Stories to Watch This Offseason

August and September are usually my least favorite months of the year, at least for my personal fishing exploits. My home waters are in my opinion at their worst, the lodges we love throughout Central America are closed, and unless I have a later-than-usual trip to Alaska, that portion of the fun is over. With October – which seems to have snuck up on us cagily – my excitement grows fresh. I’m not as busy with my writing, I’m starting to look forward to next year’s trips, and I can start hypothesizing and speculating about the stories to come.

Personally, my goal is to spend a lot of time with my neck cricked looking at a screen this winter. I’ve had forward-facing sonar on my boat since May of 2022 and I really haven’t given it an honest shake. Partially that’s because I rarely fish deeper than 5 feet on the Potomac, and partially because I’m lazy. Learning to use it better should not only help my fishing, but it will also help me better formulate my opinions on the technology’s future role in the sport.

When I’m not doing that, here are four stories I’ll be watching:

What does Welcher do with AOY?

Once you win the AOY title (or the Classic, or Redcrest, or any other, for that matter), it’s yours to do what you want with it…or to do nothing at all. Thinking back on past champions, it quickly becomes obvious that some have parlayed it into lifetime income and reputation, while others have let that cup pass from their lips. Kyle Welcher is a relatively unknown angler to most bass fans, yet in the few times I’ve spoken to him and watched him, I’ve come away with the understanding that he’s a deeply thoughtful and strategic professional. He won what many consider the hardest title to win of them all – will he turn that into something bigger?

What will KVD do next?

Kevin VanDam has allegedly left his unparalleled career as a tournament angler behind, but his devotion to the sport and near-hyper energy and drive are unquestionable. I have to assume that he will build some sort of media empire, or at least an enhanced media presence. He doesn’t do anything half-assed, or without thought, so expect it to be more than just another YouTube channel. Also, on a related note, how long will he be able to stay away from top-level competition.

Who will be relegated at BPT?

The Bass Pro Tour’s elimination process has been historically unclear, at least to me. Several well-known names, including owners and Hall of Famers, finished at or near the bottom of the standings last year. Is that their last breath or will they somehow hang on to places on tour. I’m not being sarcastic or snarky – I truly want to know. And what do you do if you’ve been fishing at the tour level for decades and suddenly don’t have a “home”?

Sponsor adds and drops?

Given the volatile nature of the tours, the historically huge number of people calling themselves “bass pros,” and the perception of decreased boat and tackle sales, I just have a feeling that we’re going to see some major shakeups during the silly season. We’ll see pro staffs mixed up and reduced, and perhaps some big names getting their deals cut or eliminated altogether. That happens every year, but I just suspect that we’ll have some bigtime surprises between now and the first of the year.