"BEST!" and "WORST!"
Well, it looks as if Part 2 of my Tournament Review will have to come in the new year cause I gotta get this done now or it won't get done.
The Bass Pundit's "BEST!" will be given in 5 categories and "WORST!" in 2 catagories in this the inaguaral year of Bass fishings "BEST!" blog .
The Five Catagories for a Bass Pundit "BEST!" are:
Professional Bass Fisherman
Professional Bass Trail
Bass Fishing Web Page
Bass Fishing Bulletin Board
Bass Fishing Blog (Can you guess who's gonna win this one?)
The Two Catagories for a Bass Pundit "WORST" are:
Decision in Bass Fishing (Pro or AM)
Bass Fishing Tackle Add or Product
As that I, the Bass Pundit, am the blogosphere's pre-eminent self-appointed authority on all things Bass Fishing it gives me not only the right but the duty to honor certain bass fisherpeople as the "BEST!" of the best and "WORST!" in their area of contribution to the global world of bass fisherpeople. And after all what good is a Bass Pundit if they are not going to come up with such things at the end of the year. I suspect we will have many newly added categories next year. So without further ado, here I my "WORST!" losers and "BEST!" winners of 2004.
The first catagory on tap is:
"WORST!"
Bass Fishing Tackle Add or Product.
Dishonorable mentions:
#2 ALL STAR RODS AND Mark Davis:
This is for their absurd advertising campaign that portends to put an ALL STAR rod in the hands of the next person to break the World Record for Largemouth Bass. "Designed specifically to whip the next world record bass." and "I believe that the next world record bass will probably be caught on an ALL STAR rod..."
I'm sorry but with this add campaign, no they won't! Only a trout or walleye fisherman would buy into that hype. This add can be seen in the 2005 Bass Pro Shops Master Catalog P.156 and is probably in Bass Mags and other media they do as well.
#1 Ray Scott's Lighted Lures: Fishing crankbaits that have electronic innards that make em blink and make noise. Gimmick! At 8bucks plus, plus batteries it ain't one of the cheaper one's. BP's advice, look for em on Ebay. (To see click here.)
And the 2004 Bass Fishing Tackle Add or Product award:
"WORST!"
DANCIN BUZZBAIT by Bill Dance
A buzzbait where the wire is a foot or longer separating the buzzer from the hook.
Yes! I am sure it will catch fish but that thing has got to be one of the most aerodynamically prone to backlash lures in the history of bass fishing. Buzz baits already were about the worst offenders and then to stretch it's profile and constustruct a bait this way is asking for more cursing than catching. Also, what do you think is gonna happen when a fair sized Doggy, Pike, or Ski grabs that thing and bends it into a paper clip or outright corksqrew that thing around their mussel and wire their toothy mug shut in such a way that would make an MD proud? ( that is if they just doing snap it in two immediately) This monstrosity sells retail for a mere $5.99 a pop.Seen here
The next category is:
"WORST"Decision in Bass Fishing (Pro or Am)
Dishonorable Mentions:
#2 Byron "The Bachelor" Velvick:
Yeah, the BP thought it would be cool having a pro bass fisherman in the leading role of one the most popular RTV programs. That was until I and all of America realised what a wanker slime dog skankin psycho creep he is. Thank goodness the ratings on this one were pathetic from what I hear. There are a lot of upstanding and great Pro Bass fisherman and ole Swimbait boy did not come across as one of them. Sorry Dude! but the only winners on that show were the women that lost.
#1 The Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society and ESPN for starting up their new Bassmaster Weekend Tournament Series with such lousy rules for the Co-Angler (that's a person who fishes out of the back of the boat all day and does not get to choose the angling location). I am sure many of you are not familiar with the controversy but this was just a boneheaded move on ESPN/BASS's part that has raised cain amongst serious Co-Angler types and frankly makes no sense that the BP can see. I guess in not wanting to follow the FLW's lead they were perfectly willing to drive themselves into a ditch. Nice Move!
"WORST!"
2004 Decision in Bass Fishing:
FLW for the DQ of Kevin Snider
Here is a guy who fights up the boater ranks in his division all year in his boat, qualifies for and wins the regional as boater in his own boat that he has fished out of all season and then is stripped of his achievement on a technicality; a technicality if the rules were fully interpreted literally would disqualify many many of FLW winners past and present. This was a travesty and I hope either FLW comes to their senses or the guy gets a good lawyer. To learn more
And now enough with the negativity and lets move right on into the next phase of the Punditry.
"BEST!"
2004 Bass Fishing Blog:
BASS PUNDIT
OK OK so I am a homer but it's my blog and I'll call it "BEST!" if I want too. But a big reason why I started this site was that all the blog references I could find for Bass fishing were either snide remarks or wonderment about the subject. I did find one other Bass blog but it wasn't a pure blog, but was a blog attached to a Pro Bass Fishermen or two's site. I suppose the BassFan Army stuff could be considered blogging as well, but this site as far as I know is the first real Bass Fishing dedicated pioneer of the blogosophere. If that's not the case someone let me know, I searched Google but got nothing. Ah but now I have learned that I and another site are on Google. Try the Bassin Blog here . His is older but mine is better, so there.
Plus I've had a visit from Maryam of So I Want To Be An Astronaut who is a true force in Blogosphere, even though I had no idea at the time. She has a great site and is an inspiration and encouragement being a Kuwaiti young women who wants to reach for the stars or mars and grab them.
"BEST!"
2004 Bass Fishing Bulletin Board
Tackle Tour!
Ok Ok I just found this site at the end of the year and maybe it's Bass forum isn't the best out there but for talking tackle and bass tackle you probably can't beat this place. Plus Tackle Tour! has an amazing avatar collection which was the decisive factor.
"BEST!"
2004 Bass Fishing Web Page
BassFan.Com
Face the Facts man, BassFan is in a league of it's own. It has a silky smooth layout and is the hottest Bass Page on the Web bar none for the Bass fishing junky like me. A month worth of BassFan reading is far better than a months Bassmaster Magazine. The BP hopes to qualify for the BassFan Army in 2005. Details on that coming soon.
Ok so the next catagory is like Pepsi or Coke, there are only two players that matter and lots of people have a strong preference for one or the other. I'm a Coke man myself. In an upset it's:
FLW
"BEST!"
2004 Professional Bass Fishing Tour
This one is an upset because FLW through the BFL's made the "WORST!" decision of the year, has a second rate Fantasy Bass Fishing set up, and did not have, KVD, the biggest player currently in Pro Bass Fishing fishing the circuit; And ESPN/BASS has probably more familiar "name" anglers, a better Fantasy Bass Fishing set up, the innovative E50's, and the Bassmasters Classic. Yet the BP has to go with FLW because they did a better job of spreading the schedule, paying the Pro's and Co's, respecting the Co's, and keeping a bass addict like me on top of things with their instant results web streamed weigh ins and better than Bass pre, during, and after Tourny information in general. Plus it is just absurd that "The Classic" is not the highest paying touny in Bass Fishing. BASS needs to get their act together on that one.
Ohh thank goodness only one more catagory and that is the biggest "BEST!" of them all.
First the Bass Pundit's:
2004 Professional Bass Angler Honorable Mentions:
#5 Takahiro Omori
This is Japanese transplant has paid his dues and won the biggest tournament of them all. He had great finishes on both the BASS and FLW circuits, but the BP is simply more impressed with some others. Sure the Bassmasters Classic is what it is, but it is a limited field tournament.
#4 KVD
(That is Kevin "Fricken" Van Dam, the kid from Kalamazoo) He starts and ends the year as the #1 ranked Bass Angler of the year,. He wins the first overall Elite 50 championship which was a multi tournament competition against most of the greatest sticks in bass fishing ever, and he nearly wins the Classic for a second time continually showing them Southern, Western, and Eastern boys how it's done. That's why he is Kevin "Fricking" Van Dam!
#3 Shinichi Fukae
This was the year of the Japense invasion, even though Takahiro has been in the states for awhile. "Shin" won the 2004 FLW Angler of the Year despite knowing zero english and having never really fished in the USA before. Sure he got a sponsor's exemption and sure he basically lived on the lakes and probably pre-fished as much as anyone; "Shin" was the bomb for me in Fantasy and that's all there is to that. I saw that train rolling and jumped on it, "Shin" is a stud!
#2 Greg Hackney
The Hack Attack was AWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNN! Simply amazing that this guy is not #1 with the year he had. He came in second by just a small amount for angler of the year on both the BASS and FLW tour and then he goes on to just kick more tail in the BASS OPENS and is now pre-qualified to fish the Bass Masters Classic. What am I thinking not putting this guy as the best Pro of 2004, especially with all the Fantasy points he gave me and the Posse. I like this guy, he's the real deal.
Drummroll Please:
2004 Professional Bass Angler
"BEST!"
Mark Davis
Mark is quite a guy and a pro's pro, when healthy is consistantly among the best on the water. This year he won an astonishing 3 tournaments, two in a row of which were Elite 50's against the best Bass Pro's ever. He gave me one huge score in Fantasy, but then I dropped him just in time for him to win those 2 in a row. I won't be a hater, that was my dumb move. Find out more about Mark at his website here.
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