As NABC announced their "it’s all about the club" concept last week the fishing world as we know it was changing rapidly. With the Federation on the fence between BASS and FLW the "Everyday Angler" might be left behind with the costs that BASS and FLW are proposing. The bass club fisherman has a few more choices for the 2006 season. Not all the verdicts are in but here is what I have gathered so far.
After days of meetings and discussions about the federation, BASS and FLW there is finally some closure coming to the surface.
Bass laid their cards on the table with the announcement of the Federation Nation(R). Vowing to focus on community, fraternity and stewardship, they will allow each state to send six "six man" teams to one of ten regional championships. The top six teams from those regional tournaments will then move on to the Federation Nation Bass Club Championship where they will, to my understanding, be put into a draw format and fish with anglers other than their teammates during the competition. The winning team at the Federation Nation Championship will receive a fully-rigged Triton bass boat with a Mercury Outboard motor for each of it’s six team members. They also state that the top six finishers from the Championship will gain berths into the Bassmaster Classic but fail to say if the six anglers are the top finishing team or the top individuals.
FLW also made a play for the favor of the federation. TBF inc. President Cartlidge stated in a radio broadcast with Terry Brown of bassfan.com that they had been in Celebration, Fl. all week listening to all sides and all proposals trying to do what is in the best interest of the membership as a whole. The federation is standing behind TBF inc. according to Cartlidge. The federation presidents held a vote and 30 state federations voted to go with TBF inc and 4 voted to stay with BASS (Colorado, Texas, Mexico and Ontario), 14 other states abstained from the vote not having the permission of their members to make a decision at this time.
According to "Cartlidge" the members won’t know what is coming at them with the proposal that FLW has made. Cartlidge stated that there would be twice as many spots in championship events than ever before, large companies sponsoring the effort and more opportunities to go fishing, a comprehensive youth program, conservation program and 6 boater spots as well as 6 co-boater spots in the BFL championship, spots in the Forest Wood Cup with 1 million dollars to the winner if they are in a Ranger.
With Cartlidge stating that the membership won’t know what is coming at them it leads one to believe that the federation will be going with the FLW proposal.
NABC has a lot to offer the Everyday Angler at a price that they can afford. They won’t have to break the bank to fish in a National Bass Club Championship. NABC not only offers affordable membership and fishing but also guarantees that no club will be left without a spot in the National Bass Club Championship.
