Kevin Van Dam Forums

There are some great video interviews with KVD on bassmaster.com.  Tommy Sanders interviews Kevin on some short topics plus you can hear the Mike and Mike episode with KVD, he was talking about the sexy shad crankbait.

I ant going to keep up with bassmaster anymore!!! I am going to start watching the FLW...the FLW will make u rich wile BASS makes u famous!! LOL!!!!

i didnt even know you could watch flw..even though i have tried finding it

I have watched a couple of FLW events this year.
It just feels wierd. It feels manufactured and low budget all at the same time.

Yeah the FLW coverage does seem manufactured and I don’t like that they show very little of the fish catching but instead go off on the round about town segment or let’s get to know so and so in the angler spotlight just show me the guys catching fish and how they did it and what they were looking at or for when they did catch it.

i dont like the tv coverage as well on FLW, but the live weigh in is just as interesting as BASS. FLW has changed some rules this year for the better, instead of cash as a co-angler its a boat, lowered the amount of anglers from 200 to 150 and increased payouts across the board.

Yeah I’ve heard the FLW pros are pretty happy about the smaller field and bigger payouts.  I also heard they uped the entry fee.

I’m sure you guys heard about the $1,000,000 check Michael Bennett won in the Forrest Wood Open. BASS will have to follow suit, or risk losing some of their top pros. As the old saying goes, money talks.

this is second year with million dollar payout, Scott Suggs won it last year. The Bassmaster Classic still has more prestige cause its been around, but with great payout and what seems to be more coverage from not only FLW, but shows like Best Damn Sports Show (FSN) (Fox Sports) there covering the event it will gain its own popularity. What i also like about FLW is they have a series for Co-Anglers with points and a standing, they have coverage for them on website more than BASS, and at the end of year they qualify a few co-anglers to Pro Side

do you think flw will increase in popularity now that BASS has done away with the co angler???

maybe not from just fans, but 4 fans who also fish it will.

But to qualify for the $1 mil. you have to meet certain demands 10 I think. Run a Ranger with Evinrude have Lowrance electronics and a Minnkota trolling motor.  I’m not sure about the rest but of the 10 guys on the last day of the cup only one didn’t qualify for the $1 mil. the other 9 did.

I think Bass hurt its self with doing away with the co-angler even is they kept them in the opens.  I know that some of the pros fish the opens but for the most part they guys that fish the opens are the area pros and they have a lot to teach but they are not the KVD’s or Ike’s not even the Gerald Swindels or Marty Stones of our sport.

most of pros you see fish opens are trying to assure themselves a elite spot next year in case they fail at elites.

the reason i dont see the opens as much as a co-angler is......what does it mean, its only about a single tournament and the money...money is nice, but there is no where left to go after opens.......if you have high points at end of 3 events.....who notices and who really cares. I mean you arent gonna go from opens co-angler champion to elite series.....winning an open or even all 3 events means nothing when its as far as you go, your fishing with good anglers, but the stepping stone to living a dream ends there.

and your correct, its 500,000 if you dont own a ranger in FLW championship. the motor and troll motor and electronics is seperate though, i think you can also run a Yamaha. I know in the BFL they pay contingency for both.

I question the sponsor money for the FLW pros.
Open up BassPro or Cabelas magazine. How many FLW guys do you see? Not many.
Also, those pros wearing title sponsor gear in FLW don’t get paid the same.

That is something i dont like about them and why most sponsors wanted bass, you cant wear outside sponsors patches or logos, only those that sponsor FLW. There are only so many sponsors and if you come in with outside sponsor it sucks from them, they can be used in ads and promotions, but cant wear the clothes they want. Its good for guys at top, but it keeps a rookie class in a hole. That rule isnt really fair but until people stop entering cause of it, looks like it will stay. Its still ok for Co-Anglers cause majority dont have an sponsors, and those who do are usually FLW approved anyway.