|
|
Posts: 1636
| Professional bass fishing has been around for a lot longer, but do you think Muskie tournament fishing will ever get as big? I think having the PMTT and other tournaments aired on espn would be awesome to watch, especially if each boat has a camera man. Not to mention hooking a muskie and fighting it is much more exceiting to do and watch than a bass. And watching Mike Iconelli break dance around a boat is getting old. I'd rather watch a big 50 incher get caught during a tournament or watch Steve fall out of his Ranger. I guess the biggest thing is getting the money and sponsors to do such a thing.
Edited by Reelwise 10/11/2006 4:27 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 2058
| never anywhere near ...many reasons ....reason #1 muskies have a small "range" ....there are bass in every state in the lower 48 |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| NEVER.....with bass fishing, you are guaranteed action, on-the-water action. You would have to put a cameraman in every boat to capture any action. It's not viewer friendly.
They cover bass, walleye, redfish and even sharks. But I believe that Bob M tried to cover tourneys in their infancy with "Thunder on The Water", and it fizzled because all you got to see was the fish being measured.
Muskie fishing just isn't a made for TV event. That's where the big sponsor dollars come from.
My opinion.
Beav |
|
| |
|
Posts: 561
Location: Monee, Illinois | Never do to the lack of lakes and river systems fishable populations are in......But it is growing fast...
pga |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1636
| Im talking like the MMTT and the PMTT. Fishable populations? Those tournaments always produce fish and usually lots of them. It would be expensive, but if done right I think it would succeed. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Never. Bass is in 49 of our 50 states and most anglers catch a few each time out. You can never get a top of the line predator like a muskie and have that many in a body of water - even if you stock it heavily and have total catch & release. No enough biomass to support them. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1636
| You dont think having 20 muskies caught in a tournament is enough to make a successfull show for tv? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| No. The odds of getting any footage of fish-catching action is probably near zero.
People don't want to see fish that were caught already. They want to see the cast, the strike, the hookset, the fight.
You are not going to get that even with a cameraman in every boat. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1636
| Beaver - 10/11/2006 5:44 PM
No. The odds of getting any footage of fish-catching action is probably near zero.
People don't want to see fish that were caught already. They want to see the cast, the strike, the hookset, the fight.
You are not going to get that even with a cameraman in every boat.
How? If the camera man is in the boat the entire time with the camera on, how would the action be near zero? The fish fever guys dont seem to have a problem getting stuff on film. I sure hope Jim Sarics series gets fish on film. Of course they have more time to film, but with a camera man in every boat, and fish being caught, there will be plenty to film. Not to mention what can be filmed before hand. If guys chose to give a game plan, maybe talk about the lake they are fishing, etc. You wouldnt watch it? You guys are stating reasons why it would not work... basically saying there is NO WAY.
Edited by Reelwise 10/11/2006 6:00 PM
|
|
| |
|
| I think it boils down to ratings...musky fishermen are a small percentage of the fishing population...bass far outnumbers the musky guys...so, you may get fish on film, you may get some good action, but you also might get 12 hours of getting skunked...muskies are low density and don't bite every day as we all know...bass are all over the country and bite just about everyday on some type of presentation...
Would we watch it..yes, would a high number of other non musky fishermen watch it ? probably not...without ratings, you don't have sponsors, advertisers and the money to put it on TV.
I for one, hope it never gets as big as bass anyway...there are too many of us as it is... 
|
|
| |
|
| I was in charge of gathering the Tournament dates for Muskies Inc.'s yearly calendar. You would not believe how many replies I received back that stated that that Chapter was no longer holding a tournament. My own Chapter has become somewhat Anti-Tournament, but I was surprised to see that there was a nationwide feeling in that direction. It's catching on. The big Simply Fishing tournament was cancelled due to lack of interest, and it had a $100,000 first prize. The only tournament I now fish puts zero dollars in the pockets of the winners, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know there are many Muskies Inc. Chapters that raise thousands of dollars by holding tournaments, and put a lot of that money back into the resource by stocking fish for everyone. I think that's a great cause, and I think there's room for both Pro and Anti Tournament anglers on the lake.
I hope you do to. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32922
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Actually, the Simply Fishing event suffered from sponsorship woes more than lack of participation. The second year the event was on again, off again, and looked like it was canned before it was announced.
A circuit with a high percentage payout (at LEAST 80% PLUS some sponsorship dollars), strong marketing and sponsorship, and the type of follow through and operations management as the PWT or FLW could do very well. Would it do as well as any of the BASS circuits? Nope, for all the reasons listed above and more but it could do really well. |
|
| |
|
| Thanks for correcting me on that Steve. I know it was intended as a 100 boat tournament and had 80 participants the first year, so it must have just been assumed that there were less anglers interested the following year. We used to have around 40 boats in the tournament we ran, but did it mostly for fun, and not really as a fundraiser. The interest just isn't there anymore, at least in my area. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| Nobody is going to put 100 cameras in 100 boats and have them running non-stop all day.
I'd love to see it, but it's not going to happen.
One guy with a TV program can have his cameraman with him all day. A tournament with 100 boats.....lets say you get 10 cameras....who do you go with? For how long? The odds are against you capturing the action live.
That's what I'm saying. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1270
| In one word - NO! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1636
| What do you think they do with the BASS tournaments? The guys arnt ALWAYS catching fish. Just because they are Bass doesnt mean they are that easy and guys can just catch a fish just because its time to turn on the camera. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32922
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | If the format was correct, the coverage could be awesome for TV. The 'elimination' format the FLW uses would be the way to get it done. Start with 120 Pro and Co Anglers, and only the top ten are still fishing by day three. The top ten would fish two days to accumulate points, and ten cameramen is not a problem for a company like Lindner Media Productions or the like. The last day of the FLW Championship, the remaining 10 qualifying Pros had no Co Angler in the boat; just the Pro and a Cameraman.
The FLW and PWT have entry fees that hit about the $1500 mark per event. If the field is filled, that's a $144,000 payout without sponsorship help. $85,000.00 to the winner, $20,000 second, $5000.00 third, $4000.00 fourth, $3000.00 fifth, $2500 sixth, $2000 seventh, and divide the remaining near twenty grand to the field to 30th place.
Muskie fishing is one of the strongest growth segments in the fishing business, so if one of the 'big boys' in the tournament promotion world put this together, it might just do pretty well.
Here's what a final looks like in the Walleye world:
http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/play_flash.asp?clip=526
http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/play_flash.asp?clip=528
This event payed out $650,000 to the Pro and Co Angler field.
It wasn't too long ago everyone was insisting the Walleye Tournament circuits would never be able to pay out top prize packages at $50,000, now two circuits pay that or more. I guess what I'm saying is, never say never. By the way, like comperition or not, that's up to the individual, but in light of some of the activity here, I'd ask you say so in a reasonable manner. OutdoorsFIRST covers competition across the country in the Walleye and Muskie world, and will continue to do so in the future, so watching that coverage (or not) will be up to our visitor base.
Will Muskie ever hit B.A.S.S. or FLW Bass status in the tournament world? Probably not, but Redfish events have done pretty well......  |
|
| |
|
| I think it will be possible someday to be able to get the dollars for such a tournament.
If existing tournaments brought there resources together to make a Superbowl of professional anglers it could happen.
The key is time ,planning,resources , marketing and no greed.
|
|
| |
|
| The Muskies Inc. Best of the Best Tournament starts tomorrow in Green Bay. They have planned it for a year, and advertised a $10,000 payout for first place with a full field of 100 or 150 boats. It cost $400.00 per boat to enter and is open to the public. Two weeks ago they had only 10 teams registered.
Are people fishing less tournaments?
Do people have issues with Muskies inc?
What would be the reason for such a poor tournout? Personally, I think people ARE fishing less tournaments. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 284
Location: Fishing the weeds | In my opinion I doubt it would ever be as big as Bass fishing due to the reasons previously stated. However, the reason I believe tournament numbers are down is due to angler confidence in Muskie fishing. With Bass you can almost count on catching something (If you put your time in) due in part to the shear numbers of fish and the predictability of the fishes behavior, certain situations not withstanding. I have seen a lot of people (including myself) come into Bass tournaments thinking they were ready for the Pro levels and fail miserably (and quit) on the local level. They lose their confidence when the best laid plans don't work out. In the Muskie world you are starting with limited range, limited numbers and in some areas limited seasons. Add to that a very unpredictable fish and you have a recipe for low angler confidence. I see it in our local chapter when we do our "Guide for a Day" fundraiser. It's like pulling teeth to get people to participate (Guides) but you will see them fishing the same lake on the given day. They lack the confidence to show a beginner how to Muskie fish. I think only the experienced Die Hard Muskie fisherman would have the confidence to put it on the line and compete. As far as tournament fishing is concerned, I love it. It forces you to learn and forces you to make quicker decisions. I thought I was a very good Bass fisherman in years past until I started to compete. What an eye opener. But, I stuck with it and now hold my own. The same applies for Muskie fishing which I have been doing seriously for 10+ years. If I go out and already consede that I'm not going to catch one 99% of the time I won't. On the other hand if I keep at it like I do in Bass tournaments I may still get skunked but can feel confident I did everything in my ability to succeed on a given day. Not everyone is commited enough to put their money and ego on the line. I know it's a bit long winded but, it's my opinion. Pat |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | I highly doubt it. Even though more states than ever have musky now, its still considered a "poop" fish to many people. Why? probally because its hard to catch and there isn't as many in lake systems. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8824
| I think part of the reason bass fishing is what it is is because so many people do it and it's relatively easy to catch bass in just about anything that has water in it anywhere in the country...
Muskie fishing is growing, but I think there's a limit to how much it will grow due to limited geograpy and the fact that you can fish all day and not catch a fish. Only people that are really die hard into fishing are going to want to watch or participate in something that has such a low rate of success.
Another big draw to the bass tournament circuits is the money -- some of those guys are getting rich. Ain't no musky fishermen getting rich. You can guide, fish tournaments, make baits, and pretty much live and breathe musky fishing and you're still gonna struggle financially.
Professional musky fishing could be wildly popular but only among musky anglers in my opinion. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 7077
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | If done right, I believe it can be MUCH bigger than it is now.
A few things that I truly believe could make it much bigger than it is now:
-If you knew and recognized the anglers profiles/backgrounds and could get into who was fishing what, how, and what their history was, you'd be more interested. If you're more interested, sponsors would be more willing to pony up $$$ to support the tourneys.
-If the fans knew where and how to get more immediate results from the tourneys when they are occuring, you'd be more interested in the tourneys. If you're more interested, sponsors would be more willing to pony up $$$ to support the tourneys.
-If the payouts were better, more anglers would be more serious about making a run at getting into it, and sticking with it over time. If they stuck with it overtime, and certain teams would rise to the top consistently, you'd be more interested in following the tourneys. If you're more interested, sponsors would be more willing to pony up $$$ to support the tourneys.
If there were more money in it, more people would be more interested in fishing it, and in watching the results.
People dont like Nascar because they drive the Nascar type cars during the week, they follow it because they know the personalities in the sport, and its cool to watch. Same thing with bass fishing. If you could know and follow the personalities of muskie fishing, and there were cool venues to watch the results as they happen, or just after, you might be more inclined to follow the tourneys. Maybe that means on the water reports that go to a website, or up to date video coverage to a site, or of course TV coverage that is at least close to the time that the event occured, but there are alot of ways to get that information to you the CONSUMER. If potential sponsors saw that CONSUMERS were watching the events, then see above.
No, muskie fishing doesnt play in to coverage and to audiences as well as bass fishing does, but look at redfishing. The tourney coverage is on ESPN, the sponsors are dishing out millions, and how popular is the redfish as a species nationwide?
Muskie tourneys could be big, but people would have to have ways to know about them, when where who is fishing them. Without that, well we have what we have.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 7077
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | AND, to show you how I know this is true....
a. you're still talking about the BobM tourney. Like it or not, the $$$ was attractive, it was an EVENT.
b. during that tourney, when we were up covering it MuskieFIRST had by far (at the time) our busiest week ever. Like it or not, for some reason, people were interested.
c. when M1st goes to a tourney, and you the member/viewer/lurker KNOW we're going to be there, MORE of you are tuning in Friday before to find out who is in it, during the weekend to see who is doing what, and Monday is always big in terms of our traffic/log-ins because people are tuning in to see what happened.
Alot of people dont want to fish tourneys, alot dont believe they are right in our sport, but ALOT of people will look to see what happened if they know where to look. Now establish a consistent winner like Van Damm on the muskie circuit, a rebel like Ioconnelli, and a few other personalities....and I know more and more of you would follow muskie tourneys.... |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | Nice post slamr |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1317
Location: Lebanon,Mo | we should just be thankful how far our muskies have come in the last twenty years,and forget the bass thing,plain and simple. |
|
| |
|
| This puts it into perspective for me
ESPN devotes an HOUR to lawn tractor racing!!!! if you met someone at a party who was into lawn tractor racing you would smile and say "how intresting" in the back of your mind you would be saying My God get a life!!
but has pathetic has that is you still have never seen an hour devoted to muskie fishing once on ESPN |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Major muskie tournaments will never happen so long as visors aren't acceptable muskie attire. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1
| What about the current proposal by the Wisconsin DNR to limit live release tournaments during the summer months. What are the chances it's going to happen? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 317
| I think if you could get consistant footage of guys fighting muskies, you could generate interest. The logistics say no. Muskie are a team sport, so no room for a camera man in each boat. Also, Most of the "TV" fromm Bass and Walleye is at the weight in. How do you set up in a stadium with lights and music if we release the fish? Maybe beaming images to a jumbotron or something. |
|
| |
