We are still discussing this?

Is your love of the sport any less because another sport is more popular? I have to scream a huge "Who Cares?" in your general direction. Makes no difference to me. I'll stay fit and feel good and Tony Stewart may drop dead from a heart attack in a couple years. Then again, I may drop dead from a heart attack in a couple years, who knows. Life's to short to worry about who's sport is more popular.

I dissagree. It takes a lot of effort to cary a several cases of beer from my car down the steep ramp and into the boat.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

It's crazy huge. There are several local bass tourneys a year near me and one pro tournament (maybe two). They sell out the local tournaments. The weigh in for the pro tournament packs out a 5,000 seat stadium here in central Arkansas.

Also, we think we spend money...these guys have serious rigs. Their boat alone can cost from $20-40K. Not to mention the truck to pull it and all the gear, lures, etc. And they're sponsored by local car dealerships, beer distributors, etc.

Anyway, tons of money and participation in these events.

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-Stephen in Arkansas

The 2012 tournament guide for Minnesota is a 43 page PDF with roughly 360 contests. All offer prize money. Quite a few have $100K in prize money. A few have up to $250K. That is one state.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/...ents/tourneylist.pdf

Clearly if anyone is thinking of becoming a pro triathlete, they might do better to switch to tournament fishing.

The closest home town tri in my area usually has about 300 participants. The annual bass tournament in the same town usually has about the same from what I've been told. The biggest difference is that if you win the tri you get a medal. If you win the bass tournament you'll get $10,000.

Well let's see....

If you win a Bass fishing tourney you can win money from the boat manufacturer, the motor manufacturer and that is over and beyond the tourney prize moneys. So in the "right" tourney, the winner can walk away with several (read around $5,000) for just fishing out of a Ranger/NItro/Skeeter. Also they can win another several (read again $5,000) for just having a Mercury/Yamaha motor hanging on the back of the boat.

I think around the larger fishing lakes (Lake Fork, Texas) there are many tournements going on all of the time. These range from the smaller ones on up to the ones with 2,000 to 3,000 boats (the McDonald's or Skeeter events).

I have a cheap used boat, but the newer ones can run upwards of $70-$80K. Just a tad more than a tri bike.

A tournement fisherman would have around 15-20 rod/reels in the boat. These can run from inexpensive to very. But if you consider an average of only $300 per set-up, then that is $4,500 to $6,000 just in rod/reels. Lets not even discuss the cost of the baits/lures being used.

So there is way more marketing opportunities than in triathlons.