Lightning Rod
Taking a stand on the "no more co-anglers" issue
By Kevin ShortI've been getting hammered on a little for taking a stand on the No-Mo-Co issue. I guess that should be the No-Mo-Elite-Co. From some of the emails I've been getting I could get the big head and believe that I made the NoMoCo decision all on my own. Damn, I am one powerful SOB. I changed the face of fishing with a stroke of the keyboard. Please.
I'm not real sure when I was designated the whipping boy/ poster child/ lightning rod for the co-angler issue. It could have been when I stood up and said "hey, check this out". Ooh, yeah, don't want to stand up and take a stand. Let's don't make any changes here. Let's don't try and better ourselves. Let's just keep doing it the same way we've always done it. Screw that.
I'll be the first to admit that constant change is not necessarily a good thing. There is something to be said about "status quo" and maintaining some stability. I do, however, think that you have to keep pushing, keep trying new things to evolve. If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, where are you going? In a circle. My motto; Question Everything.
So my set is bigger than some of the other Elite guys' and I came out and said that the best format for professional fishing would involve removing the co-angler from the back of the boat. Very few emails that I have received over the past week have refuted that statement. Most, in fact, have agreed that removing the co is a necessary evil in making the Elite Series a step above all other tours. So what could people possibly have to say?
"Hurting the sport" seems to be the most received and used comment. I'm sorry, but I don't see where taking 105 co-anglers out of the back of 105 boats at any event in any tournament series is "hurting the sport". Hurting those 105 guy's chances to rub elbows with some of the best in the bass fishing; yes. Keeping those guy's from fishing with 105 of the bass fishing's best; yes. "Hurting the sport"; no. Hurting the sport is $4.00 a gallon gas and $130.00 a barrel oil. That's killing not only bass fishing, but many other aspects of our way of life.
I thought it was interesting when I did a little research on my own, long before the NoMoCo decision was ever made. I did some informal polling of friends and acquaintances around home who I consider to be the backbone of the tournament fishing locality. These guys and gals fish local, and some regional, derbies for fun. They buy boats and motors, tackle, and they travel across the state of Arkansas and some of the surrounding states to chase bass. For fun. Not for money. Although if they win a little money, that makes it an even better weekend. Some of them have fished as cos on both the FLW and Elite Series events; most had never fished either (and had absolutely no desire to).
My question to them? Does it mean anything to you if there is no co-angler in the Elite Series? The overwhelming response? "Hell no, doesn't mean anything to me". To paraphrase the majority of the responses, they could care less if there are co-anglers in the Elite Series. These guys and gals say they will still watch the TV show, read Bassmaster and BASS Times, and go to the tackle stores whenever they want to. They'll still go fishing when they can and fish as many tournaments as they can afford to fish. Many of them stated that they wished their club/ derby org had a pro only division. Hmm, seems that a few of the regular guys would like to fish by themselves. How could that be?
One of the comments that I received stated that I need to remember where I came from. Whoa up there, Tex. All you know revolves around your perceptions of me obtained from what you've seen on television and what you've read on the internet and magazines. You have no clue that I still live in the same house as I did when I started fishing the Bassmaster Tour. You also have no clue that I still fish local derbies (and get spanked sometimes) with the same bunch of guys "where I came from". You also don't know that I tool around many of the local lakes "where I came from" in my 17 foot aluminum boat. I know where I came from because I'm still pretty close to it.
So keep those cards and letters coming, even Richard from TN who so eloquently stated "Your just a dumb shit." That's right, brother, just a dumb shit who's making a living (and trying to make more, so sue me; it's a capitalistic world) by chasing bass.
For more info on Kevin Short or to contact Kevin, check out his website at www.kfshort.com.
