go-bassn wrote:


Does the term "free" mean that the entry fees are paid or not?


__________________________________________________ ___________________


"The Federation is considered the ultimate grassroots bass-fishing
organization, and it has launched the careers of many tour pros. Now,
TBF Inc. will actually pay the entire entry-fee bill for one of its
members in the 2006 Bassmaster Elite Series. That's no small change,
since the Elite Series demands $55,000 in entry fees. Furthermore, Elite
Series anglers are required to run a wrapped boat.

"We've got a new program coming out that we'll be releasing here in just
the next few weeks," Cartlidge said. "It's called Living the Dream. What
we've done – and to be honest, we had it built, then with the new Elite
Series, we had to juggle things – but thanks to the generosity of our
partners at BASS, they made a spot on the (Elite Series) available to a
Federation angler – one of the Classic contenders."

He said TBF Inc. asked Ed Cowan to fill that spot, but due to family
obligations, he had to decline. Instead, South Dakota's Jami Fralick is
the man.

"Fralick agreed to the spot," Cartlidge said. "The Federation will put
him on tour in a wrap boat, and pick up his entry fees. Everybody thinks
they're as good as the tour pros, and we'll put a Federation angler out
there and let him (or her) live the dream.

"We're just now rolling that program out," he added. "We haven't written
a press release on it yet. Pennzoil is coming on as a major sponsor, and
we'll partner with other folks to make that happen. Our ultimate goal,
as this program grows, is hopefully by the second or third year, we'll
have all expenses and entry fees and $50,000 more per year to live on.
We're talking the dream – paying for everything."
__________________________________________________ _____________________

That was then, this is now. Haven't heard anything else about it, but I
suspect the fallout between BASS and TBF has thrown a whole bag of
monkey wrenches into the works.