Is Bass Fishing The Next Nascar?

By Christine Selvaggi Baumann
Orlando Business Journal
Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET March 20, 2005

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The results of a corporate synergy campaign involving ESPN Inc., its parent, Walt Disney Co., and the world's largest fishing organization soon will shine a big-time national spotlight on Central Florida.

In October, fishing group BASS announced it would move its headquarters from Montgomery, Ala., to Osceola County. Since that time, company officials have developed an intricate plan to partner the growing BASS brand with the marketing prowess of Disney, whose sports network bought BASS four years ago.

In the coming years, company officials and experts familiar with synergic value of branding believe the results will be staggering. If done right, they say, Orlando's Walt Disney Resort will become known as a private-lake bass fishing paradise.

Additionally, through ESPN's huge audience reach, lakes throughout Central Florida will garner national attention. And, experts say, with more professional tournaments being held here, the region could enhance the immeasurable: Its reputation, credibility and prestige.

"It's not an overstatement to say it's clearly a new era for bass fishing," says George McNeilly, a BASS spokesman.

"We think that bass fishing is where NASCAR was 10 years ago, but it's on its way up," adds Greg Waldron, fishing operations manager for Walt Disney World Resort.

ESPN -- with its seven networks, two radio stations, magazine and five Web sites -- is credited with muscling the effort it took to launch NASCAR into a full-fledged sport. Now, McNeilly says it's fishing's turn.

"We're working closely to build upon the momentum that already has begun."

The beginning of something special
Though Disney stocked its 850 acres of lakes with bass in the 1970s and has since operated a catch-and-release program, fishing excursions were never marketed or advertised until recently.

Slowly, Disney grew its daily fishing trips from two to 23. A year ago, it branded the $200 to $400 trips as BASS fishing excursions, added a trademark and created a logo.

"Any time you get a company the likes of Disney behind a sport, it can do nothing but propel it to the next level," says Drew Townes, new business development director for three fishing lifestyle magazines for Winter Park-based World Publications Inc. "It's going to be a shot in the arm for the freshwater angler."

Townes says blue-collar sports such as NASCAR and bass fishing are elevated only when corporate america takes notice and invests attention, time and branding to the sport.

That kind of treatment draws sponsors -- and sponsors bring big money.

"This will give us more sponsorship opportunity," says Neal Lazarus, president of the 80-member Central Florida Bass Anglers organization.

Branding expert Eli Portnoy says Disney could find success in its bass-fishing push if it enhances the sport while maintaining fishing's integrity. But, he says, Disney should tread lightly on such a beloved pastime. If anglers feel their experience was fabricated or unnatural, they could reject the branding.

"If they undermine the key essence of the sport, they actually may cause a problem," says Portnoy.

Growing in popularity

Florida is serious about its fishing industry.

More than one-third of the 3.1 million anglers who fished in Florida in 2001 were not residents, according to the U.S. Census. That translates into tourism dollars for the state.

On average, each enthusiast who fished in Florida spent 16 days on the water and $1,341. In total, anglers spent $4 billion on the sport in Florida and $36 billion nationally.

Depending on the bass population's natural ebb and flow, Florida often is considered a fishing epicenter, says Marty Mann, a fisheries biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He estimates there are 100 fish per acre in Kissimmee's West Lake Tohopekaliga and about 20 to 30 of those are harvestable.

"Florida is again becoming a premiere venue for trophy fishing," says Jeff Weakly, editor of the Stuart-based Florida Sportsman magazine.

Consider: The largest state-verified largemouth bass caught was 17.27 pounds in an unnamed lake in Polk County.

The world's largest largemouth bass was 5 pounds heavier, caught in 1932 in Georgia's Montgomery Lake.

In Disney's Bay Lake, the largest so far has been 14.3 pounds.

Bringing jobs

Osceola County is expecting a windfall from BASS's new-found relationship with Disney.

In announcing its move from Alabama, BASS said it would bring 120 jobs to Osceola County with an average salary north of $47,000. The company is taking 20,000 square feet of office space in Celebration.

"We want to be known as a sport and ecotourism destination and this will have a huge impact," says Osceola County Chairman Paul Owen.

This year, four BASS-sponsored tournaments are scheduled in Central Florida, including next month's BASS Federation Championship for amateur fishers. A portion of that fishing will be on Disney lakes.

In keeping with the synergy, Disney next month is opening a 20-acre pond at Coronado Springs, designed for experienced anglers. The pond is supposed to help Disney with the influx of solo fishers and corporate executives using the excursion to woo clients.

Additionally, Disney is expected to announce that it will host the 2005 ESPN Great Outdoor Games.

And in what would be considered the finishing touch of the push, the non-profit Central Florida Sports Commission is making a bid to bring here the next two Bassmaster Classics, considered the SuperBowl of bass fishing.

"We're starting to prepare what we hope is an aggressive bid package," says John Saboor, commission executive director.

Saboor says the event, flanked with a family festival, outdoor expo and junior fishing tournament, carries with it a $40 million economic impact. He expects to hear BASS' decision in the next 4 to 6 weeks.

"This serves as a perfect way to introduce the BASS organization into Osceola County," says Saboor.