It's gotten to be like drag racing, a rich man's pissing contest.

As a retired professional fishing guide of 30+ years I could have given the exact same monologue, simply substituting fishing guide in place of bass pro. Your timeline and explanation of sponsorships matches perfectly. Right down to the new young anglers with family money. I might add weekend anglers with minimal fishing experience, but six figure salaries who moonlight part time as a guide. This new breed of guide will never sell enough trips to pay for these 100-125k boats. But then, they don’t need to…

I’ve owned 6 boats, countless rods, tackle, and electronics. Not once was my buying decision based on a pro-angler’s gear. Pros are paid to promote products so I rarely care about what they say. Fishing is a business and that business revolves around weekend anglers who just want to catch a few fish. It’s that simple.

Randy you’re a straight talker. I bought a lake cabin back in 2006 and got into Bass Fishing. I’m all self taught through KZfaq videos and magazines that I just don’t bother with anymore. ( The Magazines I Mean). The fishing TV shows on Saturday & Sunday morning have dried up or turned into a half hour product infomercial. Geez any idiot can see right through it. The biggest change I have seen for me a pretty decent recreational fisherman is the cost of everything going up. It’s absolutely nuts what this gear costs these days. I’m not even talking about boats, motors, trailers, & tow vehicles. I find myself using Walmart to Resupply and keep me in the game or shop the clearance section. Buying store brand items. Thank God I had the buying disorder back when this stuff was cheap and I have 150 bag of plastics. Once this stuff is gone I will be fishing beetle spins and crappy jigs. Heck I learned so far this summer I can catch any thing on a Beetle Spin. Caught my PB 23”LM Bass on a Red & White Mini Tube Jig fishing for Crappy on an ultra light. Now that was fun.

Rule no. 1 truck paid for, no.2 boat paid for, no. 3 have a good bit of tackle and a lot of money!

Making a living from Tournement Bass Fishing is struggling for most. Recreactional Bass Fishing however is thriving.

Ffs talk Randy . They just banned trail cameras here in Iowa for hunting on public land. Exactly what needs to happen to live scope. These DNR are catching on to the un fair chase of these animals . It can't be long before it happens in fishing.

Sir Randall is truthful and spot on, times have definitely changed and not for the better of the sport

Who would of thought Growing a Sport would hurt the PROs , I wish it would go back to the old days BASS and BASS only , when fishing was fishing , the stuff that’s going on these days are horrible for our sport

Well , professional anglers did it to themselves. I really dont think bass fishing was supposed to be someone's primary living. Or at least for the average person . Randy , consider yourself lucky you were able to pull it off for so long . I hope you are doing well with your side hustles. Its hard for me to have sympathy for pro anglers who really are the pawns an poster boys of the major boat and tackle companies that are profit motivated and essentially ruining the fisheries in some places .

Hey man. Professional just means you are paid for it. It doesnt mean you are good at it haha!!

People are lined up to get into my local casino every night. Guys are lined up to get on top level fishing tours. I see no difference between the 2 groups. One things for sure, the house always wins. A recession is going to take a lot of houses down.

Ray Scott was a businessman and he sold BASS for a profit.

Things are totally different now compared to the late 80’s and 90’s. I fished the women’s circuit during this time and sponsors were fairy easy to obtain. I made the classic most every year and won major tournaments. Ranger Boat was my sponsor along with Mercury and AC Delco. During this time period, women’s fishing was extremely popular and sponsors appreciated dedication.

Look at Derrick Hudnall. He came out and said he can no longer make it happen. You will more than likely see more of this after this year

Fact, the money is not there. Sponsor money is spread thin. Eventually there will be only 1 professional tour. Randy, you always hit the nail on the head. Keep up the hard work.

Between 2008-2012my level of bass fishing and tournaments went next level and I wanted to be a pro bass fisherman so bad. However, my road took me down a trail that led me to start my own plumbing company in 2012 after being in the trade since 1996 while I was 16 and in high school. Fast forward to today and I’m 44 semi retired (office work and in house training 2 days a week) after major success with my company. Now I can self finance my pro bass career via major corporate sponsorship by my plumbing company. By starting up an actual fishing business that is completely legit I can now invest my plumbing company capital into my fishing company as a marketing write off. My body aches more than if I had become a pro bass fisherman back in 2012, but my financial freedom and that of my kids was a good choice.

the problem is that now internet marketing not only reaches more people with less cost per capita, but the also market products directly to anglers, keeping a larger percentage of the sale.. additionally, the extinction of the local tackle shop, no longer makes local marketing efficient.

Good info…. But how would we fix this or make it better. Sharing the thought of all this is good. What’s the next step in a solution?

It's a pretty bad business decision. I've heard of guys selling baits, rods, reels, etc so they can get gas money to get home. Jim Moynagh has a great video on the cost of fishing vs the payoff. I don't see bass tournament fishing lasting honestly. Without sponsors for entry fees, expenses, and getting paid to advertise certain products, you can't make a "living" on winnings. The money just isn't there. The payouts aren't good either. If you win a golf tournament vs a bass tournament, the bass tournament payoff is a joke. And with FFS, most guys who fish like a man don't really have much of a chance. So, my thing is why fish tournaments? You're better off financially not doing it.

Glad Randy clarified what was making that noise ida thought a woman was laughing

you can still make a small fortune fishing tournaments, just start with a large fortune!

Also, there are a lot of amatuers with KZfaq channels that are more down to earth and enjoyable to watch than the pros. Sorry, but it's just true. I'd rather watch those amaters anyday than anyone on the BASS or MLF circuit. And I know a LOT of people who feel the same way. Why should a company pay big sponsorship money to someone that doesn't get a fraction of the attention that someone like Richard Gene gets?

There is no way anyone could write a business plan to be a pro fishermen. Paying 5k entry fee, add expenes of maybe 2k per event hoping to cash a 10k check is not good business. Add insurance for truck and boat and other expenses and the red numbers keep growing. It is sad those guys are still fishing for 100k after all these years. But like NASCAR Bass and MLF are monopolies. You don't like what we do go fish somewhere else. There is along line of guys waiting to get in.

Excellent take Randy! You right on about how the industry operates. The money is being a youtuber screw being a pro doesnt pay enough...lol

A person's fishing experience is limited to their location, time, energy and money. It has brought countless souls satisfaction long before the "pros" started marketing to them.

Waaaaaay back in the IIRC mid 1990's I read a 3 or 4 part expose in The InFisherman magazine on how absolutely insanely difficult and obscenely expensive it was BACK THEN to become a full time successful professional bass fisherman Like everything else in America I'm sure it git harder every year since That article showed the math proving a gifted college athlete had better odds at becoming a professional athlete than a gifted fisherman had at becoming a professional fisherman

I'm wanting to buy a boat but they need to drop the price, rates are ridiculous 15 years, $20,000 borrowed $230 month? That's crazy for a tiny boat

I follow your channel and I’m wonder do you ever actually go fishing ? I’m. Not trying to be mean or rude I’m just curious

The ROI on that most "pro anglers" bring to the sponsors must be pretty low. I've never learned anything watching a pro tournament and they have basically no entertainment value to me. I would rather go fishing. I have learned from anglers like Randy and other KZfaq channels that are teaching fishing.

Randy that is in all sports my son was a good ball player made all stars but l could not pay for a traveling team so he never made high school teams l raced stock cars with my family never went far no big money today it is kids that have mommy and daddy money that go far look at football baseball any sport no money no play

It’s working for Bridgford Foods! I’m enjoying their products thanks to you. Over

You need to look at xpress boats. They are pretty awesome.

Isn't this why MLF is cutting BPT to 50. Smaller group. All, essentially, are very active on social media. Ott, Edwin, Andy - Jacob, Dustin, MDJ, Adrian. For example. Those guys should continue to do quite well. Smaller field. Promote that field.

I have not watched the full video yet. That’s on purpose. I did not want any outside factors influencing my opinion. That being said…I’m 51 years of age & have been bass fishing for nearly 40 years. I used closely follow all of the Bassmaster & FLW tournaments. I even kept logs pertaining to the best tactics that were used to have an edge over the competition. However, in the last 5+ years, I seem to have lost the desire to fish for bass; much less to watch guys fishing for them. I’ve told myself it’s because I finally landed a bass over 10# but I really don’t think that’s it. I really think it’s because it came too much commercialized & all of a sudden, it was the ‘cool’ thing to do. Blame it on Covid, blame it on FFS, but I feel that it started before that. I really don’t know but all I do know is that my love for bass fishing had significantly diminished.

Professional bass fishing is just an expensive hobby. For most anglers.

In life and especially as we age, it is critical to have a forward looking perspective to be happy. Constantly looking backward is a curse to your mental health. Randy, look to a bright new future teaching kids t enjoy fishing. 50 - 100 million Americans have been displaced from their jobs because of changing preferences and technology. My family great business was a network of Ice Routes, then came reasonable refrigerators.... Personal evolution is the key to happiness ans success....

It seems continuing emerging technologies in all aspects of our lives increasingly limit and restrict our options and choices.

Its not just fishing, its racing, horses, the money goes to where the viewers are. The world has changed, we would like to keep it as it was 20 years ago but its not going to happen.

How about industry consolidation?

Bass fishing is being destroyed by FFS AND WAY TO MANY TOURNAMENTS.

Low key. I pick up a fresh pack of bridgford and worms before I head out

I believe professional bass fishing is a dying sport, I live in a area what had a world class bass fishery , the reason I say this . We no longer have biologists managing the resource , biggest problem is to much catch and release. The cities no longer stock winter trout (budget) and lack of children fishing interest . The profession is to over loaded As you stated. But also has become very difficult to watch , nobody wants to watch somebody look at a screen. Too much focus on tackle ads. At a point after me fishing for 60 yrs, will a new NRX rod make me better. Answer is no. And this is from someone that can buy anything I want . It’s become to much of a business, and not fun to watch. Take care I feel the same as you do . It mite be a age thing

So if you made one Pro circuit with top 100, you would lose your job and so would thousands of others. Watch what you wish for, you just might get the boot

It is a shame things have gone this way. You are right. A working man can’t make it. I make what most consider good money. I would love to compete at a high level but I would be living in a tent. Simply not feasible for anyone with a real job and a mortgage. Better of guiding or being a KZfaq personality these days.

FLW tried the non endemic sponsorship and it never worked. Way too many mouths to feed from endimic sponsors. Its been that way for years.

Who cares? Let them get real jobs, let them join the navy like I did

I used your tacklewarehouse link to buy a livescope and some strolling baits.

I predict FLW and BASSMASTER will both go under in the next 5 years. Nobody cares or watches anymore. I know that I don't, trying too watch it on TV is boring plus I don't want to watch cheaters it's stupid. Great video Randy keep them coming!

Well DUH! Companies dont need to them to push their new baits. Every company just has to make a FFS minnow then every year add a color or make it 1" shorter or longer and BOOM selling out everywhere. No need a pro to lie about how they won the tournament on a 4 willow 5.0 Deluxe Spinnerbait! Just buy the minnow and cheat with FFS! FFS sells itself!

Turn up the volume of your video please

Pros😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂don't pay to fish no one is a so called pro angler

It has always been about the almighty buck. Corporations don’t care about the little guy trying to make it to the top.

The KZfaq guys need to make their own league and stop depending on the big leagues to give them handouts .

Interesting topic, but I feel like the top level of the sport should be elitist to a point. You can start in the smaller boat that you often reference with a smaller engine. Do well locally and regionally and reinvest your winnings back into your boat and future. Justin Lucas talked about doing just that on another podcast.

It doesn't help that TV viewership of tournaments is tanking due to FFS. Nobody want's to watch someone out in the middle of the lake making cast reeling in fish after fish while they stare at a video screen. They want to see that guy make that perfect cast into heavy cover and pull out a monster. Companies get so much more exposure on youtube than sponsoring a video gamer out on the lake that no one wants to watch.

Don't overlook the consolidation of the fishing industry. A lot of brands have been consolidated under one corporate banner, and while I don't have any experience in the industry, I have a lot of market experience. A lot of he sponsorships in the 80s and 90s were probably a lot better for fishing than they were for the companies. But people like Forrest and Nina Wood did it anyway. Now, with corporate types -- who are only beholden to shareholder or private equity -- those days are gone.

Anglers did it to themselves if they treated advertising space on their boats and jerseys like Nascar they'd be doing ok if you want x amount of advertising space it's going to cost you x amount of money and they need to get more creative in seeking sponsorship outside the fishing industry

Only solution I see to get money back to the angler is all the Anglers will have to become one and quiet. No anglers to fish the tournaments means no money for the organization. Probably the Anglers will have to become unionized and have someone speak on their behalf. Take some of the power away from the organizations, and put it with the anglers voice. But until that will be finalized, yall will have to be reunited with a 9 to 5 job. It all can't be unicorns, and rainbows.

It's a dang mess. All of it. I hardly fish now because of what fishing has become. If I had the money and the time, the big impoundments would never see me again. I would take my love for fishing to a one or two acre pond that I would build and stock. I would go whenever I wanted--even Saturdays because there would be no tournament cowboys and their $125k boats, no boat ramps with 150 trucks and trailiers and no need to have the newest baits, rods and reels, sonar, etc. I would fish a purple worm with a red tail, an old spinnerbait or live crickets to catch a mess of bluegill. That's about the only way I know to get back to the sport I have loved for so long.

Companies today recognize the marketing value and reach of social media that is significantly outpacing someone who fishes 6-7 events a year. A YT channel that gets 50,000 views every week is worth far more than a couple of 1 hr tv shows so it's no surprise that they ar3 unwilling to spend their marketing dollars on pros

But fishing is more popular than ever. Boats selling like crazy and for crazy prices. Same with tackle. With social and online, more eyeballs than ever. Still the pie is no bigger (if not smaller). Doesnt make sense.

Playing hookey for a living isn't a living. What incentive is there for tackle and boat (endemic) companies to give every Tom, Dick, and Harry who want to F-off for a living, any money?! Talk about a Pipe Dream!! Randy, you just happened to get into the industry during it's infancy, when fishing for a living was somewhat plausible. As you know, that dried up quick! Now-days, the Sponsorship demand greatly out-weighs(1000x) the Sponsorship supply. If you're not a Top 50 Bass Angler in the world, legit sponsorship money is out of the question. Time to face reality for all those KVD wanna-bes out there.

I was a good 3rd string left guard for the Patriots and now Tom Brady gets Hertz commercials and money and my washed up ass dont. It just isn't fair

Why is every video now like you are trying to push product and then crying and complaining. Lol

If everyone refused to buy boats and pay into these tournament organizations for a year we wouldn’t see these problems but realistically that will never happen.

Good video,if you fished Flw circuit or Mlf , you are and were the start of the current mess were in now. This iby design , its what all sports are doing. No one buys a football cause Tom Brady plays with one.Common sense! They dont need you, everything is next man up.

Maybe consider working in the corporate world in Silicon Valley. Welcome to the system where everyone is a victim and needs to answer to the big man. Sometimes you can do everything right and it still rains on your parade. Dedication, hard work, job titles or skills does equate to success. Longevity largely depends on how you play the game.

All this guy does is whine about the old days. And he's always talking about how everybody younger than him is a phony.

It now all about who has the most money to spend on a stupid screen on their 100k priced bass boat who can’t catch a fish without a screen

Maybe they will have to get a real job like everybody else.

How to become a millionaire by fishing? Start with a billion.

It is a doomed profession. If u have a wife and children u owe it them to get a “real job” that is a career for life. “Bass Pros”…. 99% are broke at 40 yrs old and divorced. But great video and info u are giving out. Thanks

Same as it ever was. Competitive bass fishing has been elitist af since the early 90's. I never met a BASS pro that wasn't a full-time guide, entrpreneur or independently wealthy. You had Nixon, T Martin and the Bass Pro Shops Team literally working as a team. Roland out hiring the best guides on every lake. It's never been a level playing field and you always had to have a lot of money to play this game.

I would like to know if winning fisherman are disgruntled with the rules or if it's only the losers complaining. Seems too many fishermen want to make rules to suit their liking. This is the USA and the wealthy make the rules ultimately!

A couple of weeks ago, this channel said the economy was the best it ever was. If people can't make a living fishing in this great economy, when can you make a living. Is tournament fishing about winning tournament money or receiving sponsor money to live off of. If it's about getting sponsors and less about winning, how can it be called a sport???

Joe negative…..

How to become a millionaire Bass fishing…FIRST start off with two million before you know it you will have one million.😊

Winners keep winning. Losers keep bitching.

Shouldnt be a Pro fishermen. Hell goigke the GOATS net worth. The best that ever did it and most can make a hell of alot more doing something else.

Could care less!!!! If they cant make a living fishing.... QUIT GO GET ANOTHER JOB.. nothing is guaranteed in this life.. i work. Pay for my boat.. fish when i can. Vacation when i can.. tired of the whiny cry babies who "cant make a living fishing " QUIT

Randy, for your next mental Monday talk please educate us about how CRT is beneficial for our children and should be mandated for all levels of public education. Fans of the closed minded twitter loving candidate can’t comprehend how teaching children to hate one class of people (read: yte) is actually a good thing. Equal opportunity for all is soo 1950s! Thank you for keeping us informed and promoting progressive ideals. Your children will be so proud when they realize what you’ve been promoting and the results of that, which they will suffer from when it comes to fruition. Go Joe!

Your dead on elitist sport....not to make mention the GPS selling of spots hole sitting ffs team sharing spots guides fishing with unknown lures...goes on and on....such a joke!

Calling out the nepo babies! I LOVE IT! You should be mad about that!!! Guys i have the tip you need: UNIONIZE AND DEMAND CHANGE. Pro anglers union. Lets go guys! Ice out those wealthy scabbers.

To many wannabes