12/23/2023 0 Comments 2005 green bay packer rosterI wonder how many lives would have been lost without his forward thinking approach. Catch and Release, fair tournament competition with clear rules, safety concerns while on the water with life jackets, kill switches and controlled take offs all came from Ray. Ray Scott has clearly never gotten all the accolades he deserves. In my 20 plus years of covering the sport, however, I see more lures, techniques, mapping capability and safety items than ever before. Some would argue that competitive fishing has been both the boon and the failure in fishing. By every angler I mean every “Joe Lunchbucket.” I’m a Joe Lunchbucket, who wants to catch a few more bluegill or a big catfish or just get better on his local lake using new techniques and technology more than ever before - a direct result of the pro angler. Every angler that fishes benefits from the pros’ diligence and desire for more. GPS, tungsten, drop shot, side imaging, down scan, shaky head and numerous other buzzwords used by avid anglers would still be light years away from the mainstream without them. A case in point would be a quick exercise in nomenclature. Technology would not be near where it is today without them. I have always believed that the professional angler is at the top of the food chain. Resourceful anglers have found ways to market themselves differently and provide value to the sponsor versus seeing all they can get from them. The fat cat days are definitely over for the foreseeable future, but those anglers that work harder have a better chance of making it than those crying the blues. This is not a new revelation and really shouldn’t surprise anyone. Because of the downturn in payouts, it’s very difficult to make a living on winnings alone. There is no middle of the road any longer. Those that make a living from this sport have either worked twice as hard in the off season on sponsorships or have folded up the tent. Professional bass fishing is indeed in a state of flux. I run counter to the doomsday theorists, and it revolves around angler passion.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |