Future of the RCL??

[Dutchman]

Recent major changes in the business climate of the RCL
1. Crestliner and Lund sold to Brunswick (not a major sponsor of the RCL)
2. Yamaha Motors decision to not provide pre-rigging items for Lund and Crestliner.(Yamaha is a major supporter of the RCL)
3.Evinrude is remaining quiet. Still looking for solid ground to stand on.
4.Ranger remains with Genmar( the concept of the RCL came from Genmar)

What do you guy's and gal's think???? Will the RCL survive????



"Fishing is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope"

R= Ranger C= Champion S= Stratos gives RCS ckt. all owned by Genmar?

moreyes

[Netminder]

How about the LCP L=Lund C=Crestliner P=Princecraft (all owned by Brunswick) or maybe the CLP or PCL or LPC, CPL, or the AMF, or is it the AFL, no wait the TLC??? Oh the heck with it I'll wait til next year and let the pins fall where they may LOL!! There will still be enough tournaments to go around. I don't think we've seen the last of big money walleye tournaments just yet.

Netminder

"Learn from the mistakes of others, because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself"

It will become the "FLW Walleye Tour".

I do think that the future of tournaments is secure but I think we are about to see the distressing spectacle of a flood of "pros" changing boat and motor lines in order to qualify to stand in line with their entry fees. Once again the “next level” of professional fishing will be much lower than the previous one. “Pros” are quickly losing any and all value as product spokesmen.

Just watch and see. Yamaha will drop out of RCL and Mercury will become a motor sponsor. They will still get all the promotional value and Genmar will get the added 30 million in future earnings. Remember the boat companies are not the most important sponsors of this circuit. Just "SHOW ME THE MONEY."

You think Irwin is going to promote his competitors product? Remember he owns no motor company so he could careless what motor company ponies up the dough. But if anyone thinks he will now be promoting Brunswick boats they are sadly mistaken. Irwin will just pick two more of his boat lines that need a sales increase and they will be the lines "pros" will have to purchace to play the game. Just wait and see.

Ever thought of a "Ranger Walleye Cup" series?

[Sunshine]

This whole conversation will make great winter reading. I don’t think any of us will hear final answers until ice is covering most of our lakes again. My crystal ball says that Irwin will follow the FLW model. It’s working in the bass world for him. There may be a Ranger Cup series but I doubt that it would be the only tournament series that he would invest in.

I may not agree with all decisions that the man makes (Irwin) but I’m always amazed with his business decisions and how he knows when to buy and sell. I wish I had his knowledge.

Irwin knows balance sheets. He's a telecommunications guy. Think he even knows what a walleye is? What are the odds he even knows there is a RCL walleye tour? Look at all the boats in Irwins new line up..... walleye boats/fisherman series makes up only a slice of Ranger's total sales. Ranger is only a small slice of Irwin's total sales. This has been one of my beefs all along - Ranger doesn't survive on walleye boat sales - companies like Tuffy, Yarcraft, Warrior and such did and still do. My $.02.

If Irwin even knows an RCL tour exists - what do you think his commitment to it is? He only wants to know one thing - is it making me money or costing me money?