So, I got my new copy of BassMaster Magazine the other day and flipped through it. One of the first articles I came across was titled "From Co-Angler to Caddie"
It was an article written by James Hall, an editor for the magazine, and I feel it comes across in poor taste.
It was written in a very disrespectful way and I have to say I was surprised it made it to print.The premise of the article was that the BassMaster organization is planning on eliminating the Co-Angler positions in all Elite Series tourneys in 2009; kind of a surprise to me.
Here is how the article starts
"Imagine this: Tiger woods on the 18th green, lining up for a 20-foot putt that would give him a tour victory by one stroke. His backswing is steady, contact is solid,follow –through true. As the ball slowly breaks left, and then right (just as he had expected), the shot appears to be the stuff perfection is made of. Then just before clattering into the cup, the ball is accidently kicked into a sand trap by a fan happening by."
According to James almost all the elite series pros he has talked with say this scenario happens pretty often.
This got me roped into the article (good job there, James)
He went on to give reasons why elite series anglers were irritated by the ($750 paying) co-anglers. (I just figured I would throw that out there; Not chump change for most. In fact it cost more to fish as a co-angler in the elite series than it cost me to fish as a pro out west).
Beside the point – or is it?
Some of the reasons the anglers were unhappy
1. Sometimes co-anglers want to prove themselves to the pros and try and out fish them.
2. When fishing off shore the co-angler might have a chance to catch a fish that could have been caught by the pro.
3. Some pros learned from their co- anglers.
4. Oh the money they’ve spent (as if the co-anglers had nothing to lose).
This is where I felt it got ugly. It went on to describe these co-anglers as “fans”, "sporting tattoos of leaping bass, naming their children after past BassMaster Anglers of the year and asking the BASS brass if they can propose to their girlfriend on stage of the Bass Master Classic"
Wow. Way to publicly belittle your fans/readers/clientele/whole-basis-for-the-sport-making-money.
The tattoo one really cracks me up. The first thing to pop into my head is mike "Ike" –
Last time I checked he was "sporting" a tattoo of a jumping bass during his Classic win!
And as for the other comments – Dude, I know some people out west in particular that fish as Co-anglers who could out fish some of the Pros on the Elite series. Plain and simple, some of these (I don't know whether to call them fans or co-angler now) are not just a bunch of yahoos off the street.
How many of the Pros on the Elite series started in the back seat? I would have to say a lot.
I just expected a little better writing form a magazine such as this.
As far as the decision to eliminate co-anglers on this particular tournament goes, I can see both sides. However, I do not think it is good form to poke fun at the expense of your readers, or co-anglers, or both.
Here are a couple links for more info. Greg Hackney
Looks like B.A.S.S will have to change the name of there Tournaments from the Elte Series to the Elitist Series.