Titletown USA
Posted by Pete Robbins on Oct 22nd 2020
Elite Pro David Mullins - image courtesy of bassmaster.com
Unless something mathematically unlikely and generally unforeseeable happens, we are going to have a first-time Elite Series Angler of the Year. That’s partially due to circumstances that don’t bear repeat explanation, specifically that many of the past winners no longer fish the Elites. But in more favorable terms it reflects a youth movement of sorts. Right now, last year’s AOY, Scott Canterbury (7th) is the top-ranked past AOY and 2017 AOY Brandon Palaniuk (22nd) is next down the line. Of course, Clark Wendlandt, a three-time FLW AOY is still in contention, but he too would be a first-time B.A.S.S. title winner.
There’s a pretty good chance that if Wendlandt does not storm back from third place, either veteran Elite pro David Mullins or rookie (and former FLW pro) Austin Felix will claim the hardware. With no offense meant to either of them, they are comparative unknown quantities, as are the next few anglers after Wendlandt – Jake Whitaker, Kyle Welcher and 2019 Rookie of the Year Drew Cook. That by and large means we don’t know what kind of AOY any of them would be.
Elite Pro Austin Felix - image courtesy of bassmaster.com
That’s both terrifying and exciting. Most past Anglers of the Year and Classic champs have represented the sport and the league well. There have also been some duds who’ve done next to nothing for themselves or the game after cashing the check. That’s their right – they caught the fish – but when it happens it feels like a wasted year.
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but if Mullin, Felix, Whitaker, Welcher or Cook wins the title, it feels like a seismic shift in the landscape. Someone who was generally not on the B.A.S.S. fans radar a year or two ago (save, perhaps, Mullins) claiming the title that the other anglers respect most shows that the league has moved on. Sure, Canterbury’s title was earned and he’s a worthy champ, but he’s been around the block a time or three. If one of these newer guys grabs it, it’s a generational shift. That comes with the possibility of being a complete dumpster fire if they don’t make good use of the platform, but it also reeks of opportunity. I hope that once the shock wears off the winner gets ready to work.
