Industry News
Archive For July 2009
BASS Announces Revised 2010 Regular Season
July 17, 2009 – bassmaster.com
BASS announced today its revised 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series regular-season schedule. Following the adjustments made in 2009, BASS altered the 2010 season schedule to reflect the new format, which will consist of eight regular-season Elite Series events, followed by the Bassmaster Elite Series postseason.
With the announcement, BASS eliminated the Battle on the Border (April 15-18; Lake Amistad; Del Rio, Texas), Empire Chase (July 21-24; Lake Champlain; Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and Champion’s Choice (July 29-August 1; Lake Erie; Buffalo, N.Y.) from the previously announced schedule.
Additionally, BASS moved the date of the Blue Ridge Brawl from Aug. 12-15 to April 15-18. The regular season will now culminate with the Sooner Run, set for June 17-20 on the Arkansas River out of Muskogee, Okla. Click here to view the revised schedule can be found below. The location of the postseason events will be announced at a later date.
“The creation of the postseason has been instrumental in creating drama and excitement surrounding the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year program,” said Tom Ricks, vice president & general manager, BASS & ESPN Outdoors.
For the 2009 season, BASS introduced the eight-event regular season and postseason format. The format was backed by some impressive metrics, including a 29 percent increase in average event attendance from 2008, the successful implementation of emerging technologies in BASSCast and BASSTrak and a 39 percent increase in page views on Bassmaster.com during Elite Series competition weeks.
As with past years, each Elite-level event in 2010 will receive one hour of television coverage on ESPN2’s The Bassmasters, which airs Saturdays at 9 a.m. ET. ESPN2 will kick off the Bassmaster Elite Series season with more than 10 hours of programming devoted to the 2010 Bassmaster Classic through three days. The Classic is set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala.
Additionally, Bassmaster.com and ESPNOutdoors.com will provide fishing fans with technologies that present on-the-water coverage, photo galleries, stories and analysis at the Classic and all Elite events throughout the season, accompanied by award-winning coverage by Bassmaster Magazine and BASS Times.
The entire pro roster for the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series will be released in early 2010, when all qualifications are realized. The Elite Series regular-season, four-day tournament format will follow the 2009 model, with the top 50 anglers qualifying for the third day of competition and the top 12 competing on the final day.
On the heels of a successful inaugural season of the Bassmaster Elite Series Marshal program, BASS will open registration for 2010 Marshals in August. BASS Federation Nation, Life and Insider members will all be eligible for priority registration for the eight regular-season events beginning Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. ET. On Aug. 25, all BASS members can register at 9 a.m. ET.
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournam…ICAST: Where Trends Are Born
July 16, 2009 – bassmaster.com
Chances are, you’ve never heard of the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), the huge trade show that takes place every year, usually in Las Vegas. But it’s a veritable guarantee that most of the tackle now in your boat or garage was initially debuted at the show.
That Sebile Magic Swimmer you’ve been hearing so much about got its first formal introduction to the U.S. at ICAST. Tru-Tungsten’s Denny Brauer Flippin’ Weights? Yep, ICAST. G.Loomis’ Jig & Worm rods. Right again — ICAST.
So, as you might have guessed, the show you hear very little about plays a huge role in the selection of tackle you have access to each year.
For 2009, the show will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., from July 15-17, marking the first time the show has been held in Florida in a decade.
But while the location may have changed for 2009, don’t expect much to change.
The good folks at the American Sportfishing Association, the organization that produces the show, expects nothing but positives from the change.
“We’re really excited about the show coming to Orlando,” says Maria del Valle, ICAST director. “The show is always a good time for the industry.”
Indeed, it’s unlikely that you’ll see this much buzz associated with fishing outside of the Bassmaster Classic. Big name pros will be working sponsors’ booths; lure designers will show off their latest creations; and media folks will swarm, all eager to write about the hottest new lures and tackle. While the show is not open to the general public, it’s an annual magnet for manufacturers, outdoors media, retailers and wholesalers.
But for all the buzz and excitement that comes out of the show, maybe the larger purpose the show serves is to highlight trends.
It’s here that companies debut products, gauge the fanfare around those products, then decide which, if any, to bring to market.
And one of the best ways to judge the general direction of the market is to look at the items displayed in the New Product Showcase, which is sponsored by Fishing Tackle Retailer(FTR), part of the BASS family of publications and the trade publication of record for the sportfishing industry.
For the Showcase, companies submit new products to be judged by media members in 17 categories, including rods, reels, electronics, soft baits and hard baits, with the ultimate goal being to win the overall “Best of Show” award, a distinction that singles out a product as the best of the entire event.
And while the prize does not guarantee the product will be a favorite with anglers, manufacturers have come to see the event as a good indication of whether or not they are on to something. “Even if your products don’t win an award for the category it’s judged in or the Best of Show award, just gauging people’s receptiveness to your products is important,” says Debi Duplechain, national sales director for Megastrike Fishing, a company bringing several innovative products to the show this year. “We’ll use it to help us decide which direction to go in 2010. And if we win, well, that’s a sure sign we’re in line with consumers’ thinking.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmas…