You will begin seeing some statistics on Bassmaster.com this season that won’t have a familiar ring. These are much like Major League Baseball’s “slugging percentage” and “wins against replacement (WAR)” sabermetric numbers — a closer look inside the game.
Sabermetrics are now common to MLB fans, and we hope these new stats become both common and helpful to Bassmaster Elite Series followers as we incorporate them into our coverage. Some of the numbers are an effort to make greater use of the data generated by BASSTrakk; others are compiled to give you perspective on the past 12 Elite Series seasons and spot trends in the 2018 season.
Bass fishing always has been and always will be about personal stories, many as basic as how the big bass of the tournament was caught. We don’t want to flood you with numbers that cloud those stories. The emphasis here is on statistics that will add some spice to the meal.
Below are the abbreviations and acronyms Bassmaster.com will be using this season, along with a brief explanation and an example:
LP = Limit Percentage
The percentage of limits each angler caught divided by the competition days fished.
Example: Brandon Palaniuk caught a limit 89 percent of the time in 2017 — 32 limits caught out of 36 days fished. Scott Rook was the only angler to catch a limit every day he competed on the Elite Series last year — a limit percentage of 100 percent.
50-cut
Percentage of two-day cuts an angler has made during his time on the Elite Series, and thus earned a paycheck. (Note: At times, depending on the size of the field, the two-day cut has been to the top 51 or 52 anglers, and they are included in the “50-cut” stats.)
Example: Casey Ashley has made 57 checks in 97 regular season Elite Series events in his 11-year career. He makes a “50-cut” check 59 percent of the time.
+4R = 4+ pound rate
The percentage of 4 pounds or heavier fish of an angler’s total keepers caught.
Example: In 2017 Brandon Palaniuk caught 42 bass weighing 4-pounds-plus of his 307 keepers weighed-in — 13.6 percent.
AOY AVG = Average finish in Angler of the Year final standings
The average position an angler finishes in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings on the Elite Series.
Example: Of the 37 anglers who have competed all 12 years of the Elite Series, Aaron Martens has the best AOY AVG of 10th; Kevin VanDam is second with an AOY 12-year average of 11th. Over the past three years only, Jordan Lee has the best AOY AVG of 6th; Edwin Evers and Greg Hackney are tied for second with AOY three-year averages of 7th.
Top 12 = Career Top 12s
How many Top 12 finishes a given angler has in all Bassmaster events.
Example: Jordan Lee has 20 Top 12s in his Bassmaster career, which includes 50 total tournaments.
Total Keepers = Every keeper caught by that angler
The number of keepers an angler caught during each season.
Example: Ott DeFoe caught 312 keepers during the 2017 Elite Series season, and Brandon Palaniuk caught 307.