Biggest Winners and Losers in the 2019 BassFan Rankings

Best on Tour brings you interesting news from the fishing industry in a weekly email.

1. Stat of the Day

PRESENTED BY: Sunline

2. Money Matters

PRESENTED BY: Big Bite Baits
2020 Boat Owner Contingency Programs

2020 has arrived, and with it have come changes in the contingency programs for some of the major bass boat companies in the industry. Here is a brief rundown of the details.

Ranger Cup

The Ranger Cup program is designed more around the larger tournament trails such as Bassmaster Elite Series, B.A.S.S. Opens, FLW Pro Circuit, FLW Series and BFL events. With payouts ranging upwards of $25,000 if you are the winner of a FLW Pro Circuit event in a Ranger Boat. There are various smaller events sanctioned by Ranger dealers across the country that offer lower payouts up to $2000 in Ranger Cup contingency money. You must be a registered Ranger Cup member before competing in the events and additional membership fees do apply.

Phoenix Boats First Flight

There are two tiers of the Phoenix First flight contingency program. Tier one events with 60 or greater boats if you’re the original owner of the boat and it is a 2018 or newer can qualify you for up to $7000 in contingency money. There are around 40 different trails across the United States that are considered tier one trails. There is also a tier two that any Phoenix owner can qualify for that offers up to $500 in contingency money. The tier two is offered on 30 or greater boat events and has over 50 tournament trails sanctioned. Phoenix First Flight can only be claimed twice in a calendar year.

Triton Gold

Triton Gold is offered to Triton boat owners in over 50 different tournament trails across the United States. If you are the original owner of the boat and it is a 2018 or newer you can qualify for up to $7000 in contingency money. To qualify for the $7000 the event must have 60 boats or greater. Owners must register online before competing in the event and additional membership fees do apply.

Vexus REV

The Vexus Rev contingency is offered in over 50 different tournament trails across the United States. The REV contingency program allows the original owner of a DVX or a VX to qualify for up to $10,000 in contingency money. The programs pays you the same money that the event pays up to $10,000. All owners of the AVX series qualify for up to $1000 in contingency money. Owners must register online before competing and registration is free.

Skeeter Real Money

Skeeter Real Money is offered in Skeeter sanctioned events with 60 or greater

boats. The angler must be in Skeeter that is less than two years old and can qualify for up to $5000 in contingency money. Owners must register online before competing in the event Additional Membership fees do apply. Skeeter Real Money can only be claimed 3 times per calendar year.

Caymas Cash

Caymas boats contingency program is called Caymas Cash. The Caymas Cash program has three different levels. The three different levels are Platinum, Silver, and Bronze. The Platinum level has over 50 different sanctioned trails that pay up to $10,000 if you win an event in a Caymas boat powered by a Yamaha, if the boat is powered by a different engine the angler can win $7000. Each level’s payout decreases, but at the Silver level still allows the owner to win $7000 in contingency money with any engine power. All events require a 60 boat minimum. The angler also needs to be a registered Caymas Cash member and additional membership fees do apply.

Blazer Boats

Blazer Bucks is Blazer’s contingency program. Their program allows anglers to win up to $5000 in contingency money. The program only has three tiers that allow you to win the $5000. The trails are the Bassmaster Elite Series, FLW Pro Circuit, and the FLW series events. An angler has the opportunity to win $2000 in contingency money if he or she is fishing one of the 7 other different sanctioned trails. The boat must be a 2018 or newer. You can win $500 in any event that has over 60 boats in it.

Charger Boats

Charger Boats has a very unique contingency program. If you are a Tag Contingency program member you are registered as a Charger Boats Contingency member. The requirements are the boat must be 3 years old or newer. Also what is unique about this program is that you are eligible to win the $5000 in Tag money if you are a platinum member, along with an additional $1000 from Charger Boats. There are 3 different membership levels.

3. Behind the Scenes

PRESENTED BY: SPRO
Tournament Combines Bass Fishing And Golf

The Missouri Invitational Fish & Golf Tournament at Old Kinderhook is an Old Kinderhook/ Bassing Bob event. This tournament was created by Bob Renken, Executive Director of Old Kinderhook and Bob Bueltmann, owner of Bassing Bob. As tournament anglers and golfers themselves, they came up with the idea of combining the two sports but with a twist. This type of tournament had been done before but not with the combination of the region’s top pro anglers matched up with amateurs. They knew this type of spin on the event would be just what was needed to have people from all over the country participate. The first tournament was held in the fall of 2015 and it was a huge success. The event consists of 2 days of fishing and 1 day of golf. They bring in 36 regional pro anglers along with 36 amateurs. The first and the third day of the event consists of fishing while the second day is the day reserved for golf. For more information please visit www.bassingbob.com.

4. Anglers Tribune

Ehrler Says No To Nose Hooking Under Certain Conditions

While MLF Bass Pro Tour professional Brent Ehrler has caught his fair share of bass nose hooking a soft plastic on a drop shot rig, there are certain conditions where he opts for a different rigging style. “Nose hooking, wacky rigging, or Texas rigging your soft plastic on a drop shot rig is what the majority of anglers do day in and day out.” says Ehrler. Using a slight variation in rigging style with his new Gamakatsu G-Finesse Weedless Stinger and Gamakatsu G-Finesse Stinger, has led Ehrler down a path of higher hook up and landing ratios, as well as increasing the amount of bites he gets under certain conditions. “The concept of threading the worm on a hook isn’t anything ground breaking, but is something that can make a huge difference in the amount of fish you hook up with under certain conditions. I discovered this during an event several years back where I was losing a lot of fish when I was nose hoking my worm while drop shotting,” said Ehrler. Making a slight adjustment in how he was rigging his soft plastic was the modification Ehrler needed to start hooking up with the finicky Smallmouth he had been losing prior to making the change. “I got clued in that the fish were biting my bait near the middle, or the tail, rather than focusing on the head of the worm. Simply threading my bait on the hook allowed me to start hooking up with more of the short striking fish, and have a solid finish at the event. The next time you are drop shotting and not hooking up with other conventional rigging styles give this a try. It will not only offer the fish a different look, but typically help your hook up ratio as well.” Ehrler concluded.

5. Baits Not Being Talked About

The SPRO RkCrawler is available in 4 new baitfish colors. Real Perch, Clear Gill, Nasty Shad, and Cell Mate now round out SPRO’s impressive lineup of RkCrawler colors.

PRESENTED BY: Gamakatsu
Top 10 Topwater Catches from 2019

Bassmaster recently posted their top 10 topwater catches from the 2019 Elite Series season. Check out these great segments to get you excited for your 2020 fishing season.

7. Jersey Watch

PRESENTED BY: Denali

Chad Pipken’s 2020 Jersey

Chad Pipken’s jersey features a similar look for 2020 with Douglas J being his title sponsor. Chad runs a Basscat Suzuki combination with Humminbird and Minn Kota electronics. He also works with several other non-endemic sponsors besides Douglas J like Tactacam, Flowrite and Clear Strategy. Industry brands like Damiki, Lunkerhunt, Swate, Sunline and new clothing sponsor AFTCO also sponsor the Michigan pro. Chad has two open spots on his sleeves for additional sponsors and the center of his jersey features a cartoon character based on his history with fishing, painting and hockey.

8. Regional Recommendations

The largest event dedicated to fisherman in the southeast will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The East Tennessee Fishing Show & Expo takes place January 23-26 in Knoxville,TN and will feature appearances from Wesley Strader, David Fritts, and Shaw Grigsby just to name a few.

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