THE BUSINESS NEWS OF FISHING.

Best on Tour will bring you a business perspective of the fishing industry to help keep you up to date. 2019 will be the biggest year pro fishing has ever seen!

1. Stat of the Day

PRESENTED BY: Sunline

Bassmaster Elite Series Electronic Brands By Anglers

2. Money Matters

PRESENTED BY: Big Bite Baits

How many soft plastic baits does a pro angler use each year?

As part of certain sponsorship agreements pro anglers often get most of their soft plastic baits at no charge. A recent survey revealed that an average touring professional uses approximately $600 worth of plastics per season at retail value. Some companies like Big Bite Baits offer a 25 pack Pro Pack option or 100 count bulk pack allowing you to stock up on your favorite shape and color. Purchasing your soft plastics in bulk can not only save you money, but also prevents having to place last minute orders when you need to restock.

3. Behind the Scenes

PRESENTED BY: SPRO

Take a minute to appreciate what it takes to make an MLF NOW! live stream, and a Bass Pro Tour event happen the next time you are tuned in. At the recent Stage 3 event in Raleigh, NC Major League Fishing had 131 total team members on hand. The crew consisted of 81 MLF staff, and 50 boat officials. Throw in 14 service crews, and 80 MLF Bass Pro Tour anglers and you have one big group of people that are all intricate parts of the equation which makes these events possible.

4. Anglers Tribune

Photo FLW

We recently caught up with the coach of a prominent college fishing program to get his take on how his program works Team Budget : $45k - 50k (The budget allows for meals, travel, lodging, tackle, and maintenance. Most of the funding is gathered through fundraisong campaigns via fishing camps, and community events.) Tow Vehicles And Boats: The average college team has 5 vehicles and 4 boats, some of which are often school funded. Team Size: 28 team members. 12-14 team members compete based on a ranking system. Events: 12-15 Majors – BASS, FLW, Bass Pro Shop Collegiate 5 – 7 Local or Regional Tournaments. The team will log approximately 20k miles on the roads during the 2019 season. Financial Assistance: Students can receive grants that are applied to their tuition which can range anywhere between 4K - 10k on average. 

5. Baits Not Being Talked About

Glide baits like the Roman Made Negotiator are being thrown by many top anglers with very little being mentioned about them until recently. Often these baits were only used by select anglers for trophy hunting in the hopes of getting 1-2 bites per day. West Coast anglers have been using these baits for years, and recently anglers like Brandon Palaniuk and Carl Jocumsen have used these baits in tournament situations. The Roman Made Negotiator is arguably the most popular bait in this category. It is very hard to find, and often sells for $200-$400 depending on the size and color. See the Tackle Tour review of the Negotiator here . The Deps Slide Swimmer 175 is currently sold out on Tacklewarehouse with no possibility to even order one currently. Storm reportedly has a glide bait in development with Palaniuk that will debut soon.

6. What We're Watching & Listening To

PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu

Luke Dunkin's Traveling Circus

Luke Dunkin is an FLW Tour angler who is documenting his season on YouTube this year. Each episode highlights his travel, practice, competition and gives behind the scenes access of each event in the 2019 season. Episodes are approximately 25-30 minutes in length, and provide an entertaining and realistic look into life on Tour.

7. Jersey Watch

PRESENTED BY: Denali

Many anglers switched boat brands for the 2019 season. Will more changes take place in 2020? With the recent launch of Vexus Boats, and a reported new brand, Caymus Boats coming from Earl Bentz the likelihood that more movement will take place is pretty much a guarantee. Listed below are a few examples of tour level competitors who switched boat brands for 2019. Angler 2018 Brand 2019 Brand Scott Canterbury- Ranger to Skeeter Jay Yelas- Ranger to Skeeter Hank Cherry-Triton to Basscat Brandon Coulter- Triton to Falcon Brandon Cobb- Ranger to Falcon Gerald Sphorer- Basscat to Phoenix 

8. Regional Recommendations

Traveling to a lake and looking for the best place to stay, launch your boat, get gas or buy tackle? See the top choices for Lake Guntersville here:

Guntersville Boat Launch Waterfront Bay Grocery and Tackle Waterfront Bay Grocery and Tackle Rock House Eatery Hampton Inn Lake City Auto & Tire Duckett Marine Guntersville Tackle & Outdoors

9. Best for Last

PRESENTED BY: AFTCO

Finding that triggering moment to jump start momentum in tournament fishing can often be like finding a needle in a haystack. All of us work extremely hard, no matter what level you fish at to try and find success. The past year has been a trying one for me as far as my performance has been concerned. Nothing has changed about my preparation, or the amount of effort I have been putting towards the events, basically things have just not been clicking. During my second round of the Bass Pro Tour on Falls Lake I had that day I had been looking for. Every move and decision I made during that round was the right one. It was one of the cleanest days on the water I have had in a long time, and it did a world of good for my confidence. Making those small decisions can have big results, whether you fish at a high level or just like to get out on the water and enjoy the outdoors. Take pride in your success, and give yourself a pat on the back when you deserve one. The mental aspects of fishing are just as, or often times more important than the mechanical ones. I think this was a turning point for me, and I look forward to building on my recent success and continuing the momentum. Russ Lane Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour Professional

Have ideas or business news you would like to see in the next issue, let us know at info@bestontour.net