Think you are really close to being spot on Mark. I did a little research comparing 2024 vs 2025. Using a $5000 entry fee per tournament and 103 entrants as what appears to be a full field: BASS will pay out $331,375 for a typical Elite tournament in 2025 (1-40th place). In 2024, the same tournament paid out $757,500 (1-75th place). So, the payout will be $426,125 less per tournament in 2025. On the flip side, BASS will receive $515,000 less in entry fees, so net net this change will cost BASS $88,875 per tournament.... Not a lot of change really.
So it looks like the big change from an angler's perspective will be the lower ranking anglers. Worst case - An angler finishes 41st in every tournament in 2025. In 2024, he would have netted $5000 ($10,000 - $5000 entry fee) in each tournament ($50,000 for the year) before other expenses. In 2024, he would net $0 before other expenses.

Now once beartrap tells us how many hours of television Boyd contributes to we’ll have the words of wisdom from both huggers. 😎

sprigsss is correct
$515,000 of payouts were entry fees before so a $766,500 purse would be ~$250k BASS paid (not sure if some contingencies were direct payments or flowed through BASS)

Now $0 are paid in entries so a $340,375 purse is $340,375 BASS paid and is $90,000 per tournament more than they paid before, but the Classic does have a reduced payout as a result

They lowered already low payouts. Alrighty…

Payout for the top ten went up.

Actually they are going down slightly from $295k to $250k.

2024 2025
$100,000.00 1 $100,000.00
$35,000.00 2 $30,000.00
$30,000.00 3 $25,000.00
$25,000.00 4 $20,000.00
$20,000.00 5 $15,000.00
$19,000.00 6 $14,000.00
$18,000.00 7 $13,000.00
$17,000.00 8 $12,000.00
$16,000.00 9 $11,000.00
$15,000.00 10 $10,000.00

same clown and several more who predicted immediate failure of MLF back in 2018/2019 and still so small minded they refuse to acknowledge that MLF has created opportunites for an additional 80 fishermen to make a living fishing at the highest level....plus saved FLW,Toyota and BFL tournaments from going bankrupt and out of existence...they also created a huge increase in TV exposure which has put millions of dollars into the pockets of MLF fishermen....it appears that their team tournament trail is going to be a success and create additional exposure and income for MLF members.....

The Top 10 will net the same winnings as before.

Soooooooo, only a net gain for the winner in the top ten.

It’s a starting point. Everyone complains about the UFC pay scale but all their competitors go bankrupt and they are still on top. It’s not perfect but it’s got to be a huge relief for the average Angler. Hopefully they can just pocket those sponsor entry fees.

So what your saying its nothing more than a shell game, no different than when MLF did it and it failed after covid hit.

It’s all a shell game, there are only four primary sources of revenue for any tournament organization. They are the following: angler entry fees, sponsorship/ad revenue, membership fees and host location fees. BASS does have other assets and the Classic but when you “extract” entry fees from any league from the highest level to the lowest Thursday night working man’s, you’re done for. End of story. And I happen to know a little bit about this side of the business.

So either BASS or MLF when they tried it, have to play the shell game or they have to find more sponsors or cough it up out of their operating costs and how many of you think they’re going to do that? I’ll wait…

Like I said, it’s a timely optics move and press release but it doesn’t mean jack sh*t.

Davy Hite just said 2nd is 50000!