Minnesota Pro/Am cancelled

[RossT]

The Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour announced today that it will discontinue its operations indefinitely. Declining sponsorships in recent years are cited as the primary reason for the cancellation of the Tour.

In the history of the event the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour had gone to great lengths to bring attention to the beautiful and bountiful bass fishing resources available to Minnesota anglers of all abilities. The Tour was the first circuit in Minnesota to achieve a $10,000 first-place payout for pro anglers and it offered the most elaborate live release system of any competitive circuit, a system which was heralded by conservation officials and tournament anglers. It also achieved extensive TV coverage for the sport of bass fishing in the Midwest.

Media Rare, the St. Paul-based managing agency of the event, is proud of the video production, event management and public relations work completed for the Tour and assures anglers who have signed up for the previously planned season that all entry fees will be refunded in full and distributed in the coming weeks.

Media Rare will continue to manage six charity bass fishing events planned and scheduled for 2004. Additionally, Media Rare is appreciative of the acquaintances and partnerships made during the past four years while running the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour.

[walleyehawk]

While I emphatize with those who participated in the tournament, State sponsorship of fishing tournaments was wrong. And the former head of the Lottery was wrong to have sponsored the tournaments with monies that should have been used for more broad based environmental purposes. That is what the state auditors that protect us taxpayers felt.

Hopefully this tournament can find other sponsorship or merge with another group.

[Guest]

I did not have a problem with the trail being taxpayer supported as that it was a drop in the bucket type of subsidy as opposed to a full on loaded trough for a lawmaker and their constituancy.

Those in the medical, and farming communities are the top dogs of eating off of taxpayer dollars.

Maybe this will open up the door to a Minnesota BFL tour.

[Guest]

Also one must wonder about the economic hit that will now be taken by some communities and businesses because some bean counters didn't like this particular choice of things for the money to go to. Of course these auditers probably make 6 figures on the taxpayer themselves, they probably will see this as an opportunity to give themselves a slight raise for all the taxpayer money they saved.

I also am curious what the subsidy would break down to per participant per tournament. My guess would be maybe $100 to $200 dollars on participants that must spend at least that much to several times as much just to participate.

[RossT]

Do you know what the lottery's original intentions were? Give back to our state's natural resources. What George and the Lottery did was much more than that. Sponsoring the bass tour not only opened some blind eyes to the states virtually untapped bass resource but it pumped MILLIONS of dollars into local economies by bringing in over 200 anglers per weekend. Those anglers needed accomadations, gas, food, tackle, and it kept a lot of bars in good shape. I'd say that it was one heck of a good investment, but then again, I'm not the state auditor or a politition.

[This message has been edited by RossT (edited 03-07-2004).]

[Dan Wood]

That is unfortunate. Ross, looks like you need to migrate south for some more serious tournament fishing now... What circuit will take up the slack? There really aren't any that can compare in this area.

[RossT]

The Gander Mtn. Pro/Am's now offer a gauranteed $10,000 first place so I'll be fishing that circuit. Like the ole' MN Pro/Am, they also have a TV show. I know the Gander will be full in no time.

[East Rush Rules]

Hey Ross,
I'll miss watchin ya on the great pro/am tv show.