BOT Michael Neal – No entry fees
After fishing two Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour events, I am more honored than ever to be a part of this organization. Of course as with anything new, there have been a few hiccups and minor flaws. However in my opinion, the organization could not have done a better job than they have. Couple that with the fact they started a brand new tour and only had approximately four months to do so, and the results are nothing short of remarkable.
The first thing that sticks out to me about how things have been handled so far, is the fact that we as anglers have a voice that is being heard throughout the organization. We've had two meetings where every angler was invited to put everything on the floor and make decisions as a group. One of the first things we wanted to tackle as a group was the hefty entry fees that we've had to pay in the past. Yes, the entry fee was returned to us by way of payouts, but it was still money out of our pockets. Now, we leave the house each time without having to pay $5,000 to “play the game.” Yes, our 40th place checks may be less than they were in the past, but we still come out ahead. For instance, last year a 40th place check would have been $10,000. Take out the $5,000 and you take home the other $5,000. This year, we pay nothing out of pocket and receive $6,000, so we are $1,000 ahead without the worry of having to come up with $5,000 for each tournament.
Fishing the Bass Pro Tour has been an unbelievable experience thus far. Major League Fishing has always been a big proponent of conservation, which as a young angler, has always been very important to me. I am really looking forward to the next two events which will take place on some truly big fish factories. Needless to say, Chickamauga is the one I am looking forward to the most. I mean who doesn’t love sleeping in their own bed as opposed to being on the road?
Follow Michael's progress on his Facebook page
here.
