Remember that just a few years ago Clunn was voted best bass fisherman of all time, and without a doubt if the vote were taken today, KVD would win. That said, Clunn is absolutely right. Anger of the year is just that, and should be just that.
They dreamed up a system to allow someone to come from behind without giving consideration to the overall record for the year. I would have no problem with Skeet winning AOY and then having this last tournament be a "Touring Angler Championship", with the Classic being the Classic open to everyone who qualifies,
Touring Angler or not.

Rick is wrong about one thing. The reduction of points was not done by ignorance. It was done on purpose to create excitement and drama for tv.

Good points on both sides of the fence. But I have been watching BASS for the past 20 years and do not ever, and I mean ever, remember two more exciting AOY races than the past two years. People forget that this is not just fishing. This is there job. It is a business like it or not. The anglers and Bass are both in it for the money. When sponserships dropped Bass made a smaller schedule and had to adjust many things to keep it both lucrative and entertaining. There format had each one of both sides watching. People wanted to see if KVD could pull it off, if Reese's wheels would fall off again, or if Reese would complete the greatest season ever. Again I go to the saying blame the game not the players. And if you do not like the game, then do not be a player.

Skeet choked, he didn't step up to the challenge. You can bitch all you want, it is what it is.

You could keep the system, but amend the math formula somewhat. Skeet should have not been able to be caught without totally missing (ie. finishing 10 through 12). I would also make the tournaments like the old Classics, no one knows where they will be until they step off the plane.

I keep seeing poeple posting what aggie96 posted above and it kills me! Yes everyone knows the team that does the best during the regular season doesn't always win it all in the end! THey do however win thier confrence or division! Just like mav's won the West, or Cowboys NFC East championship, or the Rangers the penent, they are regular season winners, with championship TITLES for being the best, just don't necesarilly win the POST season or final championship. Skeet won the regular season, just not the POST. The super bowl is a SEPERATE title. Both teams playing are division champions for that year in the regular season. Doesn't seem that hard to grasp to me!

Skeet did not just lose to Kevin he also feel behind Edwin and Edwin I believe would have caught him anyway if had just been two regular season events with a full field. Edwin never finished below 25th all year.

As far as I know, there are not any conference titles in BASS. As I understand the format, you fish the "regular season" to accumulate enough points to make the cut (be in the top 12) so you can compete in the "post season" for the title of AOY.

When you start the "post season" you are awarded a certain number of points based on your finish within the top 12 from the "regular season". Skeet started the post season with more points than anyone else.

Whether anyone likes the format or not, the bottom line is Skeet did not step up when he needed to and KVD did. Just like the playoffs for basketball. Every team that is invited to the playoffs has a chance to win the championship.

I don't quite understand this. So the other guys didn't need to perform earlier in the year when Skeep was racking up firsts and seconds? What makes the last two tournaments more indicative of who was the best fisherman over the course of the year?

Clunn is just ticked because KVD is going to break his classic record and every other record that Bassmaster's has....

just kidding guys, he does have a valid point, but also like he said, it's not KVD's fault either.....

He sounded like a true professional giving his opinion.

Any you look at it,you have to make the top 12 to be able to fish the AOY championship. Kevin was in the top 12 at the end of the year. so quit whining!

They all started the season with the same rules, they fished all season together under the same rules & format, all Skeet had to do was place top 3 in both tournaments and he wins AOY but he didn't. KVD worked his tail off and did what it took, end of story.

There is no difference really between this format and any of the other big sports, the top 12 teams go to a play off and after two events the winner wins, the magic is getting into the top 12 in the first place.

+1. The past two weeks have been very exciting to watch and I like the format. They just need to tweak it a little.

Is the AOY a product of ESPN?

i agree... too easy to overtake the leader who worked hard all season to get to where he was at... this mickey mouse show will work, if they tweak the math.