The Age of Analytics

It’s “silly season” in bass world, with some anglers leaving longtime sponsors, and others making unexpected moves in all directions. We’ve seen, dissected and discussed videos from Jacob Foutz and columns from Ish Monroe, and then relived them through a variety of podcasts and YouTube channels. 

No matter how much we say that we just care about “what they’re biting,” sponsorship – even among those of us who will never be sponsored – remains an area of interest. 

While many people argue that there’s no more pie for an increasing number of pie eaters, the smart, hustling pros always seem to prevail, and because I don’t have to play in that sandbox, I’m excited for the changes. That’s because, for the first time in the sport’s history, we have numbers to prove value.

Now I know that social media is considered somewhere between the work of the devil and a necessary evil, but now we have legit ways to measure impact. Are you known? Are you followed? Do you move product? I’m old enough to remember when it seemed that most deals were just buddy-buddy handshakes, and I’ve been involved in the industry since the days when “impressions” were key. I remember seeing angler reports stating that “with my 40,000 road miles this year, I’ll generate 8,555,352 impressions resulting in $500,000 in sales.” We knew it was BS, and yet people seemed to play the game. It was all that we had.

Now, though, there are in some cases true numbers representing impact. Are they perfect? No. But they’re better than the alternative. Do guys sometimes get promoted or fired or reduced based on whims? Of course. But if you’re not pulling your weight, or think you could or should be doing more, there’s an opportunity to boost the stats legitimately. Everyone has access to the same tools and the same stat sheet. In some ways, I wish things were still a little bit more innocent, but if you truly want the sport to grow as a professional endeavor, you’ve got to play Moneyball. 

I’ve always liked the fact while tournament fishing has its share of excuses, at the end of the day you put your fish on the scales and they weigh what they weigh. Now we’re closer to that off the water, too.