If little, green bass can make anglers rich and famous, big, silvery salmon certainly should be able to do the same.

That's the proposition behind the Great Lakes Salmon Series (GL2S), a potentially lucrative string of salmon fishing contests that will commence with the Hoosier Coho Club Classic in 2009.

"We plan to have a $20,000 top prize in place next year and grow it to a point where the bass tournaments were a few years ago - the $100,000 mark," sad Tom Greenberg, co-founder of GL2S.

Yes, he said $100,000.

Can you imagine raking in that kind of dough for a weekend tourney. What's more, GL2S intends to eventually have payouts down to 30th place in the $3,000 range.

"That is the five-year plan," added Greenberg, "Michigan City will be the first in a (annual) series of eight tournaments."

The 34th annual HCC Classic is paying $7,500 to the winner in 2008, which is on par with top-of-the-line tournaments around Lake Michigan.

In addition to more than doubling winnings next year, the GL2S partnership with the HCC Classic may double participation.

By the time the payout hits $100,000, GL2S events are likely to be invitational-only on the pro side, where teams would have to quailfy to earn a spot.

Skeptics might say they've heard the Lake Michigan circuit stuff before.

And they'd be right.

I can remember Al Spiers writing about it in The News-Dispatch in the late 70s when the success of the Classic in Michigan City spawned similar events up and down the lake.

And skeptics surely would point out that the success of bass circuits is rooted in the fact those little, green fish are available virtually everywhere in the country.

I also suspect no one comprehended what bass fishing could become when the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (BASS) started decades ago. This weekend, the Bassmaster Classic will feature a $500,000 top prize and live updates will be broadcast on ESPN.

"Television is the key," Greenberg said. "We understand to get the big (sponsorship) dollars, we'll have to go outside the (Great Lakes fishing) market."

"All the elements are here - big fish, impressive boats, beautiful scenery, extreme weather. ... We will deliver a high-quality program that will equal any (outdoors TV show) currently available," Greenberg said.

Greenberg and friends also have extensive experience in marketing the outdoor experience.

Furthermore, business associates, who are smarter than I, are convinced the GL2S crew has the conviction and gumption to make a salmon series succeed.

Again, why not?

Besides bass, successful tournament series have cropped up for walleye and redfish in recent years.

If you ask me, salmon (and steelhead) are bigger, faster and just plain sexier than any of them.

Fans and competitors surely can envision the agony of having a big, potential $100,000-winning salmon bust free inches from the net or the ecstacy of racing past the finish with a huge catch and seconds to spare after a five-mile dash through five-foot seas.

A highly professional Web site on the proposed salmon circuit is www.gl2s.com.

With big money and television, a Great Lakes Salmon Series contest has the potential to transcend any fishing event, perhaps any type of event, that has preceeded it in Michigan City.