Welcome to the WBT blog

Bruce Mathis, September 17, 2007

A message from Christie

Next week, while most of us are at the final WBT tournament of the season in Shreveport, La., there will be some who are unable to make it for various reasons. One of those people is Christie Thomas from South Africa. Christie is currently in 28th place in the Angler of the Year race and stood a very good chance to qualify for one of the 12 spots in the WBT Championship. Unfortunately, following the tournament on Kentucky Lake in June, Christie encountered difficulty extending her sports visa and was required to return to South Africa, dashing any hopes of qualifying for the Championship.

I mention Christie's situation because Deb and I recently received an e-mail from Christie asking us to pass along a message to her WBT sisters. Here it is:

I had hoped to be able to have a couple of minutes during registration to speak to you at this final event of the 2007 WBT season. Unfortunately our plans are not always the Lord's plans and I have had to return to South Africa to wait for my sports visa to be finalized. I hope to be able to return to the States in January for the start of the 2008 season.

To those of you who do not know me, I wanted to introduce myself, and to those of you who do know me, I wanted to tell you a bit more about myself. Firstly, I am a WBT competitor. That is where many of us have grown to know each other as friends and rivals. Secondly, I am a journalist. Plenty of you have been on the receiving end of my voice recorder and have been featured in my articles. I write for two South African fishing magazines, and my main objective is education. My goal is to be able to enlighten every aspiring bass angler in matters pertaining presentation, new techniques, conservation, etc. I know several of the people interviewed have been a bit surprised at the intensity of my questions so I want to reassure you that my motives are sincere. The more information I can gather, the more detailed my articles can be and the more I can share with other anglers. Unfortunately the printed magazines are only available in South Africa, but my articles are published on my Web site exactly as they appear in the magazines.

I would like to ask you to appreciate the wonderful opportunities you have in your country and to take nothing for granted. You have all fought so hard to have your own professional bass tour. Do not give up on it now. Your country is the ONLY country in the world that offers women the opportunity to fish for bass professionally. Please do not be impatient and expect the same rewards that men have worked for years to achieve. Yes, we would all love to be able to cash large checks and go home in the knowledge that we can retire because we can earn enough to fish exclusively. Unfortunately, we need to face reality and realize that the only way this can happen is to accept that we are the pioneers and that we are not only fishing for ourselves but for our sisters who will follow us in years to come.

I will miss every single one of you at the Red River. I feel incredibly sad that I am not able to fish this last tournament of the season with you but realize the importance of getting my visa issues sorted out properly so that I am able to return to your country to continue the pursuit of my dream — to be a professional bass angler.

Tight Lines & Happy Fishing!

Christie Thomas
South Africa

Knowing Christie as many of you do, she had to be heartbroken that she was unable to be at the Red River tournament, but she has accepted her situation and will continue to follow her dream in the future. If her comments do not hit home, they should. We are blessed to live in this great country called the United States of America, the land of opportunity. Too often, each and every one of us takes for granted the many things we are able to do because of where we live in this world.

Bruce Mathis, September 6, 2007

The Future of the WBT

Over the last several weeks I've received e-mails inquiring about a rumor that the WBT will not take place next year. Here it is coming from the horse's mouth:

The rumor is false.

I need to do some explaining though because in one of my previous blogs I indicated that BASS was doing a total re-evaluation of the WBT. I did not mean to give anyone the impression, or stir concern, that the WBT was in jeopardy of going away. In fact, it is just the opposite.

BASS is solidly committed to the WBT. The WBT was not singled out for re-evaluation, BASS does this with every component of its business annually, just like any successful business owner would normally do. It has dedicated a tremendous amount of time, money and manpower for the development of the WBT and wants to make sure it is spending these resources wisely. And just like any other business, after reviewing all its information, will make whatever adjustments it feels it needs to make to add to the stability of the program

I also want to add that all of the ladies who fish with the WBT have been doing a tremendous job and doing their part in making the WBT a success. Your support and dedication have been overwhelming. Thank you!

2008 Schedule
I think I have responded to a couple of hundred e-mail inquiries about when the 2008 schedule will be released. I am happy to report that the last piece to the puzzle for the 2008 WBT, schedule, format, pay-outs, rules, etc. is finally falling into place. Letters of intent from next year's hosts are all supposed to be in-hand Friday, September 7, 2007. The information is tentatively scheduled to be announced next week. Everyone needs to keep their fingers crossed.

And again, I want to thank everyone who provided BASS with feedback and concerns over the past year. All of your input is helpful as we make the necessary adjustments to serve the majority of participants at all levels of competition. Your input is always greatly appreciated.

Please continue to e-mail Deb or me with all of your suggestions and questions:

Bruce Mathis: bruce.j.mathis@bassmaster.com
Deb Wilkinson: deborah.l.wilkinson@bassmaster.com

Red River
Deb and I have both been receiving reports that the conditions at the Red River have continued to improve. It should be an exciting and fun event. The local hosts, Red River South Marina and Bass Pro Shops, are going out of their way to accommodate the WBT.

Until next time, take care.

Deb Wilkinson, August 30, 2007

Bad Luck Bananas

With all the challenges we have had concerning the rain and Red River water levels, why only weeks from the tournament would anyone even breathe the word banana?

Call it tempting fate, a mischievous nature, or just plain old curiosity; I wanted to know where this superstition began.

It seems to have all started in the 17th and 18th centuries when transatlantic crossings were done in wooden sailing ships. Many a captain, crew member and passenger lost his life to a storm, pirates or disease.

During these crossings and in order to replenish provisions, ships would stop at tropical island ports. During these mini furloughs, the passengers and crew would disembark, mingle with the locals, and often purchase crates of critter-infested bananas which they would bring back on board.

These little hitchhikers would take up residence deep in the ship's hull, multiply, and then infest the entire ship, especially the Captain's quarters.

The captain in turn, would start a rumor that bananas were bad luck, in hopes of discouraging passengers from bringing purchased crates of bananas on board, and hopefully keeping the unwanted critters off his ship and out of his cabin.

It's amazing that even today, centuries later, we still have the superstition of bananas and the rumor mill.

The ramp has been changed from Stoner Avenue to the Red River South Marina.

Check the WBT schedule and fact sheet page for additional information.

I have a feeling this is going to be the best WBT event to date, especially since the first day of official practice falls on September 13th.

I hope none of you are superstitious!

Tight Lines!

Deb

Bruce Mathis, August 23, 2007

Keeping your eye on the prize

I hope everyone is getting as excited as I am about the upcoming event in Shreveport, La., on the Red River. Not only will the WBT Championship qualifiers be determined, but the Toyota Tundra WBT Angler of the Year will also be crowned in both the pro and co-angler divisions.

Presently Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., (1190 points) and Laura Elkins of Amarillo, Texas, (1065) are leading in their respective divisions, and I know neither of them wants to relinquish her lead. But there are contenders who can still overtake them and win those prestigious titles.

Although I am very excited about who will win and represent the WBT family, I also bring those points up for a reason. I might be totally off base in what I am trying to point out, but the primary goal that every angler should have when they enter any tournament should be to win the event. Winning the event not only gains them the top prize, it adds a title to place on their resume. That helps when trying to garner sponsorships. And the experience of handling the media attention, the amount of confidence one gains, etc., is invaluable. Every bit of winning a tournament provides tools for an angler's benefit.

My reason for addressing this is that many anglers seem to lose sight of what the primary goal should be, that is, "winning each tournament." We all know that after we do well in several tournaments we will add additional goals to our list, such as qualifying for the Championship event and winning the AOY race. But if we lose sight of the primary goal and decide not to participate in the remainder of events on the schedule, we may never attain them.

Red River Registrations
Even though the balance due date passed, registration is still open. Late entry fees will not apply until after the field is full.

Miscellaneous
Presently we have less pros than co-anglers, but it is very close. If the field does not even itself out, there could be some co-anglers who might not get to fish the tournament. The co-anglers "on the bubble" will be contacted and informed of that possibility no later than next week. After that it's a wait and hope it evens itself out situation.

Please continue to e-mail Deb or myself with all of your suggestions and questions at:

Bruce Mathis: bruce.j.mathis@bassmaster.com
Deb Wilkinson: deborah.l.wilkinson@bassmaster.com

Angler Profiles
I hope everyone is enjoying the new angler profile each week. We recently heard from Laura Heflin that being profiled helped her in attaining her first sponsor. Those are the kind of things we are hoping will happen to others.

I currently have about fifty people that have submitted their profiles. I encourage anyone who has not submitted hers to take the time to complete the template and get it back to me. Who knows, maybe it will mean gaining that first or a bigger sponsor.

Profiles are randomly selected for posting. And we understand that as time goes by information will become outdated, but if your profile is selected, you will be contacted for a quick update. Who knows? Your profile may be next.

Deb Wilkinson, August 14, 2007

Following the yellow brick waterway... the Red River

Have you ever thought about how much the logistics of a fishing tournament and the voyage to the Wizard of Oz have in common?

During our travels down the yellow brick waterway, we encounter a multitude of characters and circumstances that forever shape our lives.

Our goal is to click our heels together and magically make it back home to the stage, so that our fish can be weighed and our stories about the wonderful adventures we had through out the day can be told.

It's the courage of the Cowardly Lion that allows us to avert our eyes from the depth gauge and motor into unexplored oxbows.

The heart and compassion of the Tin Man reminds us to check the livewells, recirculate the water, add ice when necessary, and take ownership for the care and survival of the fish we catch.

But the Scarecrow's gift, our brain, seems at times to be the hardest of all for us to utilize.

I have seen anglers, time after time, come off the water at the end of a tournament day, telling stories about over thinking the water, or almost getting into a situation by not thinking it through first.

Then there's, Glinda the Good Witch, the Wicked Witch of the West, and of course Dorothy. I can see every one of you smiling as you read this, because you all know that somewhere within each one of us lives a little piece of each one of these characters.

I like to believe that we are all 99% Dorothy. The little girl from a small town, who got to go on an adventure of a lifetime, that no other little girl had ever experienced before, but might someday get to because she had the courage, the heart, and the brains to weather the storm.

The Red River waters are still receding, so tournament water plans and ramps remain unchanged.

Be sure to check the online fact sheet for information updates regarding the host hotel and registration briefing sites.

Oh yes, and don't forget your gifts, both on and off the water.

See you soon! Tight lines!

Deb

Bruce Mathis, August 2, 2007

More on Red River

Red River
After the first posting of the WBT Blog, I got a few e-mails from those who were alarmed by the conditions at the Red River location and who wanted to know what alternate locations we were considering. My response was the same to everyone who inquired.

We provided the information to make people aware that we are always looking ahead at every location we go to, but there are no plans to make a change unless conditions are so dangerous that we would be placing participants in harm's way. We stay in continuous contact with the host, fish and wildlife service, water authorities and anglers from the immediate area to monitor conditions. It is only as a very last resort that a tournament location would be changed, but we always look ahead and have a Plan B.

The tournament is still seven weeks away, and the reports we have been receiving indicate that the water level is declining each day. Everyone we have contacted or heard from has indicated that conditions are improving daily and there should be no concern of having to relocate.

Madeline Smith submitted a suggestion that could be a good resource to those anglers fishing the Red River Tournament. Go to the Red River site we provided earlier or her Web site (www.ladybassangler.com) and view videos on how to use the lock system on the Red River.

Helen Gordon reported that on the same weekend of the WBT Tournament the Media Bass Championship will be held out of Clark's Marina. It has a potential of having 100-130 qualifiers. In addition, the middle of September is also the middle of teal season on the river.

Red River Registrations
There continues to be space available to register for this upcoming event. Please register early and encourage others to do the same. The balance due date is August 30, 2007.

Angler Profile
Congratulations to JoDee Bucki for being the first WBT angler profiled under the new formatting of the WBT homepage. To date I have received approximately 50 profiles. Please take the time to submit your profile along with your Web site and a picture. Profiles will be randomly selected on a weekly basis for posting. As time goes by we understand information will become outdated, but if your profile is selected, you will be contacted for a quick update.

Miscellaneous
Almost on a daily basis Deb and I receive e-mails from anglers and avid WBT supporters making suggestions on ways to improve the WBT or asking why things are done a certain way. Most of the time our responses shed new light on a particular topic.

One particular inquiry that we receive from time to time is, "Why do only 12 pros and 12 co-anglers get to qualify for the WBT Championship?"

Well, it's several things. The WBT has to learn to walk before it can run. We are only in year two and are working to grow to where we want to be in the future. Discussions are currently taking place on possible changes for future championships.

The present format was put in place as a way to get the WBT exposure while held in conjunction with the premier event of the sport, the Bassmaster Classic. Hopefully in the future, the WBT Championship will move away from the Classic as its own stand-alone event. Then the number of qualifiers can be increased to reward a greater number of people for their hard work throughout the year.

There were a number of other additional items considered when BASS decided to conduct the championship in conjunction with the Classic. Not only did it have to consider the number of participants, but it had to consider the scheduling, the overall cost, whether it would be a distraction to the premier event, and many other things.

The future of the entire WBT program, including the championship, is being re-evaluated, and your input is important to BASS. Please continue to e-mail Deb or myself with all of your suggestions and questions:

Bruce Mathis: bruce.j.mathis@bassmaster.com
Deb Wilkinson: deborah.l.wilkinson@bassmaster.com

2008 WBT Schedule
Inquiries regarding the schedule continue to come in on a daily basis. The only update I can provide at this time is there are not plans to conduct any WBT tournaments in the months of January, February (with the exception of the WBT Championship), July, August, November or December.

I hope that helps. Until next time, take care.

Bruce

Deb Wilkinson, July 26, 2007

Adventures on the Red River

With the final tournament of the second season quickly approaching, I have to smile as I look back on the last two years and recall all the unique and, at times, hilarious events that have taken place along the way. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for constantly exercising my sense of humor. I promise that when I'm 90 and pen my memoirs, moments such as Lila Bass motoring through check-in, sporting a fully inflated bright yellow PFD around her neck with her face barely visible, will certainly be included.

During the WBT adventures of these last two years, I've laughed, cried, held my breath, bit my tongue and loved every minute of it. So now ladies, let's get on to our next adventure — the Red River!

Newton's Third Law of Motion states, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

The fish tugs on the line in one direction, and the angler at the other end of the line tugs in the opposite direction. Hopefully the angler will win out, but as we all know, this is not always the case. Where am I going with this, and what does physics have to do with fishing on the Red River?

How do you think the Corps of Engineers calculates the speed at which the river is moving, or when the waters will recede or reach flood stage? Physics of course!

According to the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS), in corporation with the Corps of Engineers, the current water levels on the Red River are at 25.92 feet. They are dropping and expected to continue to recede.

To put that number — 25.92 feet — in perspective, here are the Red River flood stages:

Major Flood Stage: 33 ft

Moderate Flood Stage: 31.5 ft

Flood Stage: 30 ft

Action Stage: 26 ft

If you are interested in monitoring the water levels on the Red River, check the AHPS link.

With the waters receding and the predictions indicating that to be the trend, plans have not changed for our tournament. We will fish the Red River.

But, just in case we need a Plan B, rest assured that we have one.

There is still plenty of room for both pros and co-anglers who want to participate in this event. So let's fill the field, and create some more adventures I can include in my memoirs.

Tight Lines!
Deb

Bruce Mathis, July 23, 2007

Welcome to the WBT blog!

WBT Tournament Manager, Deb Wilkinson, and I, will be alternates in providing information to you regarding the WBT. Deb will focus on upcoming tournaments, tournament detail information and the WBT rules. I will continue to provide information as I have in past e-mail blasts and cover anything from soup to nuts.

Everyone has been sent an angler profile to complete and return to me. The first profile will be featured next Tuesday.

We will continue to post stories written by WBT anglers, and links to articles that have appeared in other publications. Look for them here on the WBT page.

The WBT blog will be the place to get the most up-to-date information, and we encourage everyone to spread the word. Deb and I will continue to be available through our e-mail addresses for direct questions and general feedback and suggestions.

Bruce Mathis: bruce.j.mathis@bassmaster.com
Deb Wilkinson: deborah.l.wilkinson@bassmaster.com

Red River Registrations

We currently have 47 pros and 66 co-anglers who have either paid their deposit or full registration for Red River. We have another 11 pros and 8 co-anglers who are linked, but have not paid their deposit. Total numbers are 58 pros and 74 co-anglers.

The balance due date is August 30, 2007. We have a ways to go to fill the field, so register early and encourage others you know who to do the same. This is their opportunity to test the waters for next year.

Red River News

Conditions on the high water levels at Red River are being monitored continually. Click here to view pictures of the current conditions.

Presently we are being told by the local host that the conditions should change for the better within the next couple of weeks. BASS is making arrangements for a Plan B in the same geographical area should safety concerns continue and warrant a change in venue.

Locking on the Red River

Deb provided me the following information regarding an inquiry about locks on the Red River.

We will be putting in at Pool #5 just above Lock #5, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr.
You may lock down through Lock #5, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., into Pool #4
You may lock down through Lock #4, Russell B. Long, into Pool #3
You must stop when you get to Lock & Dam #3

View the lock system.

2008 WBT Schedule

I have been receiving numerous inquiries regarding next year's schedule. The 2008 WBT event schedule is currently being organized by BASS. I promise to let you know something as soon as it's finalized.

Dispelled Rumor

I recently received an e-mail inquiring about a rumor that BASS had been purchased by Bass Pro Shops. Please rest assured that this is absolutely and unequivocally untrue.

Until next time, take care.

Bruce

Click here to JOIN BASS!

Got an opinion? Click ESPN conversation below to post your comment about this story.

Back to Top