BPT Entry Fees

The beans were spilled on Luke Dunkin's LBL with Dudley and FatCat

BPT Entry fees are $5,700 per tournament.

I give them another year or two.

What do the elites pay per tournament?

Same podcast they said $5,000 per, same as NPFL

Somebody's gonna get a stern talking to... Dan

That’s a “Big O” my!

700 more, and the anglers had input on it? Why is this a big deal??

When your number 1 selling point to get people from BASS to come over is "no entry fee", and now you are paying an entry fee that is more than an Elite event, it is kind of a big deal. Especially to those guys who came over because they were struggling in BASS to make ends meet. And I think it is more like "some of them have input".

I’ll finally agree with you on the BPT. Guys had the chance to leave, only a few took their bags and left. The grass looked greener and it may or may not have been, but none of the BPT guys are crying about the cost.

Waiting to see who gets banned now!!!!!!!

Lol

The BPT guys are not allowed to talk about entry fees. Most are just stuck there now. To hard to qualify for the elites. They were definitely lied to.

Well i'd say it's not a big deal. No entry fee was not a selling point. The original plan for BPT was to have entry fees. After every angler had already committed to it, then the anglers voted on no entry.

So they voted no entry fee, but then got told they had to not only pay an entry fee, but that it would be more than what they were paying with BASS? And you can say that no entry fee was not a selling point, but they pushed that thing pretty hard. Also from the guys that left, they said they were told a bunch of lies and that things weren't as promised. This seems like one of them. It would appear only a small handful of people are actually making the decisions. You can be a BPT sack sucker and still acknowledge they aren't everything they said they were going to be.

So are they back to fishing for their own money again? Just like they were before but no Classic? Instead they have a RedCrest or something like that. What are they doing with the TV money? Endorsements that they got from all the Manufacturers and such?
For the record I don't care, not taking a side at all just wondering and a bit curious at this point.

Jody

I no it's a bit off the main topic but who were we thinking the banned big o is ? Luke Dunkin or the Hot chick that used to be on MLF TV?

They sure hurt your little feelings when they took all your idols away from BASS. It's been explained several times that no entry fee was not a selling point to join BPT. But you always claim it was. I have no idea if they were told a bunch of lies. I'm not friends with any BPT anglers. So I don't know. I just like the format and get sick of the same whiners maling stuff up just because they got their feelings hurt

Settle down... You don't have to argue with the whole board now that Big O ain't around... Deep breath, deep breath... Dan

For sure!
It just seems like faux outrage by some never bpters. Every organization has comers and goers every year. I still think overall they feel this is a better system for them to be in or they would not have left.

Its Randy Blaukat.

BPT is coming unwound. Big money likes big money back. They are all about ROI. It’s not what it was cut out to be. Many stayed because there wasn’t a place they could go. A number are trying to get back through the Opens.

Pics of said chick please

https://images.app.goo.gl/TWpQRStdQzy92vps7

Come on man... Dan

Thanks Dan.

... Dan

JP would never knowingly ban a chick that hot. So there’s no way she’s Big O.

Dan... very nice lol

Well considering she’s my very good friend’s daughter, I can assure you she isn’t.

That is 100% reasonable. I hear Randy is working on sponsor deals from "No More Tears" and "Kleenex"

Oh ya that cougar had it going on. They had a young hot one too at one time.

So they are paying entry fees that they voted to pay?

It isn't like they don't get a check at the end of the tourney even of they don't make the cut.

Granted it isn't 100% back but it is more than the other tours pay if you miss the cut isn't it?

I thought he was asking about the younger one that was their "Media" person.

I watched part of the first season and she's the only hot chick I remember... ... Too many cuts, too may elimination rounds, sudden deaths... I'm a simple guy, cold beer, hot chicks and short concise tournament weigh-in where the guy with the most weight wins the big trophy... Dan

Aly Akers was the BPT's media/social media person.

Sheli Sanders ran the score tracker updates on the Cups. & Select events.

I'll stick with Sheli...




You'll can have Aly... Dan

This. All day long. The few pros I have talked to said this was the #1 selling point and don't forget the veteran angler who did a very good video on the entry fees (Paul Elias maybe?).

I wish all the tours well, promote bass fishing and get a younger generation off the video games on on the water.

Personally couldn't care less. However to say it wasn't a selling point is comical. Makes me wonder if you ever actually watched a BPT tournament the first year. Conservation and no entry fees were the two bullet points that the commentators hit on coming out of every break. Every angler was instructed to highlight those points in literally every single interview they did the first year. Every article published highlighted the no entry fee tournaments. I have no idea what the original "plan" was. I just know what the original reality was. And no entry fees was their #1 or #2 selling point the first year. When an organization abandons one of their main selling points people may discuss it from time to time. No surprise there.

They were to have entry fees originally, then Kroenke got involved and they were told there would be no entry fees for 3 years. IF by then they had enough sponsors to continue to the no entry fee they would. If not the fishermen would start paying fees.
The anglers all thought they could make fishing as popular as golf and get a big TV contract. What they really learned was that fishing is just that fishing. And will never be a major player in TV sports.
I imagine that Kroenke feels like he was sold a load of BS as he lost a lot of money on the deal.

the only thing for sure is if its not a good thing for kroenke his money will go away.

We are talking about 2 different things. Josh claimed no entry fees was a selling point to get anglers to leave BASS and join BPT. That simply isn't true. But you are absolutely correct that after they voted to not have entry fees. Then that was a huge selling point they used publicly to advertise the trail.

The anglers had a choice of no entry fees, they did not have a choice when they implemented the entry fees.

They are all big boys. If they are unhappy, they can go somewhere else. I like BASS better, but BPT is something different and fun to watch also. I dont understand why a lot of ya'll are constantly butt hurt over something that is none of your business. These guys are not stupid, they know what they are doing. If you want to complain, complain about how you are effected as a consumer. For instance, Marty makes me want to jab pencils in my ears.

Lol. I don't know if I would go as far as jamming pencils in my ears. But he is horrible. I really can't stand any of the announcers

We are talking about 2 different things. Josh claimed no entry fees was a selling point to get anglers to leave BASS and join BPT. That simply isn't true. But you are absolutely correct that after they voted to not have entry fees. Then that was a huge selling point they used publicly to advertise the trail.[/quote]

Bro you make no sense. So the guys came over and then no entry fees became a selling point? To who? The selling point to get the anglers over was a promise of no entry fees. There would be no point of advertising no entry if they already had the commitments.

Bro you make no sense. So the guys came over and then no entry fees became a selling point? To who? The selling point to get the anglers over was a promise of no entry fees. There would be no point of advertising no entry if they already had the commitments.
[/quote]

It makes perfect sense. The original plan was to have entry fees. After everyone committed they voted no entry fees. It wasn't a selling point to the anglers. But once they decided no entry fees it was a selling point in their marketing to the public. Just like no livewells was part of their marketing

It makes perfect sense. The original plan was to have entry fees. After everyone committed they voted no entry fees. It wasn't a selling point to the anglers. But once they decided no entry fees it was a selling point in their marketing to the public. Just like no livewells was part of their marketing[/quote]

Why would they need to sell it to the public?

Dubee is correct, the no entry fee came about AFTER the guys left BASS.

Why would they need to sell it to the public?

[/quote]

They didn't "need" to sell it to the public. But they decided to make that part of their marketing. I didn't say it was good marketing.

And you also have to remember serious bass fishermen aren't their target audience... They're out to get the "Lonely Housewives" who watch all the dribble they call "reality TV"... Dan

Last place guy in the BPT gets $3741.00 so what does the last place guy in BASS get?

A big dose of reality... Dan

It makes perfect sense. The original plan was to have entry fees. After everyone committed they voted no entry fees. It wasn't a selling point to the anglers. But once they decided no entry fees it was a selling point in their marketing to the public. Just like no livewells was part of their marketing[/quote]

Why would they need to sell it to the public?

[/quote]

They didn't "need" to sell it to the public. But they decided to make that part of their marketing. I didn't say it was good marketing. [/quote]

Lol, fair enough. I guess I can agree with you on that one. If that is the case it was not good marketing.

that was a great answer!

major league fishing pros get 4-6 1/2 hours of TV coverage every week...a huge increase over what they previously received from BASS.....TV coverage equals value to their sponsors and money in the pockets of pro fishermen...

Maybe, maybe not. Doesn’t mean squat if nobody is watching.

To bad they are not allowed to wear their own jerseys and use their own boats to show off those sponsors like they are in BASS.

They do wear their own jerseys and use their own boats in BPT tournaments

I sure do miss Big O and the Honey Hole song...

If the entry fee is $5,700 that is $456,000 entry fees for each BPT event. The payout for each BPT event is $806,640. 176.89% payout. The Red Crest is $746,000 with no entry fee.

Plus the 4 no entry fee cups

when you are being shown 6 1/2 hours nationwide on outdoor,sportsman and CBS sports channel,you can bet hundreds of thousands are watching.....this exposure dwarfs the 1000 or so who show up for a BASS weigh-in plus they don't have to deal with couple hundred spectator boats crowding them while fishing or raping their spots soon as they leave for weigh-in....

Yeah I don’t know, but I’d say that last day at Fork had a pretty high viewing number. On your second point, I believe that helped to sway many of the guys decisions to leave BASS, many are anti-fan friendly. Guys like Ish had complained about that for years. Then you have the guys like Swindle and Ike who love the fans. I bet the non-primadonna guys at BASS don’t mind the fans cheering them on. The smart guy wants the fans, for their social media platform, the idiot guy is banking on winnings and sponsors. Unfortunately for that guy, the market has changed and if you need proof, look at this googan crowd.

Your last sentence says it all. Change is inevitable, but change is what a lot don't like so they become bitter about it. Just watch the fishing or watch the fishing you like and move on. It's hard to understand the lines drawn in the sand over professional fishing.

you are assuming some bass fishermen are not fan friendly and that is simply not true....most fishermen want to fish a tournament that is not affected by fan behavior....you would never consider allowing fans onto the field during a football or baseball game and yet that is exactly what happens during major bass tournaments and the outcome of almost every bass tournament has been affected to some extent by spectator boats either crowding around contestants or fishing their spots before or after them...
by fishing lakes unannounced,MLF has vastly improved this aspect of tourny fishing...the only downside is depriving a weigh-in crowd of seeing contestants dump fish on the scales.....

Hundreds of thousands per week watching BPT? I guess it’s possible

That number is severely exaggerated.

MLF has 5 hours of TV coverage this weekend on the Outdoor channel which is a nationwide TV channel.....out of curiousity,I googled the number of viewers for major league fishing.....according to google they are the #1 ranked outdoor show and on one day (Dec. 13,2020) they had 1.8 million viewers.....keep in mind the population of this country is 332 million so 100,000 viewers is not a big percentage....also....woth high school and college fishing showing huge growth,TV audiences are bound to increase as more families become involved....
lot of people criticize boyd duckett for starting MLF,my prediction is that 10 years from now he will be credited with growing the sport to where a lot more people can make a good living fishing copmpetitively...
and if our lakes continue to be overcrowded, he may also be viewed as the guy who made fishing too popular....

beartrap=delusional

TV is dieing and they have hung their entire business on TV, that is fact, not made up. (Like the BPT viewing numbers)

You may be right about that but I don’t watch hardly any of the shows prerecorded it is old news I don’t care to watch it if I know who won . It’s boring.

Watching someone else is boring also... Dan

https://bassanglermag.com/mlf-is-the-most-watched-fishing-show-on-tv/


They are long way from 1.3 million. This article says 97k viewers average in their anchor spot on Outdoor Network

How do you know this?

I don't. But I figured if we are just throwing stuff out there to see if it sticks, I might as well throw mine in there. My statement is no more true or false than his was. If we want to get down to the honest truth, there isn't really any of us that truly know anything about what is going on and who is watching, who isn't watching, who is pissed, who isn't pissed. We are all just throwing out opinions and seeing what sticks. I think those numbers are inflated. "Hundreds of thousands"? Come on. Bass fishing isn't that big if a deal in the overall grand scheme of things.

Pretty much lays it all out there... Dan

And that’s probably with every one of their employees playing it on every device that they own.

Well I think you have to read the article a little closer....and I don't have a dog in this hunt because I watch them both....but the article states the following:

Major League Fishing has averaged 97,000 viewing households in just its anchor time period on Outdoor Channel

Then it goes on to state the following:

With more than 1,300 combined hours of television coverage, Major League Fishing, which airs on cable partners: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, Discovery Channel and CBS Sports, has accounted for a staggering 86% of all viewership of competitive bass fishing programs on cable television during the past four quarters (Q3 2019 to Q2 2020)

They never give any numbers from the other stations that it is broadcast on...but they do have a lot of coverage on a weekly basis. What that means, I don't know and really don't care. I record both brands and watch both brands. They are both different, but they are both also fun to watch...well for Bassmasters it is fun to watch when Zona is hosting :-)

I see Jesse Wiggins is fishing the BASS open today on Pickwick and not practicing on Travis. Be interesting to see if he stays at Pickwick if he makes the top ten.

The 97k is just viewers on 1 channel, correct? I don't care either way- I enjoy them both, I just don't think they are fudging numbers.

I think he leaves Pickwick and drives straight to Lake Travis this evening.

I believe he's the man on Smith Lake. The 2nd to last Open of the year is on Smith Lake. I'm assuming he's fishing all the Opens in that division to make sure he's eligible for the Classic when/if he wins there on Smith.

His little brother is in the Top 10 right now. I believe he'll be fishing the 2021 Classic through the Team division.

When MLF notes TV viewership numbers they are using Nielsen ratings to validate the data. No one's inflating numbers. Both BASS and MLF use Nielsen data. And lastly MLF knows who's watching, when they're watching, how long they're watching and where they're watching. Sports properties aren't in the dark in 2021.