Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

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Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by toobinator »

I agree with you RJ. It absolutely blows me away that there isn't a waiting list to get into Renegade. The effort that the executive puts in to all aspects of the trail is mind blowing.

We were signed up in December.

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by ShawnD »

toobinator wrote:I agree with you RJ. It absolutely blows me away that there isn't a waiting list to get into Renegade. The effort that the executive puts in to all aspects of the trail is mind blowing.

We were signed up in December.

Ed

I believe it's the price of the entry fee for the series that holds people back, don't get me wrong, I've seen first hand how great this series is and it's incredible programs.
They do tons not only for the anglers participating but for the community as well.

But at the end of the day, with the amount of opens around now they're cheaper alternatives and that's got to be what draws them away.
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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

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ShawnD wrote:
toobinator wrote:I agree with you RJ. It absolutely blows me away that there isn't a waiting list to get into Renegade. The effort that the executive puts in to all aspects of the trail is mind blowing.

We were signed up in December.

Ed

I believe it's the price of the entry fee for the series that holds people back, don't get me wrong, I've seen first hand how great this series is and it's incredible programs.
They do tons not only for the anglers participating but for the community as well.

But at the end of the day, with the amount of opens around now they're cheaper alternatives and that's got to be what draws them away.
X2

Great series, great executive staff, great programs, love the atmosphere, love the competition…
But the entry fee just isn’t inviting enough to justify 4 events.
If fishin ain't your mission, then you can kiss my Bass!
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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by lape0019 »

This has been talked about at length but nothing seems to have been done.

It's great that RBT has an amazing prize for the classic but what seems to be the biggest issue is retention of new members. Quite a few new teams that were there last year, are just not on that list. It also seems as though a couple of teams have split and joined other members resulting in half an old team staying home and the other half fishing with another partner from an old team.

How many people have also complained about there only being 4 qualifiers? When they did away with the 5th qualifier and did not reduce the price, the price per event went up by $60 and the level of competition went up as you essentially have to be on your game for all 4 qualifiers to make the classic (well, not this year but...).

And to touch on Shawns points, when Renegade was filling the field (hasn't really happened since 2010), the options were OVSB, BAA, SEBO, Renegade and one Berkley B1. All of these tournaments still exist (Sebo now being the shootouts) plus the addition to the 150 and unders (part of Renegade), FLW Canada, The Thousand Islands Open and multiple Berkley B1 events. I believe there are even more shootout events now than when SEBO was running them meaning there are more options and there are more affordable options.

All in all, there are quite a few factors that I believe are hurting the amount of people Renegade draws. Most of them have been known for a while with no resolution seeming to be even considered. Since nothing has been done, I do not see why anyone would be surprised that field size is down to its lowest point in its history.

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by ShawnD »

lape0019 wrote: How many people have also complained about there only being 4 qualifiers? When they did away with the 5th qualifier and did not reduce the price, the price per event went up by $60 and the level of competition went up as you essentially have to be on your game for all 4 qualifiers to make the classic (well, not this year but...).

Adam
That level of competition is where Renegade ( IMO ) needs to stay, you're fishing against the best anglers around.
I don't mind only having the 4 events, it's the entry fee that's steep for 4 events.

There's nothing easy about running the biggest tournament series around, I'm president of a OBN Chapter and I can only imagine the amount of work these guys put in.
Hats off to the Renegade execs.

I just want to be clear, I've got nothing against Renengade Bass, I plan on fishing it again some day when I find a solid partner. But with all the talk on FB and now here, why it's not filling up? Let's have a conversation without it spiraling out of control.


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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by lape0019 »

I fully intend on fishing Renegade one day as well. I am just stating what I have heard, seen and view as the issues.
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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by drake691 »

I love to see Renegade grow but they don't seem interested in expanding out from eastern Ontario. I think they've almost tapped out tournament anglers in the Ottawa area. I think they need to start having tournaments a bit west to get the guys from Barrie/Toronto/Kawarthas if they want to see it expand.
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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by Alby »

I will fish the Renegade, someday. When I'm done being the chauffeur/Uber driver for my 14 year old boy, for the many activities that fill his week.

It is by far the most attractive Association in the area, in my opinion.

I do see why it can be intimidating as hell, fishing against guys like Chong, Brownridge, Sim, and others. But, like I tell the kids, you're not gonna get better unless you compete against the best. As long as I can pick at their brains after an event, and figure out what worked for them, the intimidation factor should improve.
I also realize the first year or two will probably be a "donation". But you gotta start somewhere. Again, if you wanna better yourself, compete against better anglers.
Most important of all, you gotta be having a good time. From what i've read, the Renegade Tour's a good bunch.

As far as the money is concerned.... if you think the Renegade's expensive, try puttin' your kid thru competitive football, hockey, and other sports. It really adds up...

Great job RBT.

My 2 cents, for what it's worth.

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by River Monster »

I don’t mean for this post to bash the series, its not my intention at all. But since the can of worms has been opened I’ll offer my view on the series and why I decided not to join.

I recently got into tournament fishing a few years ago and right away was drawn to the series. You get a chance to compete against the best in the area and there are great prizes to go with it.. You always hear things about club politics but you hear it from any club. But the decision not to join came down to money and time.
Frankly I’m not willing to put in the time in necessary to compete successfully at that level and also don’t have the money to. At almost $1500(per team) per season (4 tourneys) its hard to justify that bill. Not to mention I’m fishing against seasoned anglers. Guys with years of experience and detailed knowledge of the lakes in the area. It’s a fight to get to the classic and rightfully so, at the price you pay it shouldn’t be easy. But has myself and others thinking that we are just funding the veterans. Going back through past results you see a pattern with the same names showing up. Nothing wrong with that but it can be intimating for new members. Climbing to the top is never easy….Alby said it right if you want get better and improve the best way to fish with the best.

I believe numbers are low because as Adam said there is an increase in tournament options out there to meet everyone’s needs. There are opens with great cash prices, very reasonable priced series, and renegade seems to be geared towards current members and to the new guys wanting more…to compete against the best, to show case sponsors and be on TV. Its not for me. So I choose to fish a different series,$500(per team) gets you 6 tourneys and a 2 day guaranteed classic. I still have the competition aspect and its not as much as financial burden, so I can have more fun and enjoy myself…. And that’s what it’s all about.

Now everyone has different priorities and goals. I don’t mean this thread to put the series down and focus on the cost of the series. There is a lot of things that come with that cost. They have a great thing going, great prizes,(including a boat), live release boat, the events are fun for the family (at least that’s what I hear). They have a pro-am which great for new guys getting out for the first time.

I think this is great thread for Renegade to see other peoples views and take on the series. They can make the necessary changes to help grow to series back to the way it used to be.

Now for guys on the fence I think this is the perfect time to join, lower numbers puts the odds in your favor. And I do believe they have a payment plan of some sort
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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by RJ »

I agree 100% that this thread is productive! I won't speak for Renegade as I'm not on the executive but I'll share a few thoughts.

When it dropped to 4 qualifiers I believe that was to try to accommodate to guys that felt 5 weekends a summer was too much. I've heard alot of "reasons" for not fishing anymore but wanting a 5th qualifier is a new one to me. A lot of the comments is the commitment it takes, adding that 5th back would further stretch guys commitment wise.

Entry fees. $750 per guy for 4 tournaments, this year a very good chance that Classic is included so 5. For that $750 you have a shot at winning well over 100,000 in prizes. Other entry fees are waaaaay more than Renegade on a per tournament level with nowhere near the amount of payback percentage, nevermind the fact the numbers being touted around are based on team numbers they aren't close to having.

Is it an outlay of cash? Yup. I do find it funny that guys who have no issue spending $30 bucks on a jerkbait, 400 on a reel or rod are concerned about money... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Your input in valued fellas! Hope to see ya's on RBT sometime soon!

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by RJ »

drake691 wrote:I love to see Renegade grow but they don't seem interested in expanding out from eastern Ontario. I think they've almost tapped out tournament anglers in the Ottawa area. I think they need to start having tournaments a bit west to get the guys from Barrie/Toronto/Kawarthas if they want to see it expand.
I won't say it would never happen but considering it's a VOLUNTEER organisation that are tapped beyond belief to make the RBT runs as smooth as it does I can't see them adding travel into the mix.

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by TheMaverick »

RJ wrote:
When it dropped to 4 qualifiers I believe that was to try to accommodate to guys that felt 5 weekends a summer was too much. I've heard alot of "reasons" for not fishing anymore but wanting a 5th qualifier is a new one to me. A lot of the comments is the commitment it takes, adding that 5th back would further stretch guys commitment wise.
Most of us already fish more than 5 events per summer.
We're talking Renegade, the cream at the top, 5 events shouldn't be too much.
I think, and this is only my opinion, that it was cut down to 4 in order to mold in the TIO.

It makes me feel good knowing I get more fishing time out of my hard earned money.

Just simple math for fun, I can fish 3 years with BAA (6 events w/ 2 day classic guaranteed) for the same amount of money spent for one season with Renegade.
I get the prizes, the boat, the TV "fame", the announcements, the videos, the name change, the free t-shirts, and so on, and that's all great, but it's getting too much.
RJ wrote:
Is it an outlay of cash? Yup. I do find it funny that guys who have no issue spending $30 bucks on a jerkbait, 400 on a reel or rod are concerned about money... :lol: :lol: :lol:
Speaking for myself here, but those rods and reels stay with me for years to come, I definitely get my money's worth.
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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by RJ »

TheMaverick wrote:
Just simple math for fun, I can fish 3 years with BAA (6 events w/ 2 day classic guaranteed) for the same amount of money spent for one season with Renegade.
I love BAA, that organisation has provided a niche for guys that want to play at a lower price point, it's clearly needed and they do a great job with it.

Just some ballpark math here but it would take 10 years on BAA's payouts to get to what is paid out in one year on RBT, so you aren't really comparing apples to apples there.

RBT isn't for everyone, the purpose of the video was to maybe shed some light for guys only fishing opens to really have a look at where they are spending their money and what they see coming back. The guys fishing BAA, OVSB or something similar love their series (as they should) will have a great season like always.

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Re: Bass tournament anglers an opportunity is here.....

Post by TheMaverick »

I have no doubt in my mind I’ll be back fishing RBT eventually, probably sooner than I think, but really hoping for a few changes before I do.
You say it’s the first you hear about guys wanting 5 events, but it’s been talked/mentioned numerous times before, can’t help but wonder if the middle/bottom tier’s opinions are being taken into consideration both at the AGM’s, and as general feedback from potential new teams signing up.

I understand it’s not easy to run a series when big sponsors come into play, there’s the political community aspect of it as well, but if RBT wants to grow, that middle/bottom tier is where the efforts should be concentrated. The seminars are a great initiative to that said train of thought.

In recent announcements, if you win the classic, you get a full episode with JP…..when reading the comments on social media, Lenny is already a favorite to win.
What I’m saying is, there’s an obvious pattern, to an extent, of teams placing top 10 year after year, and that’s understandable, they are the best, they are what we strive to be as anglers.

You mention it’s not for everyone, and that is true.
I think if RBT broaden their reach, and catered to more “types” of anglers, without sacrificing what it’s known for, you’d have no issues filling up the field as opposed to all these announcements to try and win over anglers with a few weeks to go before opener.

Make me feel less of a donator! Don't ask me how, I don’t run a series.
Great thread btw, easier to post here, as these comments wouldn’t be well received on a biased FB post.
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