Can you imagine being the Anderson family, buying a controlling interest in B.A.S.S., and then just a few months later the majority of the field leaves for what they perceive to be greener pastures?

And then COVID hits.

And then longtime editor Dave Precht, one of the torchbearers for company culture, retires.

So does tournament director Trip Weldon.

And finally (I assume) CEO Bruce Akin hangs it up.

It’s not that the organization hasn’t known change during its 50-plus years of existence—indeed, when he was running the show Ray Scott thrived on organized chaos—but this seems like a lot for new ownership.

And yet, everyone it seems, from sponsors to anglers wants to be there. The TV coverage has grown. New stars have been made. I don’t know anything about owner-and-new-CEO Chase Anderson’s management style. I’m sure that someone at B.A.S.S. or BassFan or Bass Talk Live or someplace like that will quiz him on it and we’ll have a better idea. Still, I can’t imagine that the next few years will be as tumultuous or have as many institutional changes as those immediately in our rearview mirror. I suppose that a recession or some new untreatable variation of COVID could be more than speed bumps, but they’ve found a way to survive those in the past. Boat and tackle sales (when you can get them) or through the roof, interest in becoming a better angler (and spending more to do it) is consistent, and technology offers us new ways to enjoy it. Seems like a good time to take over the ship.