Guido and Payden Hibdon have suspended their fishing careers, due to the loss of sponsors. Dion will continue to fish, but, with the loss of Chevy as a sponsor, it'll make it tough for him as well as others.....Is an omen for things to come for FLW?

It's Marketing, Marketing Departments are rethinking how they spend their budgets. Not just with the fishing industry.

The HIbdon's have been struggling which is indicator how easy it is to struggle on the Tour, but also not representative of the entire field. If you watched the episode on the Hibdon's last year you saw just how they were barely making it by even with the sponsors. All sponsored sports are off a few ticks from years past, this is bad for the sport less opportunities for the talented anglers on a budget. It will provide more spots for pay to play anglers in retirement or other jobs. Professional car racing has already been like this decades where anyone can pay to play and call themselves a Daytona 24 or Sebring 12 hour competitor.

There were 2 guys waiting to fill the spots. Always will be

I would like to think that Guido was pretty well set in life, sure do like him, I think he could be a comedian if he chose to.

only thing that will kill FLW right now is their POS website they spent 1 year developing, didn't test before releasing, and 2 months later haven't fixed!

they also need to get their act together on Coanglers. None of the pros want Coanglers, but Bill says FLW will always have Coanglers, yet the hate is obvious although technically we're customers that pay $800 an event entries. Either get rid of Coanglers or if you have them, then at least embrace them.

Did either of them ever win anything?

Ummm, you could say that.

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/outdoors/article7289720.html

umm, Guido is a Classic Champion. In FLW he won a couple regional events. Back in the day he was consistent Top 50 in points. Payden struggled and struggled.

This might sound harsh but isn't a sponsor paying the way for a guy that doesn't catch fish anymore just as bad as the daddy's money guys? Either way its a spot a guy that's competitive is loosing. Also why is it guys like Steve Kennedy can play without help but others can't? I think these guys are living a little out of touch with reality. I feel for the guys but its reality. Every tournament is a job interview or sponsor commercial and if your never up top your not doing your job, the one they are paying you to do. If I don't do my job I get fired too. I can only pray my job could be fishing

Good gives fresh blood a chance to get in. they need to increase field size. they turn away a ton of guys every year. bottom line if your not rich you need a title sponsor that will cover entry fee's.
plus a job that will give you a week off for each event.
i know guys that have had the backing, that couldn't get a spot..

there is so much diversity on the pro circuits talent and money. some have neither, some have both, some have one or the other. I personally don't know how much money Steve has, but even if not I can understand why he does the no sponsor thing. I wouldn't have any sponsors either unless they were solid. It is highway robbery all these "pro staff" deals where you might be just getting product in return for a strict set of requirements and obligations.

Look at the Santone pro staff rules page as an example. I would have these rules too if I was Santone and it is free country, everyone that became pro staff did it without a gun to their head. I'm not sure how I could have the time and flexibility to fish competitively if under these rules for dozen or so companies.

I know in car racing we had guys that would have sponsor logos without getting paid just to look the look.

http://www.santonelures.com/pro_staff.cfm

You must of had a bad experience as a boater with a co???? This is just a dumb statement. You really think each division of FLW will thrive on its on with boaters only? For every bad experience with a co, there is one with a boater, trust me. Just because you have a boat doesn't make you better than anyone else, it just means you had the money to buy one. You know how many boaters I have seen that have no clue how to even launch a boat, drive one, and can't fish that well? A major reason the sport of fishing is growing is because of development, marketing, teaching, and opportunity. FLW provides guys that don't have a boat, and want to fish tournaments an opportunity to learn from pros and fish in tournaments. Because most co's I have met, not all but most, have aspirations of fishing on the pro side eventually but have enough common sense to know they need to learn more and practice first before taking that plunge and spending the extra money with a smaller chance of winning anything. You really thing that every pro, no matter the division, started as a pro?? Give me a break.
Get off your high horse and use some common sense. Co's are good for the sport. And you need to realize, the Co's don't make near as much, so most as I said are fishing to learn and for fun. Unlike many of the boaters, who again for the most part just own a boat and pay to fish to say they are "pros".

Might better rethink this,,Rob fishes the FLW as a CO Angler.

Jason,
I think you missed Rob's point. He has fished as a co-angler.