Gold jacket, green jacket!?!? Who gives a $()!7?

The funny part is saying they lost their bell cow. With all the big names in MLF. I wouldn't call Martin their bell cow

Doesn't appear Martin or FLW/MLF care. Nobody is losing sleep over 1 angler. B.A.S.S. will be happy to have him I am sure with the legacy and storeis they can tie back to Roland no matter how short lived.

I rarely comment on things like this but this one bugs me. This seems pretty clear to me. Scott wasn't offered a spot in MLF and then made a video about some really hard decision which he really never had to make since he didn't get said offer. Now, the tour he fishes has been purchased by the same organization that didn't make him an offer so he's moving to the only option left - BASS. Just like the spin of the "tough decision" video, this spin about wanting to win a Classic works in this narrative perfectly. The sad part is I side with him on this. He had to be mad he wasn't offered a spot in MLF before and then he overnight becomes a part of the JV/qualifying circuit without any choice about it. I just wish he would have been more honest and said I am not going to support and be a part of an organization who didn't want me in the beginning instead of creating this spin about his Dad and never winning the Classic. If that were all true, he could have joined BASS at any time and gone after that goal. I wish him luck and respect the heck out of his fishing ability, but the constant spin factor drives me nuts.

That goes back to the topic the guy has about promoting only sponsor baits while using other companies. Its just what they do to appease their cash cows. Personally I agree I would love to hear him say "I'm just not supporting MLF"

I was specifically referring to the FLW Pro Tour, not the BPT. Based on the qualification system to move from FLW to BPT I find it interesting that he chose what he did. Seeing that he has been one of the most, if not the most, marketable and successful anglers for FLW for 20+ years I do not think "bell cow" is out of line. He has garnered a large amount of respect from the FLW anglers over the years. It will be interesting to see who follows his lead.

It gets old. I guess there are new fans coming in frequently that haven't experienced it enough to annoy them.

Probably doesn’t want to be in the minor leagues which is what my understanding is of how mlf views flw. I don’t get how his ties to Johnny allow him to not be part of it. Dad, basspro, ranger.

Scott Martin and Bryan Thrift were both offered invitations to fish the Bass Pro Tour. Personally, I think they'd have been crazy to leave FLW last year. After some of the FLW hammers went to the BPT, both of their odds of winning tournaments and money on the FLW side were too hard to walk away from.

I believe he and Thrift were offered spots by MFL in the inaugural year of the BPT.

So the biggest decision of his career was deciding to fish the bass opens and not declining the BPT invite?

dont think FLW Pro Circuit is a minor league to the BPT. You can make as much winning an FLW Pro and a BPT event. Advantage of choosing to fish BOT after you qualify is no entry fees.

This is just my 2 cents not trying to start a argument I don't think so either but I do think it will in the near future I don't think they would have bought if not.

By definition when you feed into a perceived organization you are a minor league, jv, farm team, feeder, anything you choose to call it. That is not a knock on the guys over there, there are some very good anglers, but it is a reality. It is no different than the Opens you are feeding into the Elites. Now you can argue money, prestige and things like that, but at the end of the day some very, very good anglers were made minor league'rs with the sign of a pen. And suppose something happens and a guy that you would suspect will be Top 10 in two seasons falls to 11th ? Guess what you are still in the minors. It is what it is. It is the reality in an imperfect situation. You also have to look at it, as you over two seasons you are paying $80,000 in entry fees for 10 spots. While you can argue and probably rightfully so , that it is harder to qualify through the Opens, you could make the argument that for say 24 slots over the two seasons you are paying a little under $30,000 in entry fees. This being based on you have say 5 slots from each series, that is 20 in two years and a few of those guys may double qualify which opens up a couple of slots.