Anglers,
The BNB program pays out 1 place per 7 entries or 11 places (82 / 7 = 11). We had 82 entries with 81 paid and 1 AOY free entry. There is a guarantee of $15,000 for the first 3 places. $8,000 for 1st, $4,000 for 2nd, $3,000 for 3rd and $810 for big bass ($10 per paid entry x 81).

The pay back is 80% of money collected = 81 x $280 = $22,680 x .80% = $18,144 - $15,810 (Big bass + guarantee) = $2,334 left for the remaining 8 places after the top three get the guarantee pay out. $2334 / 8 = $291.75 per place . We raised this to $300 per place and gave out 5% in sponsor prizes ($900 worth) to the other places.

The BNB Rayburn anglers who fished with us wanted a guaranteed payout when the season began. As the owner, I agreed to take the financial risk and offer this to them. If 200 teams show up there is a great pay out for every one. If 100 teams show up there is not so much money to pay out. If only $10,000 is collected in entry fees and a guarantee of $15,000 is offered, then the BNB owner has to take $5,000 out of his personal pocket to honor the guarantee.

With 81 paid entries there is not much left to pay the remaining places. We decided to take a vote after the tournament to find out if the anglers wanted to keep the guarantee. They voted to keep the guaranteed payout instead of using a percentage formula like we use in all BLT and the other BNB Toledo and Fork Divisions. I will honor their vote to keep the guarantee.

If I could wave a wand and get more anglers to attend, I would do so. Since 100% of our sponsor money goes back to the anglers in our Championship tournaments to help buy the prizes along with 10% of the entry fees, there is no more money to give the anglers who placed 4th through 11th other than the $300 per place we paid.

We appreciate your thoughts and we value your input.

Thanks,
BNB staff

The BNB website is being updated with the 2013 sponsors, summer series schedules, bonus programs, etc.

We should have this all completed by early next week.

Sorry for the delay in posting results.

FYI,
BNB staff

Here are the results: http://www.bassnbucks.com/2013_Results/2013BnBRayburn1.pdf

The results were uploaded yesterday, edited today (changed some incorrect spellings), and uploaded again. They were uploaded to the "2012_Results" folder instead of the "2013_Results" folder, so nobody could see them.

We apologize for the delay.

Guys Charlie, Chris, and Brian Davis are doing everything they can to improve their product, they talk to all the anglers, they ask questions and they are really tryin hard to give us a great tournament trail. Come and fish BASSNBUCKS, they can't increase these payouts without participation, if they can get the support I can tell you they will deliever and BASSNBUCKS will get bigger and bettter. Calling all Rayburn fisherman! We need another 100 boat plus trail!!!!!!

it would be cool if it was like the old bassnbucks, drawing 200 every event. You are definitely fishing against the best which makes it "the" event to compete in on rayburn imo

What was the vote on the trailing rule?

11.17# Big Bass by 6th Sense Team... WOW!

Guaranteed payback is fine but when you put ALL the Guaranteed money in the top when most people don't expect to make it then it will hurt the participation. A guaranteed $6000 for first would be realistic and then there would be a decent payback for the rest. The cost of fishing a tournament is not what it used to be in the old days. The days of 200 team tournaments are just about gone. Just look at the numbers. Not knocking BassNBucks. They are trying everything they can do to get the participation but getting STUCK with a Guaranteed $15000 for the top 3 is crippling the rest of the participation. There are only a few people that are willing and can fish for 1st place. (In fact ask yourself how many times have YOU finished in the top 3 of tournaments that YOU fish? Fishing being what it is does not realistically guarantee that YOU will win all tournaments no matter how GOOD YOU are.) There are a handful of East Texas anglers that will fish for the top prize but the "bread and butter" for the REST OF THE PARTICIPATION to PAY for the entire payback is not going to stay with it. 25-35 Core Tournament anglers will not support a circuit. It has to be the weekend guys that want to have fun and think they can make a check. And a DECENT check to cover their expenses. That's where the other 70+ teams come from. Look at the teams entered and see which are the "regulars" and how many are left that are not regulars.
A guaranteed $6000 first and a payback of 1 on 5 for an entry of $200 or more should bring a minimum of at least double entry payback for the last place paid. A tournament entry of less than $200 with a payback of 1 on 7 would still make a decent payback for last paid place and MAYBE have a guaranteed $2500 first place. Just look at the numbers and remember it is a business that can't go in the "red" for very long, the "Pyramid" will collapse. This is not the Federal Government.

RangerB,
The vote, by a large majority, was to stay with trailering. We will honor their vote and remain a trailering program.
FYI,
BNB staff

BigRon119,

You have some very valid comments. We appreciate your advice and support.

We are going to revisit this at the next rayburn tournament and discuss it with the anglers. The question on the guaranteed payout was asked before the payouts were given out, right after their fish were weighed. It is very possible, after seeing the payouts, that many may have changed their minds. It was a very close vote of only a few more in favor of a guaranteed payout for the top 3.

Thanks,
BNB staff

I like your idea of a lower guaranteed first place if it works, but in the exact scenario as above it doesn't help much at all.

81 paid entries = $22,680
80% = $18,144
Minus guaranteed payout of $13,810
(1st-$6k 2nd-$4k 3rd-$3k Big Bass-$810)
This leaves $4,334 to be paid out to the remaining 13 places equalling $333/team.

There is no substitute for participation. It simply takes numbers to get good payouts. How do you get those numbers? That's the magic question. Bass Champs is trying something different this year. I personally think it will help their numbers. Do I like the format? If I'm a weekend warrior, yes. If I'm an avid fisherman, no. As a tournament producer I would want to please the weekend warrior. I'd be willing to lose a few avid fishermen to gain 20+ weekend warriors. The name of the game is to appeal to the majority of the paying fishermen, whether that's warriors or avids. I think we all know who there are more of our there.

There is significantly more competition now then in the old days of just 2 big tournaments. That is also splitting the participation field. The whole tournament format is going to have to be adapted to that competition now. It will never be like the old days. In this instance the 3 place guaranteed big money didn't work for the OLD BassNBucks so it sure would not work for the new one with more competition. There is no magic solution. Things will have to be adjusted and we will have to live with the "NEW ORDER". The tournament field should be expected and planned for 75 Boats.
Sure I'm going to fish, but I will pick and choose the tournament circuits with best scenario for the best odds. With our regional Competion Quality I'm realistically fishing for a Check (maybe get lucky and win one?) AND the opportunity to make the Championships since my "style of fishing" is better that time of the year. (Probably MORE of the lower price ones, including Budlite.) Many of the "Weekend Warriors" do better in the springtime so there should be more participation in the spring. (But typically BassNBucks has their highest showing in December so the spring time will be interesting to see.) BassNBucks is really receptive to trying to make this work so I hope that they can find a workable solution. I would not expect them to go in the red for all their tournaments. They are giving a very good return of the entries BACK to the anglers and they are not trying to "take it all for themselves"! I commend them on that!!!

What I was saying is only guarantee 1st place $6000. That leaves $7000 for the rest of the places. Not guarantee 2nd and 3rd the rest of the bulk of the money. You can't guarantee $15000 for 75 boats. Didn't work for old BassNBucks won't work here and now either. You are exactly right about the Avid vs Weekend Warriors!!! Basically there are 2 KEY WORDS that need to be considered: REALISTIC and OPTIMISTIC for both the Tournament Organizers and the Tournament Anglers. Realistically I am fishing for a check. Optimistically I am hoping to WIN. Same thing for the Organizers. Realistically they need to plan for 75 boats and Optimistically they need to hope for 100+ and THEN THEY can consider adding money to the full field INCLUDING first place if they go over the 100 boats. AND NOW they have to try and KEEP what participation they have until the end of the season.

Casey and johnathan quit fishing and left early due to johnathan getting sick. Shame to because they had just went to good stuff and whacked the 11.

RIGHT ON BigRon!!!!