Wagering on a winner in bass fishing! How I would bet on bass fishing if I were a betting man..but of course I'm not.

By Terry Brown

The odds makers haven't found bass fishing as a mainline betting alternative yet but if they do I would imagine they would look at all the variables.

Much like the horses or other sporting events bass fishing does have some things that bookies know about and betters stew over. The bass fishing pundits today consist of the fans and the media and they look at everything including history when predicting a winner for each event. Some are on target while others couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a hand of sand.

Since I am not a gambler I wouldn't know much about it but if I were I would look at several things.

Riverboats not withstanding..I would like to wager on sure things only and bet on the tangible versus the intangible..the solid versus the soft...the definite versus the maybe's.

Food for thought

If I was a betting man..and I'm not, I would look very strongly at my picks for the upcoming Elite Series Tournament on the Mississippi River Pool 19 and go through the list to look for river rats, risk takers and grinders. I would look for long runners and the daring, James Bond types and the creative ones. I would look for adventurers and ones that own a chainsaw and those that don't pay for their boats themselves. I most definitely would put my cash, if I bet, on someone who was not concerned about gas prices or scratching a 60K boat. A ton of thought would go into my picks. You will see why later.

If I was a betting man but of course I am not I would look at the likes of river die-hards Denny Brauer, Tommy Biffle, Gerald Swindle, Scott Rook, Stephen Browning, Mark Davis and Mike McClelland. I might even throw a dash of Pete Ponds, Dean Rojas, Clark Reehm, and Kevin Short into the mix. All know how to fish rivers with vegetation and wood. With high water, you have to have guts so that would be a variable I would place in the mix. If I was a betting man and I'm not they would all be safe bets. But that is only if I were a betting man and of course I am not.

If I were ever to bet which I never would, I would look at the flippers and pitchers, the spinnerbaiters and the crankers and I would definitely look at those mentally tough anglers like Alton Jones, Gary Klein, Rick Clunn, Mark Tucker and Marty Stone. Of course I might even look at Kevin VanDam since he as had success everywhere but that would only make sense if I were to bet and of course I don't. I listen to the anglers too. Alton Jones says KVD can catch a limit in a toilet so he would have to be on my short list.

I most definitely would look at the anglers that can throw a frog or a buzzbait. I would look at the guys who like small spinnerbaits and shallow diving crankbaits and I would see who has fished a small worm, jig or creature bait effectively around wood, grass or pads in the past. Those that know what a salt craw, ring worm or a sweet beaver is would be high on my odds list too. I would also look very hard for the anglers that know current and how to fish eddies and logjams. I would be careful to find someone who knows what floxum is too. I would only do all of this if I were a betting man but of course I am not.

Off limits, miles and miles of river, rock piles, current, islands, backwaters, main river, wood, grass, rip rap, boat draw, wind direction and cold fronts...too many variables to keep track of even for a media type. I am not sure I would bet even if I could but as you know....I Don't. How could you?

Moral of the story: Vegas doesn't have a chance with professional bass fishing.