Take away the "win and you're in the Classic" from the Opens and there would be fewer Elite pros dropping down. Some of these guys fish every tournament they can regardless of trail, though.

Exactly. It is also a way into the Classic. Each Open Tournament winner is invited to the Classic.

Also don't forget that the BASS Nation Champion gets invited to the elites as well.

So with that said... Someone like Grant Goldbeck.. whom I believe for the last 3 years has been 88..91.96... has been able to stay because even though he was never in the top 85...there were enough fisherman above him who dropped out he was able to stay in ???

The have never given a single elite anger the boot. They claim they will enforce next year but it will never happen. The guys who don't come back do so on their own not because BASS wouldnt let them come back. Lots of people know what is advertised about top 85 and calling down lists. They may call down past top 5 in each Open division, but usually I dont think they do because they'd rather keep the existing Elite guys than allow new blood the opportunity they've earned to join. And maybe those guys deserve seniority. They've paid their dues and fish to supposedly support their families (Obviously not through tournament winnings but maybe sponsors)

I believe it should be run like the PGA. A cut-off point is established, top performers in the AOY get to stay and the ones who don't make it have to qualify again thru some type of fish off tournament or series. It could also help with sponsorships. One disadvantage a sponsor faces is trying to decide if their sponsorship is going to be seen at the top level or at a lower level. If an angler makes the cut-off and is guaranteed Elite status he had more negoiating power with sponsors. I don't believe anglers should be grandfathered in every year. I am 62 and have followed alot of my idols for years, but just because you once had game shouldn't mean you get to hang around. Can you imagine what the PGA tournament would look like if everyone who had every qualified for the PGA got to keep playing "because they once were good."

B.A.S.S. has set their process and by the same token they can modify it at will. With that said it all hinges on the effect of the $. Having FLW around along with the PAA will force B.A.S.S. to make their choices carefully which policies to enforce and which ones to modify.

I have not heard of any Elite angler forced down to the opens..
I also have not heard of any open anglers-- who qualified--- being turned down from the Elite tour...If they wanted in.. Not saying it has not happened..If it has I never knew of it..
But I have seen anglers on the Elite list.. That do not have the winnings nor the sponsors to come anywhere close to paying expenses, let alone support a family.. They simply have MONEY..
Now if someone qualified to step up to the elite series and was turned down while one of the MONEY guys got to stay....That would not be right !!

To me ELITE means the BEST OF THE BEST. I know for years B.A.S.S. has tried to Market its superstars to gather the advertising dollars and by far I think they are better today than they were 30 yrs ago. I am hoping the recent Technology boom will make tournament fishing viewing comparable to watching a PGA or LPGA tournament. The goal is to keep the mainstream support but to get more people tuning in who are on the edge of the fishing culture.

Here's a novel idea. Set real rules and enforce them for everyone. OTOH, if I write a big enough check to FLW/BASS, can I fish with the "best"?

BASS let's whoever began or made it at some point stay in. Can't just show up with checkbook at this point. Have to qualify. FLW clearly just let's anyone with a fat checkbook fish as a pro.

Once you're there...you're there for as long as you continue to fish every year and pay those HUGE entry fees every year! The exception would be if you stop fishing. Then you may have to re-qualify through the opens again...but it depends on the individual circumstances.

I figure those who do well, love the donation from those who just show up and fish.
But you know; If I had the MONEY to just show up and fish. I'd be right there donating also...

Fishing is an interesting sport. Even if you take the 100 or so "elite" anglers and put em out on a given lake. Their results are pretty much the same as your typical working class weekend anglers in Champs, or Bud Light, etc. There is still a certain percentage of participants that do well and a percentage of those that do really bad regardless of experience/skill on a given day. Fishing is a humbling sport for all at some point even KVD. I bet the best like KVD, Skeet, Edwin, Aaron would actually like to see the lesser skilled culled out, bring in new blood and keep raising the bar. I would think the true competitors crave better competition.

You have to qualify through the Opens. It's not like these guys are scrubs that show up with a pocket book. Lot's of really accomplished anglers in our area fish these opens without success. Some of you make is sound like the talent pool is somehow diminished because some guys don't fare well at that level year after year? I still say they'd whoop your butts in the opens because they do all the time.

A dose of reality needs to be injected in this thread. They don't have a cutoff because they don't have a ton of guys lining up to donate 50 grand a year through the opens. It's a huge difference coming up with your entry fees for 3 Opens or 6 if you fish more than one Open circuit than it is to pay for the Elites. What good would it do to cut the bottom 15 or 20 when you don't have people to fill their shoes?

And yes, this last year they let more in than normal. But I know for a FACT that they cut people. I fished with Mark Tucker in the Lewisville Open because he had to re-qualify for the Elites that year. He wasn't real happy with it either since he had been fishing them for years and years.