Story by Brad Fuller | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Let’s cut through the noise. The professional fishing industry is at a crossroads, and whether we like it or not, the decisions being made today will define the sport for generations to come. Too many people are tiptoeing around hard truths, afraid to upset sponsors, organizations, or the loudest voices in the room. But here at the NPFL, we’re not afraid to ruffle some feathers. So, let’s get real about the state of our sport.
The Death of Pure Competition
Somewhere along the way, professional fishing lost sight of its roots. The days of showing up with a handful of rods, a gut instinct, and a will to win are fading into history. In its place? A technological arms race that’s not just reshaping competition—it’s threatening to gut it entirely.
There’s a hard truth nobody wants to admit: if you strip away all the tech and all the “innovations,” how many of today’s anglers would still be able to compete at the highest level?
The NPFL took a stand by banning forward-facing sonar, not because we’re anti-technology, but because we believe in preserving the essence of competition. Anglers should win based on skill, decision-making, and experience—not who has the deepest pockets or the best electronics engineer in their corner.
At its core, professional bass fishing should be simple: who can go out and catch the biggest five bass? That’s the foundation of the sport, and that’s what fans connect with. The excitement of watching a pro angler grind it out, make key adjustments, and rely on his or her instincts to land the right fish—that’s what keeps the sport authentic and compelling. The more we move away from that, the more we risk losing what makes bass fishing great.
Chasing the Money … and Losing the Soul
Let’s talk about another reality: sponsors in this industry have been dealt a raw hand from all sides. Any major sponsor of any tour struggles to get the return on investment they truly deserve based on the money they’re spending. That’s not just unfortunate—it’s a fundamental reason why this industry has difficulty keeping non-endemic sponsors happy for long. There are exceptions, but many of those relationships have endured because of personal connections between anglers and sponsors more than the leagues themselves fostering strong partnerships.
We know this because we’ve sat in the rooms, heard the stories, and seen firsthand how sponsors have been burned. The NPFL isn’t here to fix every wrong of the past, but we are willing to turn over the first rock or two and start pushing for a better way forward.
Fishing should be about the anglers, the fans, and the thrill of competition. But too often, decisions are being made in boardrooms instead of on weigh-in stages. When tournament formats and rule changes are dictated by what’s most profitable instead of what’s best for the sport, we all lose.
At the NPFL, we built this league with a different philosophy: anglers first. We believe the integrity of the sport comes before corporate interests. If that means bucking industry trends, so be it. We don’t exist to please everyone—we exist to do what’s right for the future of professional fishing.
Fans Deserve Better
Professional bass fishing doesn’t exist without fans. They keep the sport alive, and right now, they’re getting a watered-down version of what fishing should be.
Our job isn’t to dumb down professional fishing to make it more “marketable.” It’s to make professional fishing something worth watching. That means unpredictable competition, high-level execution, and the raw, unscripted drama that only this sport can deliver.
Where We Go From Here
The NPFL was not built to follow. We were built to do what we feel is right. If, for whatever reason, that gets us tagged as leaders, then so be it. Leading means making tough calls, standing by them, and pushing forward no matter how many people tell us we’re wrong.
Look, we aren’t for everyone—that’s what makes all this fun and interesting. You can watch to bring your hate or you can watch to bring your love—as long as you’re watching, that’s all we care about.
Hell, in my opinion, it might very well be the thing that brings all this crashing down. And you know what? That’s okay. I’d rather go down doing things the way they were supposed to be done than cave into the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” rut. I’m not for that, and you shouldn’t be either.
We have drawn the first proverbial line in the sand with the FFS ban. Now we just go be ourselves, let nature take its course, and let the chips fall where they may. If we win, then great. If we lose … well, we regroup and figure it out.
The truth is, professional fishing is at a breaking point. Either we double down on preserving competition, integrity, and the pure thrill of the sport, or we continue down a path where it becomes nothing more than a technology showcase and a corporate playground.
We know where we stand. Do you?
