Jacobs is a loser. Every one on tour thinks they are great fisherman. The sad fact is they are dead Money (entry fee donation’s). The sad fact is they are all Wannabees.
Just being priced out of competition. Gotta have at least $15-$20,000 in electronics on top of a $50-$60,000 boat + a $50,000 tow vehicle can’t afford it. Glad I kept my ‘01 Nitro
Totally with this post. The electronics are getting more expensive by the new release. I guess that's why they call it the elite series. I still love to watch, but getting into the tournaments as a local tournament angler is quite the challenge. I fish many local tournaments but when you want to get to the semi-pro or pro, you need to have access to at least 200k. It's quite expensive for us 9 to 5vers.......
I bought an 06 nitro 700 series with a 90 hp and I love it. Its good on gas and its a 12 volt system. Its more affordable for a man with family obligations. Id like to fish some tournaments but frankly it doesn't appeal to me with family obligations, in the last 2 years it takes all I can make to support my family. Outside of bragging right for the most part the winnings don't justify the costs. I enjoy watching bass masters before whole tournaments u would watch and never see anyone look up. If its about finding out who the best take all their electronics out.
You’re not wrong, but these guys live in their truck and boat for more than 1/2 the year. They drive all over the country. They put hundreds and hundreds of hours on a motor every year. If I was doing that I would have to have the very best as well.
For a moment 5he thought crossed my mind that kayak tournaments could be an opportunity, but no they put 10 grand worth of gear 9n a kayak now. Obsurd, kayaks should be fishing areas other boats cant reach and remote waters, inaccessible .
Why do you NEED the expensive boat ? Why do you NEED the expensive truck ? You are acting like those two things are needed to catch fish, they aren’t. Also as far as electronics I have a 360 and live it was 20 grand like you are saying.
Great attitude and this is how you promote communication and change in an industry you love rather than just complaining about everything like some others. Wishing you, family and business success in the 2024 season.
Great video and honest opinions on the details as well as the big picture. Really appreciate you being a great advocate for the sport and respecting everyone's views/opinions without putting anybody down. Much respect.
That piece of driftwood is the coolest thing I've seen in awhile. Autism awareness and everything you've done for it alone makes me a lifetime John Crews supporter! My wife is a special needs pre-k teacher so we understand and support it in every way.
Thanks for being so positive about this all. Thanks for sharing all you do with us. We need more people like you to represent fishing today so thanks again. Late.
I agree with what you said about the business end of fishing. Its not always how many tournaments you win or place in the money today, but it does help Todays professional anglers need to have a huge following on social media as well. There are people on RUclips that probably never fished in a pro tournament or maybe just a couple of semi-pro tournaments. Those guys are very tech savvy and know how to sell themselves on social media. They soak up a lot of sponsors away from fulltime pro anglers trying to make a living in the sport.
Thank you John. You’re going to go down as one of the “greats” that someone will be talking about in 2043, like you talk about Roland and Jimmie in 2003. I love seeing you take time in front of the camera covering all the basis of this sport. It’s been an honor watching you over the years
Well said sir. I just finished Ken Duke's article, thanks for mentioning it. He, as well as you hit the nail on the head. As an old guy who loves to fish, watch fishing, play with tackle and maybe buy a thing or two now and then, all of the uproar is just noise to me. Just go fish. Reminds of the meme of Mike just wanting to go fishing as he flips off everyone! Good luck in 2024.
A huge thanks to you for starting missile baits, I’ve probably caught more bass here in IOWA flipping a d bomb than I have on any other bait, chatterbait close second. Enjoyed your take on the state of professional fishing.
You are spot on John. That is the way life is. You have to work hard for success in life. It's not going to fall in your lap. That is awesome what Mercer's daughter made👍
Good outlook on the sport. Bassmaster is the standard in bass fishing. Glad they guys are coming back. Shoulda never left. Duckett is trying to reinvent the sport at the tourney level and it can’t be done. My 5 best versus yours is the standard. Good luck in ‘24!
I agree, I don't see the doom and gloom. I don't see the professional circuits disappearing. I see more tours coming out. You may not be on the Elites. MLF or National, but there some growing now. Will they ever be as big, only time will tell. It is not cheap to be competitive, with the electronics especially. But it is just what is going on right now. Thank you for being so open and honest about everything. Here's to an exciting 2024 and a bunch of wins!! 💪👊👊🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Brother, I just bought some NedBombs and missile jigs. I did not know it was pro fisher owned. Will definitely be a regular customer from now on. And having Ike on them jig packs does help
I've been looking forward to your take on the recent Foutz/social media take on the state of professional fishing. My initial take on Foutz's video (proceeding on the assumption that it wasn't contrived to up his subs) was here is a guy who thought if he focused enough on fishing, the rest would take care of itself. I'm not delegitimating what his pronouncements are (I believe a lot of what he says is correct), but I was a bit taken aback by what I perceive is his naivete about how this game works. I've been a fan of this game for 50 years and I don't remember a time when this has been any different. While the nuances of the evolution of how this game is played change, the basic facts haven't. Just look at the legends of the sport and how they evolve. Monetarily, Jimmy Houston is as successful as most to have ever been in the sport and he still works as hard at it as anyone, even at 70+ years old. Rarely does a video go by that he makes where he doesn't say where all he is traveling to to pimp his brand. Also, he's made a number of videos through the decades talking about the lean times in the beginning of his career where he says he knew if he didn't place in the money, he didn't know how he would get back home, For me, in Foutz's case, it's difficult to grasp how you choose this for a career, but you didn't know that your skill set, as far as fishing, ends up being a bit of a minor role in the sustainment of it. I don't doubt that he believes all the old pros told him to just focus on the fishing, but I also have to think he may have just CHOSE to hear that part of it, and not the bigger part of the things that make that all possible. I see the fishing aspect to be sort of the reward for all the other things you have to do to get there, assuming your born to burlap and not silk. JMO.
35 years of bass fishing and seen all the changes and still love trying to keep up. I have no intention of ever giving up on the sport besides I have way too many d-bombs to use up before I’m done.
Hi John great video on the current state of the bass fishing world. I've been a big fan of Bassmaster for a couple of years now, I was just wondering if most anglers can make a relatively good living just from bass fishing or is it necessary to have a side job?
It seems like some pro fisherman think all they have to do is fish a few tournaments a year and that will keep the lights on. There’s a reason Bill Dance retired early.
This was a great video. Everything you said is 100% true. You are always so polite and positive. I wanna see @johncrews go off the rails some time. What’s it like in the bad times? Do you ever start screaming at something like Ike? Let’s see it! 😂😂😂
John, thank you for encouraging him and giving him some encouraging words of wisdom. Robert Terkla has reached out and offered him hands-on marketing the Googan way. Which was based mostly on Casie Niestat style. This could land him a spot on The Bass Mafia Pro Staff and many more...👍🏻🍺🎣
Pro fishing is a lot of work and a good way to go broke. I’m not sure why there is so much interest in the business of pro fishing. Jacob did everyone a great service coming clean on the reality of the sport. Bottom line is most guys that succeed do it on their brand and once they are successful the tournaments are just a drain on their business. Bill Dance is one of the best known tournament fisherman of all times and he stopped tournament fishing before I fished my first pro tournament in 1984.
That wood carving/burning is beautiful. Ive always thought people with autism do not really have problems with the world. Its more like people in the world are the ones who have a problem with autism. When parents can see that their childs "affliction" is a gift in a different package, they are reminded how having a child helped them understand their own life a little better.
Maybe it’s out there and I don’t know about it but talking about growing you brand I’d love to see a missle baits podcasts. You, ish and ike it would be money honey. 🎉
Mid 90's to 2002 was the prime because everyone could afford it. If we are to evolve lets evolve everyones pay to afford the way of life they desire. Working hard doesn't necessitate success. Bottom line is who you know always has been.
John, always been a fan. You worked hard, but I would like to see a video on how much you need $$$ in the bank to even get a chance to make it in the industry.
Jacobs brand is going to be the every man, average joe trying to make it on the elites. He can be succesful because a lot of us can relate to him. Looks like his brand is growing already
All I know is if I had to start over, I would never be able to afford to participate in major TXs now. Its all out of control. Dont even get me started on live scopes. Id like to see a TX trail that allows a depthfinder and 150hp outboard. Then fish with your instincts !
John, The two years you fished before the BASSMASTER tour you fished the invitationals and the opens another year. One year I believe was 4 events and another year was 3 events. Far less expenses than 9 events. With that being said here's the biggest question. Would you have been able to fish 9 BASS opens with entry fees of $2k and travel expenses? This is the biggest problem I see now. To get to the professional level was far less expensive requiring less sponsorships. Now BASS and MLF both have full tours. The Opens are 9 events and tackle warehouse tour is 6 or 7.
Although that is a good point on the surface. The past 50 years of the sport has NOT been fishing all 9 Opens. So you can ask that to all 5000 anglers that have come and gone in half a century. Everything has changed due to the popularity and they have also learned that many cannot keep up with a full Tour schedule. Hell, there are guys that currently cant make all the Opens. Everything has changed immensely in the past decade. Social Media is the prime driver of income now. Not tournament finishes. Companies want social media. Period. The good and bad of that is there. My opinion is that anyone one the Tour shouldnt have to pay entry fees. The only reason random guys on RUclips and other socials even have a platform is because of the Tour level guys. Without the top level playing....would anyone really even care? Would there be coverage?
Maybe he could do the 9 events or maybe he couldn't but if you cant afford 9 tournaments at 2k how are you going to do the elites with the nearly 50k buy in for the season?
@@devinwillis7787 I can tell you it's a lot easier to put down 50k knowing your in the elites than it is to put $20k down on 9 opens with only a slight chance of making the elites. If I were to fish 9 opens I'd have to quit my job and risk everything.
Pro tournament fishing is definitely in flux. People and companies overall have less marketing and disposable income with inflation and potential heavier recession coming. Linkedin is huge for me in Business. Making good connections is extremely important in both life and business.
Hey man, cool video - your take is spot on... I have a (non-proffesional) fishing/outdoor channel that is growing reach, I'm going to msg you about some ideas.
There are a great deal of things completely different now than the early 2000s. Just to name a few a 21' Triton cost 20k in like 01. Entry fees were a third to in some cases near half as much as now but the prize money was the same. Plus there wasnt a tv screen at the front of every boat that showed you bass reacting to your presentation in real time at every cast and 20 yr olds using that technology yo dominate tournaments from Florida to Canada.. This may all sound negative but its facts and its not heading in a direction to get better. There are a handful of professional anglers the rest are influencers fighting for views and clicks. Is it the times we are in? Absolutely however it doesnt mean its all good in the hood. Artificial Intelligence will be combined with sonar soon and all someone will have to do is stand there while your boat chases the species and size you wanna put your stuff in front of. People will buy it no matter the cost because it makes it all easier. You have paid your dues i have mad respect for that and you as an angler but paying dues is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Just one quick question. We have tesla cars that can drive themselves. And people could also drive cars from a driving station like a simulator. Why does Nascar make people still drive? Because that is what makes the sport great , the conditioning ,real track situations in adjustments. The also level the playing field with the weight of the cars ect. At what point do we cap this insanity. Why even fish Why not just have tournaments on video games if it's all about watching a TV monitor with 0 knowledge on how to make adjustments with out seeing fish react on live scope.
Kinda amazing that guys really believe they deserve to make a living fishing by fishing 6-8 tournaments a year then deer hunting the rest of the year. No one makes a living working 60-70 days a year. I have no empathy for that.
Unfortunately few live well as touring pros… maybe 50 to 70 in a 2B fishing industry ? Terrible career choice and outcomes for 99% that try. You are in the 1% and worked hard to get there no doubt but 99% of the highschool and college upcoming pro anglers are gonna fail… it’s gambler odds.
John's a class act, he's diplomatic, and frankly he probably approaches fishing high dollar tournaments more logically than almost anyone else doing it. He gets much more stability financially by actually running a business than he does from sponsors alone. As far as tournament fishing losing appeal; I can just speak for myself, I still enjoy fishing tournaments and I don't gamble any more money than enjoyment I get from participating. I view Foutz and Blaukat as entitled whiners but the fact of the matter is the sport seems to be outgrowing its audience and if you're not supplementing your income you better be prepared to fund your gambling out of your own pocket. Bernie Sanders isn't going to come along and start a socialist bass tournament league and steal sponsors' assets to compensate people who just want to go fishing! If running a "professional league" tournament bass circuit was very profitable BASS would not have changed hands as often as it has, FLW would not have gone out of business, MLF wouldn't be downsizing, Redman would still exist. The costs involved in gambling in tournaments is only going to go up so you better have deep pockets or find a new occupation. Another big factor people don't seem to be discussing is tournament audiences are mostly made up of tournament fishermen but they don't follow tournaments for the same reason they might follow football or baseball. When you watch football, you know all of those guys on the field can kick your ass, but many tournament angling fans believe they can compete against top level pros given the right opportunity. We saw in real time that the "game" was more important than the players during the split. Let's face it, after the split 95% of the biggest names in angling went MLF/BPT but most hardcore tournament fans preferred Bassmaster because of their format. the BPT format had; anglers not on the water the same days, zeroing of weights, and every fish counts. All of those things interject LUCK into the equation in a contest that is already filled with uncontrollable factors (luck). I wanted to like it but just couldn't look at it as a serious competition. And let's face it, if your main objective is to become a better angler, RUclips videos are a much more efficient way to improve knowledge than watching tournaments. You can learn a specific technique, you can learn a specific lake, you can learn how to run your electronics, you can learn how to rig your electronics (John's rigging videos are one of the best sources of this on RUclips), you can learn how to pour jigs, you can learn how to build rods, you can learn how to pour your own plastics, you can learn how to maintain your equipment... who's got time to watch tournaments anymore?
I think they should just stop calling them Professional Anglers.. Just call them Elite Series Bassfisherman.. then there is no preconceived notition that someone's gonna start paying them..
The controversy over FFS is definitely not a primary factor in the loss of profitably or sustainability for industry professionals. Its the industry professional that is having trouble keeping up with the "CHANGE". Its isn't just the technological aspects that have changed. Its the processes and professional obligations that have changed also. People mentioing Randy, as if he's a disruptive element for the industry, are f'n fooling themselves that one person can possibly be such a profound influence. It's cognitive misperception based on low hanging fruit. Because if one voice could have such a detrimental influence on an entire industry, there would no longer be any need For INSURRECTIONS. THIS INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS, HAS A BLOOD SUCKING, I Q DRAINING, AND INCOME DEPLETING ELEPHANT IN ITS BED. IT'S SO BAD, OUR PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY ARE ALSO BEING DISTORTED. TURNING ON OUR OWN, ESPECIALLY OUR MEMBERS THAT ONLY WANT TO PRESERVE THE DISSAPEARING GRANDEUR THAT IS LEFT IN THIS INDUSTRY AND CULTURE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, IS MUCH MORE DESTABILIZING THAN ANY ONE VOICE COULD POSSIBLY BE. JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AND AGREE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE VOICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONFUSION. OBVIOUSLY, TOPICS DON'T BECOME ISSUES BECAUSE THEY'RE MADE INTO ISSUES. THEY BECOME TOPICS BECAUSE THEY ARE NATURALLY EXISTING ISSUES THAT WILL PERSISTANTLY COME BACK UP TO THE SURFACE, BECAUSE SOMEONE KEEPS BURYING IT! YOU HAVE FAILED TO PLACE EVEN A LITTLE DAINTY PINKY ON ANY OF THE ACTUAL ISSUES. ALL YOU'VE DONE IS REGURGITATE WHAT'S BEING BANTERED ABOUT, AS OF LATE, AND GIVEN YOUR VERY INNEFECTUAL ADVICE LIKE THEY WERE BAND AIDS FROM THE DOLLAR GENERAL. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE STUCK IN A MENTAL KING IN HIS CASTLE LOOP. I DON'T THINK I CAN IDENTIFY ANYTHING, NOT ONE IOTA OF A REMEDY FOR ANYONE'S BUT YOURS. "I started a bait company. I'm glad i did so I can still be allowed to participate" You may not agree with my sentiments now, at your age. But i assure you, you will eventually as you get older.
Next thing you know they will be wearing goggles connected to the units so they wont have to be looking down all the time.Pretty sad what it has come down too
I think it has been boring, but the coverage will change. I am looking forward to learning more about the bass that FFS will teach us. And I don't know what that will be yet. I do see that there are more bass looking at our baits than we thought.
Bass fishing doesn’t require any skills now…..makes me sad….if they don’t stop this its going to ruin it…..evolve. ? Video bass fishing…like cheating…I can’t even watch a tournament anymore ……I would never have the passion I do now if i was just starting out….a big part of bass fishing is the un-known,,,using all the skills you learned what to fish,,where to fish….color..speed…and so on….who even knows all these young guns today due to LS and FFS…..
professional bass fisherman have lost touch with reality...95% of fisherman just fish as an outlet and cant justify spending 100's of thousands of dollars just to catch a bass.
Fours is not going to make it. His attitude is terrible. Everyone is a great fisherman, that’s why they are on the tour. That’s not enough you got too get lucky, only 9 get lucky in a year. Competition is a mother ……. 13:13
It’s not fun to watch anymore. It’s not as fun to fish anymore with all the electronics. Pro bass fishing is going to go downhill since it’s really pro video game fishing.
Pro Bass fishing will not exist in a few years. It is no longer interesting to watch. Pulling up on a mess of fish you find on your FFS and casting to them is similar to observing waves on a lake.
If you want people to actually watch tournaments and care who wins you should ban ffs. Nobody, not even you will stare at a guys butt for 8 hours. If you put the ffs image in a little box on the screen, it might be interesting for about 5 minutes.
What is happening is people like you are coming out with lures that are very expensive padding your pockets and bank accounts. Not hating on the success, but you do control pricing. C'mon does a Little John need to be $11-14? Do your Missile Bait kits need to $50 plus shipping? Yes you worked to get to that point, but the price of fishing is entirely too high to get premium products and people like you are preying people like us. That's the problem.
Спорт
Every pro angler should thank Jaccob for taking the hit and bringing the problem to the surface,now everyone can come out with their opinions.
Agreed, these guys fish for each others money and should have pushed for the Golf Pro model. Instead they are still fishing for each others money
Jacobs is a loser. Every one on tour thinks they are great fisherman. The sad fact is they are dead Money (entry fee donation’s). The sad fact is they are all Wannabees.
Thanks John for your transparency and honesty! You’re a great ambassador for our sport! Good luck in 2024!
Just being priced out of competition. Gotta have at least $15-$20,000 in electronics on top of a $50-$60,000 boat + a $50,000 tow vehicle can’t afford it. Glad I kept my ‘01 Nitro
Totally with this post. The electronics are getting more expensive by the new release. I guess that's why they call it the elite series. I still love to watch, but getting into the tournaments as a local tournament angler is quite the challenge. I fish many local tournaments but when you want to get to the semi-pro or pro, you need to have access to at least 200k. It's quite expensive for us 9 to 5vers.......
I bought an 06 nitro 700 series with a 90 hp and I love it. Its good on gas and its a 12 volt system. Its more affordable for a man with family obligations. Id like to fish some tournaments but frankly it doesn't appeal to me with family obligations, in the last 2 years it takes all I can make to support my family. Outside of bragging right for the most part the winnings don't justify the costs. I enjoy watching bass masters before whole tournaments u would watch and never see anyone look up. If its about finding out who the best take all their electronics out.
You’re not wrong, but these guys live in their truck and boat for more than 1/2 the year. They drive all over the country. They put hundreds and hundreds of hours on a motor every year. If I was doing that I would have to have the very best as well.
For a moment 5he thought crossed my mind that kayak tournaments could be an opportunity, but no they put 10 grand worth of gear 9n a kayak now. Obsurd, kayaks should be fishing areas other boats cant reach and remote waters, inaccessible .
Why do you NEED the expensive boat ? Why do you NEED the expensive truck ? You are acting like those two things are needed to catch fish, they aren’t. Also as far as electronics I have a 360 and live it was 20 grand like you are saying.
Great attitude and this is how you promote communication and change in an industry you love rather than just complaining about everything like some others.
Wishing you, family and business success in the 2024 season.
Finally some positive thoughts coming from a pro angler… thank you John!!!
Great video and honest opinions on the details as well as the big picture. Really appreciate you being a great advocate for the sport and respecting everyone's views/opinions without putting anybody down. Much respect.
Great video John. Thank you for your input!!
“If you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.”
General Eric Shinseki
Pegasus 6!
That piece of driftwood is the coolest thing I've seen in awhile. Autism awareness and everything you've done for it alone makes me a lifetime John Crews supporter! My wife is a special needs pre-k teacher so we understand and support it in every way.
The people that help special needs people are angels, thank you
Thanks for being so positive about this all. Thanks for sharing all you do with us. We need more people like you to represent fishing today so thanks again. Late.
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable insight. Professional content as always!🙏❤️
I agree with what you said about the business end of fishing. Its not always how many tournaments you win or place in the money today, but it does help Todays professional anglers need to have a huge following on social media as well. There are people on RUclips that probably never fished in a pro tournament or maybe just a couple of semi-pro tournaments. Those guys are very tech savvy and know how to sell themselves on social media. They soak up a lot of sponsors away from fulltime pro anglers trying to make a living in the sport.
Thank you John. You’re going to go down as one of the “greats” that someone will be talking about in 2043, like you talk about Roland and Jimmie in 2003. I love seeing you take time in front of the camera covering all the basis of this sport. It’s been an honor watching you over the years
Thank you brother!
Awesome John, you are spot on!
Inspiring words. That positivity is infectious!
Great take John!
The way you put this togther,I have much respect for you and your fish brand
Great info as usual!
Well said sir. I just finished Ken Duke's article, thanks for mentioning it. He, as well as you hit the nail on the head. As an old guy who loves to fish, watch fishing, play with tackle and maybe buy a thing or two now and then, all of the uproar is just noise to me. Just go fish. Reminds of the meme of Mike just wanting to go fishing as he flips off everyone! Good luck in 2024.
Wise Words Sir!
A huge thanks to you for starting missile baits, I’ve probably caught more bass here in IOWA flipping a d bomb than I have on any other bait, chatterbait close second. Enjoyed your take on the state of professional fishing.
You are spot on John. That is the way life is. You have to work hard for success in life. It's not going to fall in your lap.
That is awesome what Mercer's daughter made👍
Good outlook on the sport. Bassmaster is the standard in bass fishing. Glad they guys are coming back. Shoulda never left. Duckett is trying to reinvent the sport at the tourney level and it can’t be done. My 5 best versus yours is the standard. Good luck in ‘24!
I agree, I don't see the doom and gloom. I don't see the professional circuits disappearing. I see more tours coming out. You may not be on the Elites. MLF or National, but there some growing now. Will they ever be as big, only time will tell. It is not cheap to be competitive, with the electronics especially. But it is just what is going on right now. Thank you for being so open and honest about everything. Here's to an exciting 2024 and a bunch of wins!! 💪👊👊🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Well said sir!!
Brother, I just bought some NedBombs and missile jigs. I did not know it was pro fisher owned. Will definitely be a regular customer from now on. And having Ike on them jig packs does help
I've been looking forward to your take on the recent Foutz/social media take on the state of professional fishing. My initial take on Foutz's video (proceeding on the assumption that it wasn't contrived to up his subs) was here is a guy who thought if he focused enough on fishing, the rest would take care of itself. I'm not delegitimating what his pronouncements are (I believe a lot of what he says is correct), but I was a bit taken aback by what I perceive is his naivete about how this game works. I've been a fan of this game for 50 years and I don't remember a time when this has been any different. While the nuances of the evolution of how this game is played change, the basic facts haven't. Just look at the legends of the sport and how they evolve. Monetarily, Jimmy Houston is as successful as most to have ever been in the sport and he still works as hard at it as anyone, even at 70+ years old. Rarely does a video go by that he makes where he doesn't say where all he is traveling to to pimp his brand. Also, he's made a number of videos through the decades talking about the lean times in the beginning of his career where he says he knew if he didn't place in the money, he didn't know how he would get back home,
For me, in Foutz's case, it's difficult to grasp how you choose this for a career, but you didn't know that your skill set, as far as fishing, ends up being a bit of a minor role in the sustainment of it. I don't doubt that he believes all the old pros told him to just focus on the fishing, but I also have to think he may have just CHOSE to hear that part of it, and not the bigger part of the things that make that all possible. I see the fishing aspect to be sort of the reward for all the other things you have to do to get there, assuming your born to burlap and not silk. JMO.
35 years of bass fishing and seen all the changes and still love trying to keep up. I have no intention of ever giving up on the sport besides I have way too many d-bombs to use up before I’m done.
Veery well stated. There are a lot of viewpoints on the matter and this is one of the most even keeled I've seen.
Thanks bud.
Hi John great video on the current state of the bass fishing world. I've been a big fan of Bassmaster for a couple of years now, I was just wondering if most anglers can make a relatively good living just from bass fishing or is it necessary to have a side job?
Dang John your dropping knowledge bombs! If you don’t evolve you get left behind
Great video! Love missile baits also!
That piece of driftwood is awesome!
It seems like some pro fisherman think all they have to do is fish a few tournaments a year and that will keep the lights on. There’s a reason Bill Dance retired early.
Good video John, I support you every tournament and we met at Pickwick and I have those Cashion rods, but sales of every thing has slowed down
Not everything
@@JohnCrews Well you’re right, we sold the the hell out of yumbrellas A-rigs in the store, good for pickwick right now
@@JohnCrews That was Black Friday, and we sold Jordan Lee rods for $25 , and Jordan Lee reels for $25, the cheap sales kills the rest
Your the MAN
This was a great video. Everything you said is 100% true. You are always so polite and positive. I wanna see @johncrews go off the rails some time. What’s it like in the bad times? Do you ever start screaming at something like Ike? Let’s see it! 😂😂😂
John, thank you for encouraging him and giving him some encouraging words of wisdom.
Robert Terkla has reached out and offered him hands-on marketing the Googan way. Which was based mostly on Casie Niestat style.
This could land him a spot on The Bass Mafia Pro Staff and many more...👍🏻🍺🎣
Pro fishing is a lot of work and a good way to go broke. I’m not sure why there is so much interest in the business of pro fishing. Jacob did everyone a great service coming clean on the reality of the sport. Bottom line is most guys that succeed do it on their brand and once they are successful the tournaments are just a drain on their business. Bill Dance is one of the best known tournament fisherman of all times and he stopped tournament fishing before I fished my first pro tournament in 1984.
That wood carving/burning is beautiful. Ive always thought people with autism do not really have problems with the world. Its more like people in the world are the ones who have a problem with autism.
When parents can see that their childs "affliction" is a gift in a different package, they are reminded how having a child helped them understand their own life a little better.
Maybe it’s out there and I don’t know about it but talking about growing you brand I’d love to see a missle baits podcasts. You, ish and ike it would be money honey. 🎉
Mid 90's to 2002 was the prime because everyone could afford it.
If we are to evolve lets evolve everyones pay to afford the way of life they desire.
Working hard doesn't necessitate success. Bottom line is who you know always has been.
Good luck in 24 John
John, always been a fan. You worked hard, but I would like to see a video on how much you need $$$ in the bank to even get a chance to make it in the industry.
How much does it take to open a restaurant? Any business plan now starts with serious capital.
@@DarrinDossyou can open a franchise for cheaper than it costs to try to attempt to B.A.S.S. fish professionally
Jacobs brand is going to be the every man, average joe trying to make it on the elites. He can be succesful because a lot of us can relate to him. Looks like his brand is growing already
Thanks for all that you do for autism awareness John.
All I know is if I had to start over, I would never be able to afford to participate in major TXs now. Its all out of control. Dont even get me started on live scopes. Id like to see a TX trail that allows a depthfinder and 150hp outboard. Then fish with your instincts !
John,
The two years you fished before the BASSMASTER tour you fished the invitationals and the opens another year. One year I believe was 4 events and another year was 3 events. Far less expenses than 9 events.
With that being said here's the biggest question. Would you have been able to fish 9 BASS opens with entry fees of $2k and travel expenses?
This is the biggest problem I see now. To get to the professional level was far less expensive requiring less sponsorships. Now BASS and MLF both have full tours. The Opens are 9 events and tackle warehouse tour is 6 or 7.
Although that is a good point on the surface. The past 50 years of the sport has NOT been fishing all 9 Opens. So you can ask that to all 5000 anglers that have come and gone in half a century. Everything has changed due to the popularity and they have also learned that many cannot keep up with a full Tour schedule. Hell, there are guys that currently cant make all the Opens.
Everything has changed immensely in the past decade. Social Media is the prime driver of income now. Not tournament finishes. Companies want social media. Period. The good and bad of that is there. My opinion is that anyone one the Tour shouldnt have to pay entry fees. The only reason random guys on RUclips and other socials even have a platform is because of the Tour level guys. Without the top level playing....would anyone really even care? Would there be coverage?
I 100% would have still tried it. My first full time year fishing, I was on road 200 days. Fished 20 tournaments
Maybe he could do the 9 events or maybe he couldn't but if you cant afford 9 tournaments at 2k how are you going to do the elites
with the nearly 50k buy in for the season?
@@devinwillis7787 I can tell you it's a lot easier to put down 50k knowing your in the elites than it is to put $20k down on 9 opens with only a slight chance of making the elites.
If I were to fish 9 opens I'd have to quit my job and risk everything.
@@levisnow88 you’d have to quit your job to fish the elites anyway. You can still make 0 dollars on the elites
Pro tournament fishing is definitely in flux. People and companies overall have less marketing and disposable income with inflation and potential heavier recession coming. Linkedin is huge for me in Business. Making good connections is extremely important in both life and business.
JC offer jacob Foutz a sponsorship and help the Boy out.
Turkla offered him a bass mafia deal if he keeps creating good content
Hey man, cool video - your take is spot on... I have a (non-proffesional) fishing/outdoor channel that is growing reach, I'm going to msg you about some ideas.
There are a great deal of things completely different now than the early 2000s. Just to name a few a 21' Triton cost 20k in like 01. Entry fees were a third to in some cases near half as much as now but the prize money was the same. Plus there wasnt a tv screen at the front of every boat that showed you bass reacting to your presentation in real time at every cast and 20 yr olds using that technology yo dominate tournaments from Florida to Canada.. This may all sound negative but its facts and its not heading in a direction to get better. There are a handful of professional anglers the rest are influencers fighting for views and clicks. Is it the times we are in? Absolutely however it doesnt mean its all good in the hood. Artificial Intelligence will be combined with sonar soon and all someone will have to do is stand there while your boat chases the species and size you wanna put your stuff in front of. People will buy it no matter the cost because it makes it all easier. You have paid your dues i have mad respect for that and you as an angler but paying dues is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
Professional bass influencers
Just one quick question. We have tesla cars that can drive themselves. And people could also drive cars from a driving station like a simulator. Why does Nascar make people still drive? Because that is what makes the sport great , the conditioning ,real track situations in adjustments. The also level the playing field with the weight of the cars ect. At what point do we cap this insanity. Why even fish Why not just have tournaments on video games if it's all about watching a TV monitor with 0 knowledge on how to make adjustments with out seeing fish react on live scope.
Kinda amazing that guys really believe they deserve to make a living fishing by fishing 6-8 tournaments a year then deer hunting the rest of the year. No one makes a living working 60-70 days a year. I have no empathy for that.
My man. 👊🏼
Unfortunately few live well as touring pros… maybe 50 to 70 in a 2B fishing industry ? Terrible career choice and outcomes for 99% that try. You are in the 1% and worked hard to get there no doubt but 99% of the highschool and college upcoming pro anglers are gonna fail… it’s gambler odds.
John's a class act, he's diplomatic, and frankly he probably approaches fishing high dollar tournaments more logically than almost anyone else doing it. He gets much more stability financially by actually running a business than he does from sponsors alone.
As far as tournament fishing losing appeal; I can just speak for myself, I still enjoy fishing tournaments and I don't gamble any more money than enjoyment I get from participating. I view Foutz and Blaukat as entitled whiners but the fact of the matter is the sport seems to be outgrowing its audience and if you're not supplementing your income you better be prepared to fund your gambling out of your own pocket. Bernie Sanders isn't going to come along and start a socialist bass tournament league and steal sponsors' assets to compensate people who just want to go fishing! If running a "professional league" tournament bass circuit was very profitable BASS would not have changed hands as often as it has, FLW would not have gone out of business, MLF wouldn't be downsizing, Redman would still exist. The costs involved in gambling in tournaments is only going to go up so you better have deep pockets or find a new occupation.
Another big factor people don't seem to be discussing is tournament audiences are mostly made up of tournament fishermen but they don't follow tournaments for the same reason they might follow football or baseball. When you watch football, you know all of those guys on the field can kick your ass, but many tournament angling fans believe they can compete against top level pros given the right opportunity. We saw in real time that the "game" was more important than the players during the split. Let's face it, after the split 95% of the biggest names in angling went MLF/BPT but most hardcore tournament fans preferred Bassmaster because of their format. the BPT format had; anglers not on the water the same days, zeroing of weights, and every fish counts. All of those things interject LUCK into the equation in a contest that is already filled with uncontrollable factors (luck). I wanted to like it but just couldn't look at it as a serious competition.
And let's face it, if your main objective is to become a better angler, RUclips videos are a much more efficient way to improve knowledge than watching tournaments. You can learn a specific technique, you can learn a specific lake, you can learn how to run your electronics, you can learn how to rig your electronics (John's rigging videos are one of the best sources of this on RUclips), you can learn how to pour jigs, you can learn how to build rods, you can learn how to pour your own plastics, you can learn how to maintain your equipment... who's got time to watch tournaments anymore?
Lots of good takes in your comment. Much appreciated for taking the time to lay that out 👊🏼
I think they should just stop calling them Professional Anglers.. Just call them Elite Series Bassfisherman.. then there is no preconceived notition that someone's gonna start paying them..
The controversy over FFS is definitely not a primary factor in the loss of profitably or sustainability for industry professionals.
Its the industry professional that is having trouble keeping up with the "CHANGE".
Its isn't just the technological aspects that have changed. Its the processes and professional obligations that have changed also.
People mentioing Randy, as if he's a disruptive element for the industry, are f'n fooling themselves that one person can possibly be such a profound influence. It's cognitive misperception based on low hanging fruit. Because if one voice could have such a detrimental influence on an entire industry, there would no longer be any need For INSURRECTIONS.
THIS INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS, HAS A BLOOD SUCKING, I Q DRAINING, AND INCOME DEPLETING ELEPHANT IN ITS BED.
IT'S SO BAD, OUR PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY ARE ALSO BEING DISTORTED.
TURNING ON OUR OWN, ESPECIALLY OUR MEMBERS THAT ONLY WANT TO PRESERVE THE DISSAPEARING GRANDEUR THAT IS LEFT IN THIS INDUSTRY AND CULTURE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, IS MUCH MORE DESTABILIZING THAN ANY ONE VOICE COULD POSSIBLY BE.
JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AND AGREE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE VOICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONFUSION. OBVIOUSLY, TOPICS DON'T BECOME ISSUES BECAUSE THEY'RE MADE INTO ISSUES. THEY BECOME TOPICS BECAUSE THEY ARE NATURALLY EXISTING ISSUES THAT WILL PERSISTANTLY COME BACK UP TO THE SURFACE, BECAUSE SOMEONE KEEPS BURYING IT!
YOU HAVE FAILED TO PLACE EVEN A LITTLE DAINTY PINKY ON ANY OF THE ACTUAL ISSUES. ALL YOU'VE DONE IS REGURGITATE WHAT'S BEING BANTERED ABOUT, AS OF LATE, AND GIVEN YOUR VERY INNEFECTUAL ADVICE LIKE THEY WERE BAND AIDS FROM THE DOLLAR GENERAL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE STUCK IN A MENTAL KING IN HIS CASTLE LOOP.
I DON'T THINK I CAN IDENTIFY ANYTHING, NOT ONE IOTA OF A REMEDY FOR ANYONE'S BUT YOURS.
"I started a bait company. I'm glad i did so I can still be allowed to participate"
You may not agree with my sentiments now, at your age. But i assure you, you will eventually as you get older.
Can’t watch bass fishing anymore, FFS is so boring to watch.
The coverage will evolve. Keep watching
Next thing you know they will be wearing goggles connected to the units so they wont have to be looking down all the time.Pretty sad what it has come down too
I think it has been boring, but the coverage will change. I am looking forward to learning more about the bass that FFS will teach us. And I don't know what that will be yet. I do see that there are more bass looking at our baits than we thought.
"Everything happens for a reason" I dont buy into that.
I thought that was nice of her do you get that is pretty nice how she
He looks at life differently = miserable, cynical, narcissistic, whiner. Great video…good luck in 2024!
you forgot 'realist'....
That's all fishing is a hustle. It's not even a sport. It's a sporting event. Sorry.
The rich get to play the poor guys don’t have a chance
I had to check if Oliver Anthony was commenting
@@JohnCrews ha ha 😂 I’m Oliver Anthony’s neighbor
Bass fishing doesn’t require any skills now…..makes me sad….if they don’t stop this its going to ruin it…..evolve. ? Video bass fishing…like cheating…I can’t even watch a tournament anymore ……I would never have the passion I do now if i was just starting out….a big part of bass fishing is the un-known,,,using all the skills you learned what to fish,,where to fish….color..speed…and so on….who even knows all these young guns today due to LS and FFS…..
MLF SUX
professional bass fisherman have lost touch with reality...95% of fisherman just fish as an outlet and cant justify spending 100's of thousands of dollars just to catch a bass.
Fours is not going to make it. His attitude is terrible. Everyone is a great fisherman, that’s why they are on the tour. That’s not enough you got too get lucky, only 9 get lucky in a year. Competition is a mother ……. 13:13
Who in the world actually takes Randy Bliden seriously? lol
What happened to ypu supporting Veterans and KBF?
It’s not fun to watch anymore. It’s not as fun to fish anymore with all the electronics. Pro bass fishing is going to go downhill since it’s really pro video game fishing.
Pro Bass fishing will not exist in a few years. It is no longer interesting to watch. Pulling up on a mess of fish you find on your FFS and casting to them is similar to observing waves on a lake.
If you want people to actually watch tournaments and care who wins you should ban ffs. Nobody, not even you will stare at a guys butt for 8 hours. If you put the ffs image in a little box on the screen, it might be interesting for about 5 minutes.
Lots of politics and closed mindedness in the industry.
What is happening is people like you are coming out with lures that are very expensive padding your pockets and bank accounts. Not hating on the success, but you do control pricing. C'mon does a Little John need to be $11-14? Do your Missile Bait kits need to $50 plus shipping? Yes you worked to get to that point, but the price of fishing is entirely too high to get premium products and people like you are preying people like us. That's the problem.
SUCKS its all about a like.