This was one of the tougher events we have been to in a while.  I really felt like Cherokee had good potential but things just didn't set up well when we were there.  I ended up getting the last place check in 37th place and was happy to leave there with good points towards getting back to Lake Conroe and the Texas Toyota Bass Classic. 

 The other great news this year is the PAA's new All-Star Series in 2011.  This will be a no entry fee series that many anglers have been looking forward to and wanting for years.  If this series goes according to plan it will be the most exciting thing to hit professional fishing in many many years.  The goal of the PAA is for there to be a legitimate qualification process Tour with no entry fee.  We all know that there are many talented anglers that are not on Tour simply because of the $30k-$60k a year it takes to get out there.  I was lucky because when I graduated college it only cost me $12k to fish the Bassmaster Tour (now called the Elite's).  There would be no way I would have ever been a professional angler now straight out of college trying to come up with $60k.  NO WAY! Period.  That is why you are seeing guys like Justin Rackley (a previous national collegiate champion) fishing the PAA Series.  Several other good talented college fisheremen have found a home this year on the PAA Tour. The younger TRUE talent anglers know that even if they made it through the Bassmaster Open Series and qualified for the Elites then there would be no way they could even afford to compete with the best in the world.  That is not where our sport needs to be.  A professional sport in my opinion should showcase the best talent in the world not the best money.  The majority of the fans know this and they want to see an event that brings the best talent that our sport has to offer.  I don't question the talent level of the player in the NBA, NFL, and MLB but the number one thing I hear as a professional angler is..."aren't those guys on Tour just rich?"  That makes me cringe every-time because the truth to the question is YES, many are simply loaded with money, but many are not and made it on raw talent but should a "professional sport" even have those level players? 

The PAA All-Star Series will not reach it's full potential overnight but I believe it is the best format and concept that I have seen in Professional fishing since I have been in the business the past decade.  I am a fan of fishing just as much as a participant and I want to see the best talent have a chance at competing at the highest level.  If the PAA makes this series work we will see a new motivation in guys that we all know locally on your favorite lake or area of the state that have great talent but never tried hitting the Tour before because of the dollar factor involved.  The great thing about the PAA is it's a not for profit business and the money goes back to the fishermen rather than private interest.  In all these tough times that people are talking about daily there is a little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.....