abelrichard

To the normal person the entire world of professional fishing can be as confusing as working out the NFL salary cap. You can find multiple divisions, different levels and tournaments nearly every weekend that cover all of the contiguous United States.

However, on a national level the cast for money circuits basically fall into two different leagues; BASS and FLW Outdoors. Each has many choices of tournaments and involves someone format in opposition to the team format which make up most local trails.

Founded by Ray Scott in 1967, BASS is the most well-known and visible fishing organization world-wide. ESPN purchased BASS in 2001 and brought the sport to national prominence using its coverage of the Bassmaster Classic and Elite Series events.

BASS has three different degrees of fishing that include a wide variety of entry fees and paybacks. The beginning level, the Weekend Series, has 20 regional divisions that are made up of five one-day tournaments each.

Next will be the BASS Opens that incorporate nine tournaments over three national regions. Winners of each Open become qualified to fish the Bassmaster Classic. The utmost effective finishers in the Open tournaments also qualify for the Elite Series. On an annually basis, only 99 anglers are eligible to fish the BASS Elite Series which includes 8 contests that all features a $100,000 first place prize.

Every February BASS hosts the Bassmaster Classic that is described while the "Super Bowl" of fishing. Only 51 anglers qualify for this world championship that boasts a $500,000 prize and legitimizes an angler's career through endorsements and sponsors.

The tournament fishing landscape changed dramatically in 1996 when businessman Irwin Jacobs purchased only a little known bass tournament organization and renamed it FLW Outdoors after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forest L. Wood. This company quickly signed Wal-Mart as its title sponsor and quickly became the highest paying fishing corporation in the world.

FLW also includes three different degrees of competition beginning with the entry level Wal-Mart BFL. This league has 24 divisions throughout the US that features five one-day tournaments each. The Everstart Series may be the mid-level circuit of FLW Outdoors and comprises five regional divisions with a four contest format. The FLW Tour may be the premier group of the corporation and hosts 10 national tournaments with a $100,000 first place prize Lake Texoma Fishing Guides. The Forest Wood Cup is held each summer while the Championship of FLW Outdoors which boasted an initial ever one-million dollar prize in 2008.

If any of you've seen a bunch of new or wrapped boats recently on Lake Texoma, that's since the FLW Everstart Series will be coming to your fair burg beginning Thursday, May 12th. This 3-day event will include two divisions: Pro and Co-angler. The Pros, who fish from the leading of their boat and make decisions on where to fish, are randomly paired with a Co-angler, who fishes from the back of the boat. Each are allowed someone five-fish limit per day. First place prizes for both categories incorporate a new Ranger Boat.

Because Co-anglers are still needed, I was luckily enough to possess my entry taken care of by way of a Pro who had been on the waiting list for the tournament. This is a superb chance to observe how different Pro's from throughout the South fish Lake Texoma. I will report on the experience in next week's column.

Bass Fisherman for several years being fully a person in the Texoma Bass Club. He also writes for an area newpaper and lives in Sherman, Texas.