East Texas bass pros on fence over Elite Series bids
It's crunch time for a trio of East Texas bass pros.
The first round of entry fee deposits ($8,000) for the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule comes due Dec. 1. Time for Nacogdoches' Todd Castledine, Hemphill's Stephen Johnston and Jasper's Chris McCall to either ante up or bow out on invitations earned to compete on what some consider to be professional bass fishing's most prestigious tournament trail.
The three anglers secured their Elite berths following the BASS Central Open finale held earlier this month on Atchafalaya Basin in Morgan City, La. Castledine, the division points leader after two tournaments, dropped to fifth after finishing 61st at the Basin. Johnston dropped to eighth on the heels of a 67th-place finish, while McCall moved into the fourth spot after finishing 16th in Louisiana.
Prestigious as it may be, the Elite tour also ranks among the most financially taxing in the sport. This holds especially true for an angler with a modest bank account, regular bills to pay and limited sponsorship to help bankroll a costly season on the water.
Entry fees for the eight-tournament season cost $44,000. Add in the $20,000-$30,000 in travel expenses each angler will need to follow the trail that will begin in California, end in Oklahoma and visit three other states in between, and it is easy to understand why the three Texas pros are beating the bushes in hopes of rustling up some extra cash to help fund their habit.
Castledine said in a recent interview that he is still undecided as to whether he will accept the invitation to fish the Elites or not.
"Fishing for a living is expensive, especially when you step up and go at it at this level," said 30-year-old Castledine, who has entered more than 40 local and minor league tournaments in 2009. "My main concern right now is the money. I don't want to run up a bunch of debt trying to fish. I've done that in the past, and it's not fun. Right now I'm just trying to work some deals and round up everything I can, then see where things are at in a couple of weeks. I might have to wait another year and try to requalify. That's not what I want to do, but I may have to take that route."
Like Castledine, McCall, 38, said he is still on the fence with his decison.
"My main deal is to not jump into it half cocked," said McCall, who competed full-time on the FLW Tour from 2003-08. "It's all about the money. Sure, I would like to do it if I can. I am working on it, but I am not sure how it is going to turn out. Things are really tight out there moneywise, and you can't get it done in the fishing industry. You have to go corporate or have a buddy who knows somebody with deep pockets who might be willing to help."
Johnston, 39, is holding his cards close to the vest as he awaits word from potential sponsors about the upcoming season.
"I've had a few good meetings with some people, but nothing is concrete just yet," said Johnston, who also runs a successful guide business on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. "We have two kids in college, so I really have to play it smart. I would really like to do it, but we'll just have see how everything shakes out. This is a family decision. If I'm not able to make it happen this year, I'll be back again next year."
Weekly Migratory Bird Hunting Report
From TPWD Reports
(Updated Wednesday)
* High Plains Mallard Management Unit: The region around Amarillo, Dumas and Spearman remain wet. Lots of playa lakes are available to use by wintering ducks and geese. Duck hunting has been good for mallards, wigeons, gadwalls and teal. Diver ducks have been hitting deeper playas and reservoirs. Outfitters say the Canada geese have finally arrived and decoying action has been steady over wheat and corn. Sandhill crane hunting has been fair to good because of balmy conditions, but the recent front should get things going again. Knox and Haskell counties need water, according to several sources. Duck hunting has been fair to good, with ducks here one day and gone the next. The area finally received their crop of geese this week. Specklebellies have been reliable as well. Outfitters say specks seem to be more abundant this year. Prospects are good.
* North Zone Duck: Waters are receding and boat ramps are becoming operable again. The latest blast of cold air pushed more mallards to the timber and flooded hardwoods. Wood duck action remains steady in backwaters. Gadwalls, wigeons and teal have been taken in the shallow coves of area lakes and reservoirs. Canvasbacks have been reported on Lake Fork, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and Lake O'Pines. Caddo Lake has seen gadwalls, divers and ringed-necks. Sloughs, backwaters and bayous should hold plenty of birds with the recent cold front and abundant food sources. Hunting has been fair to good on the coastal prairies along the southern boundaries of the North Zone. Brookshire, Winnie, China, Devers, Sealy and Columbus have all enjoyed steady shoots for teal, gadwalls, wigeons, pintails and shovelers. Prospects are fair to good.
* South Zone Duck: Duck hunting remains steady along the coastal prairies of Eagle Lake, Wharton, El Campo, Garwood, East Bernard, Hungerford, Lissie and Louise. Teal, gadwalls, wigeons, shovelers and pintails have made up the brunt of the bag. Inland ponds around Port Lavaca and Refugio have produced puddle ducks. Bay hunters enjoyed an influx of bird last week as redheads and scaup found shoalgrass in East Matagorda, West Matagorda, Espiritu Santo, San Antonio and Aransas bays. Good numbers of wigeons and gadwalls have also been taken in the marsh and salt. The High Island marsh has been fair at best, with more birds showing in the Trinity Bay marsh during the last five days. More snow geese showed over the weekend ahead of the front. Fair shoots were posted due to light winds and balmy conditions. Specklebellies have readily decoyed over rag spreads. Prospects are good.
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