Out of state fishing license: $24
A week’s worth of meals at the local podunk bar and grill: $150
Seven days of gas and oil for the boat: $425
Bringing a B.A.S.S. tourney to town: Priceless
One of the first arguments bass anglers like to make whenever tourneys are questioned is that they bring a significant economic impact to an area where they are held. While it is probably an economy of scale thing, a news story in The Daily Commercial (Talavares, FL) this spring detailing the economic specifics of January’s Bass Pro Shops Southern Division Bassmaster Open on the Harris Chain of Lakes provides some interesting data that backs that argument up.
Some highlights from the story include;
- 400 anglers participated, and brought as many as 400 guests with them.
- 108 (27%) of the anglers were from Florida, while the other 73% represented 31 other states and 2 other countries.
- Paid lodging nights (hotel room nights) totaled 1,846.
- After lodging, meals, fuel, bait (artificial), etc., direct economic impact came out to about $553,000. Indirect/induced economic impact, a somewhat more vague figure calculated by multiplying the direct calculated figure X’s 3, amounted to another $1.65 million.
Bill Neron is the city’s economic development department Director. “Who would have thought a fishing tournament would have 1,700 to 1,800 hotel room nights? That is powerful,” Neron said.
For more specifics on the study, the most complete economic survey of an event the city has conducted, as well as term definitions used in the article, click the link above in the opening paragraph – powerful stuff.
4 Comments
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Jared Burgess
June 19, 2012 at 8:57 am
its still not worth all the pressure they bring to the lake, because it ruins the fishing. not them whacking ’em in particular but they way the pros “out” all the hard to find spots, patterns, and baits these days. they are giving away the information that you learn by…fishing. now a guy fresh off the street can watch BASS coverage and not be far off from what ive worked/fished for years to learn. has turned me away from it more than it has brought me closer to the “sport”
NOLA Mike
June 19, 2012 at 5:20 pm
i believe it is worth the pressure. more exposure and popularity for the sport we all love. if the average guy off the street comes to the lake after watching the elite series and brings his friends or even better his children and introduces them to bass fishing, its a very small price to pay in my opinion.
Jared Burgess
June 20, 2012 at 11:13 am
I take kids fishing and i take old men fishin too and i see the good in that BUT this idea of making bass fishing more popular…ive never understood the point in it, what does it bring ME, a tried and true grass roots bassin member? It brings sponsors, pros, and media $$$ and leaves locals with less and less fish. from my and other grass roots guys’ perspective, it looks more like exploitation than truly caring for and trying to better the sport. i respect your opinion mike as that thought is shared and voiced by many (most often by people who profit from it) – but i see another side as i hear more and more grass roots guys talking about the effects on our local lakes. to each his own
C. J. Young
June 23, 2012 at 7:51 pm
the economics are irrefutable. However, regarding the pressure and or information the pros impart relative to any given fishery is harmless. I have been involved with bass fishing for 40+years and even with all the info provided I can’t go to Toho, the big O, St. Johns etc. and whack a 20-30# plus bag with any kind of regularity as do the pros. The only harm I see is that the regulars who cherry pick the jackpot tournaments on their local waters now have a little more level playing field than before. Stop and smell the coffee, the Harris chain is still a remarkable fishery regardless of or maybe because of the effect of the pros.