clownshoes? I dont think so. Youre going to ask the local hammer and if your initials are the right letters, Local Hammer is going to give you the goods. Some times in exchange for certain bartering pieces, sometimes not. Thats just the way it works.3) Cheaters gonna cheat. Even if BASS puts the lakes off limits to outside info when the schedule is released, there will still be a very small number who will contact their “buddies”. The only way to put a stop to that is catch the cheaters, tell the world what they did, and kick them out. Nothing will change until that happens.I hope BASS does add this to their list of rules, but only if they plan on growing a set and enforcing this and all the other rules.
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