Pro/Am Sponsorship A-TOM-MIK

[fishman08]

I'm sorry to see you leave tom but i don't blame you one bit...i usually keep my mouth shut on most issues with the pro/am because i love them so much and would love to see them grow even bigger...as we all know once you participate your hooked...however i can't see the reasoning behind this one maybe someone feels left out not being sponsered...but i know i've never felt that way in fact when i see our name ahead of an atommik team or any sponsered team for that matter as i know it was a job well done to be ahead of them!

[shorething]

Good for you, I would have done the same , as if i have 5 or 10 G 's just laying around . Reminds me of a saying my grandpa used to tell us " you don't shiott where you eat "

[Gill-T]

I am sure this stings Tom. Thank you for your tournament support over the years. One thing I have learned in my forty years of existance is NEVER burn bridges. Sometimes it seems we are all in the same boat, but others are rowing in a different direction then the majority. If large sponsors like Cabela's sign on, remember the prize at the end is we ALL benefit. I scratch my head at the two fish Redfish tournaments with Big sponsorships and a $100,000 purse for a "bottom-feeder" whose cousin the sheephead is a trash fish in Ontario, and yet our little experiment draws only a top prize of $10,000. You want drama that sells? Put some cameras on a Pro/Am boat with a double-header of Majors. I am all for "going for it". I would love to fish for serious coin one day. Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can take a step forward.

[seasquirrel]

REDICULOUS!!!

[Shade]

Tom,

I feel your frustration and respect your decision to pull your sponsorship because of another bullsh..t rule. You produce a quality product that has proven to put fish in the box.

Please do not read anything into this but by you pulling your sponsorship who got punished, the Pro/Am committee or the teams who are competing?

I think that at the captains meeting you and all the other teams that have sponsors demand an explanation on why/ and the rest of us on why we have to use our boat name not team names.

Shade

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

I am very sorry to hear this, Tom. You definitely developed a marketing approach and wrapped it around Tournaments, and rightly so. Not only are these events exhilarating, but I personally feel that when "bite challenge", location, and of course landing them is taken into consideration, the species on Lake O provide the greatest Tournys of all.

I feel "Gill-T" has made a few valid points. These days I'm trying to "shoot from the hip" less. I am thoroughly investigating both sides. What do we constantly wish for? Bigger purses. If this change somehow leads to actually winning something with a 3rd place finish, by possibly attracting larger sponsors through TV coverage, then "show me" Pro-Am powers. I do however, feel that this was poorly handled. Of course using the length of Team names as an excuse is weak. Safety wise, however, using boat name and having boat adequately marked is proper and smart. I personally watched the Coast guard fly around looking for a Baha in a "sea of Bahas" last May.

The Tourny organizers can only hope they are right about this, and they do what you did. Take something that has been around awhile, re-invent it, market it better, make it better. Your track record speaks for itself, and so do your products.

Ultimately you have to make a business decision that is best for you. It won't be the same without your sponsorship, but I sure am glad you will fish them til your dying day, because I will too. I am proud to be your friend, and proud to be one of your Pro-Staffers. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do to support our great fishery.

[stan]

After reading all this, I know for a fact our California Tournaments could not have happened with out east coast tackle makers and there generous donations of product and money. I am truly sorry to read what has happened, any sport the sponsors names are always there.Good luck to all, and hope this gets straighten out.

[A-TOM-MIK]

Howie

First off, no offense taken, we are friends (:

To answer your question on who was punished:

The players #1

The events #2

My business #3

Its pretty obvious the answers from coordination given to me are in line with the windmill theory !!

I can easily admit my ego was bruised, and my chip went flying. But to shave an edge of all of the creative homework I have put into my small business to work my way up that very high ladder and for honest reasons I have only been shooting straws at. Maybe its really only in hopes of leveling the draw to more potential interest coming from wherever, seems close to ludicrous to me still. Why take what was built rather well down a notch in hopes of bringing us all to the same level to start again, if true. If lift off happens after all, as Vince mentioned, will a re-structure of sort be inevitable again one day, where will it end, maybe when the "right" entity has been lifted to the level of satisfaction? Have a feeling the restructures will come to a screaming halt at that point !!! Thinking out loud again, sorry , lol.......

Are Nascar drivers stripped of their edge (certain parts that make them go faster, or car design) after winning so many races?

Are Pro Bowlers made to use the same brand balls after a certain amount of years ranking high?

Are top Golfers robbed of their favorite clubs if they are shooting below par too much?

NO not at all, why the dictatorship approach at all, no line should be drawn in the sand, respect should be allotted for a job well done, maybe even highlighted instead of stripped to only start from ground zero again.

My move to bail wasn't the easiest or first choice many might have made. But as Vince also noted where my business has grown is a testament of certain creativities I have been fortunate enough to put a handle on. Why strip that away when in association to new building blocks, grow with it and learn from it instead, take it to that ultimate level together !!~

Gill-T I agree with you 100% not to burn bridges, I first heard that in a bar-room chat one night from a drunk guy, I was warned not to be afraid to work nro to burn bridges, I just laughed and walked away, I later that night looked into who that guys was, happened to be one very rich, smart and proud man, and I often thought about that for years, all after I watched him get-into a cab later that night and be driven away, lol

Mostly principal to me and some pride I guess, as in an old salt Captain of the sea willing to go down with his ship........ smart ???? Nah, but proud

Tom

[Yankee Troller]

Tom,

Can we all change out boat names to A-TOM-MIK. Talk about giving the committee grief. They wont know which A-TOM-MIK team it is at the scales! LOL I just got back to work after being on the water for a few days. I have to go through this thread. I am totally with you on this.

BASS recently allowed their guys to run their own boats on the last day of TV coverage rather than giving them a sponsor wrapped boat top use for the day. This helps guys obtain sponsors in a tough economy. FLW has also gone this route. They are trying to HELP their guys out by doing this, and it was welcomed by every angler.

[ray koziatek]

to change the boat names would be one way of getting aroung this rule. Except"BIG weenie"" Now a guy my size running around in a boat named " Big Weenie " Would just be a outright LIE !!!!! (team BUFFY does have a nice ring tho) This post to someone with 1/2 of 1% lick of common sence is only 100% prufe that someone has a little grief with potential sponcers, after waiting 3 months for 2 sponcer packets (never recived) and getting some ugly E mails for trying to speed up getting packets I gave up on my quest to "help" the pro/am's grow after posting and Encouraging as many people to Get into one or more of these great events as i could with this site..

But with that said I think some political correctness (bent noses) has snuck into the new centeralized government of the pro/am folks,,,,,,,,and i ant gonna tow my boat down the road with "BIG WEENIE" "ATOMIC FLY" OR "LOUSER" written on the back ...so maybe the pro/ams is best left to the "PROFFESIONAL" fisherman and for the few "no counts" who enjoyed these derbys as a good time to meet new folks ,share a beer or dinner, and to share the love of fishing with the possiabilty of getting a bigger reward for your day on the water than catching fish (actually place in the derby) might turn into a memory....

Thank You To all the sponcers who have made these derbys special for so many..

Ray K. EX- TEAM L.O.U.S.E.R.S. =====L ake O ntario U nited

S almon E xcitement R ainbow S mashers ......................................

[A-TOM-MIK]

some political correctness (bent noses) has snuck into the new centralized government of the pro/am folks

Low key operations expected to conceal exposure maybe?

Either way could possibly all come out in the wash...........

At least we would find out who's clean. He He He

[Fishtails]

however, using boat name and having boat adequately marked is proper and smart. I personally watched the Coast guard fly around looking for a Baha in a "sea of Bahas" last May.

I would like to think their intentions were so noble Vince.

Tom, I know this had to be a difficult decision for you. While we are a Big Weenie Team, and most times competing against you in many different ways, I consider us all brothers out on the lake. No matter what side of the fence we are on, we all have a common interest & passion and ultimately want what is best for the Pro Ams and participants.

I have always stood behind the committee in these threads, but that seems to be getting hard to do as of late. Maybe (probably) I am wrong, but it seems that fewer and fewer of the rules are made to benifit the teams, and more are now being made to benifit the committee of volunteers. We have been told several times over the past couple of years that they need to make it easy for the "volunteers" ( like shortening the name cause it takes to long to write on the board) at the expense of the teams. I respect the work they do and go out of my way to thank them every chance I get. It just seems to me the fishermen could always be volunteers, but the volunteers couldn't be fishermen. Without the fishermen....no Pro Am's.

Still hoping this gets resolved, but pride and ego will likely stand in the way of progress and prosperity once again

STILL.....LOVE THE PRO AM"S & CAN'T WAIT TO FISH!! See you all there!

[Paul Czarnecki]

ProAm Director Dave Turner has asked me to post the following Official Statement in response to what is now 3 pages of assumptions, innuendo, heresay and political sabre rattling. Please read it in its entirety and try to understand everything that is written before continuing with the rants.

Thanks,

Gentlemen:

I try not to engage in online debates because as many of you know, these things can go on forever and are usually not a productive use time. However, it was brought to my attention that Tom Allen had decided to use this forum to announce that he was no longer going to sponsor the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tournament Series. Once I had the opportunity to read the posts, which included several requests for the reasons why, I thought that it was important for you to better understand what actually transpired.

The Pro-Am tournaments have been around for over 25 years and have grown from one event in Niagara County to the now four unified events that stretch across the entire southern and some of the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. This growth has provided new competitive opportunities for you and enhanced the tourism activity for our host communities.

The tournaments, and the respective promotion that goes with them, have also helped to promote the Lake Ontario sport fishery to the world. Which, from the perspective of anyone who makes their living in the sports fishing industry, is one of the most significant benefits of growing the tournament series to the point that it has now become, and we hope will continue to be, a televised event. Last year, hundreds of thousands of viewers, mostly anglers, were exposed to the Lake Ontario fishery, the Pro-Am series and our various sponsors through our partnership with the television series Angling The Great Lakes. We also recently added a tournament magazine as another method to promote our events and the sponsors who support them. This year we are close to securing the support we need to film all four events for national airing later this year and/or early next year.

As the only tournament series on Lake Ontario that pays back 100% of all entry fees it is important for us to continue to seek new and enhanced sponsor support if we want the tournament series to grow. At the end of the day we want more visitors in our communities and more teams in our events. More visitors means more support for and hopefully from our local businesses and sponsors and more teams means bigger payouts for you our customers. Successful growth also potentially raises sponsor commitments again resulting in bigger payouts for you.

The Pro-Am events have enjoyed sponsor support from A-Tom-Mik Manufacturing, Shakespeare, Lowrance, Gander Mountain, Health Imaging and countless others. Many are still with us and some have left due to corporate buy-outs, mergers, the recent recession and other reasons. Even so, we continue to work to grow and improve the events for you and for our sponsors and will, we hope, for many years. With respect to our sponsors, we are in effect, selling them a product and like any business we need to be consistent in what we offer and how we treat our buyers. And, like most businesses, larger buyers receive enhanced benefits. In our case, that means more promotional opportunities.

Sponsor support for the tournament series is entirely different from sponsor support of individual teams or charter businesses. The fact that someone pro-staffs for a manufacturer is unrelated to our events and does not guarantee them the right to use the tournament series to promote that product or company. As a protective measure for our sponsors it became apparent to us that we needed to have certain controls over where and when sponsors names appeared so that every sponsor who was putting money directly into the tournament series was treated fairly. One of these measures was to limit the places where sponsor names appeared. As your level of support for the tournaments grows so do the opportunities for recognition. This is no different than any other well managed sponsor based sporting activity.

Very recently we had a gentleman’s agreement (nothing signed) with Tom Allen where he had agreed to continue his support for the tournament series and in fact increase it from past levels. We were excited to have him back and in fact gave him an extra spot in the tournament magazine based on his commitment. Tom later became upset that he would not be allowed to have his company name after every team that he also supports independently of the pro-am series. Our response was that this only applied to the official scoreboards and score sheets and that we would and he could use their full names in press related materials, including those on our website. Tom’s new commitment also guaranteed his company enhanced coverage during our filming project this year and the opportunity to have cameras on board one or more of the boats that pro-staff for him. A benefit to both his company and that captain’s charter business.

The limitations that we have placed on names serves several purposes. First, as we have mentioned, it protects our sponsors by preventing someone who is not a tournament sponsor from getting recognition during our events. Second, it makes it clearer to our pier spotters which boats are actually in our event as they rush to be in the harbor on time. And third, it helps to diminish the perception that there are organized teams made up of several boats all working together to ensure their success in the events. This has been brought to our attention by several independent teams that aren’t based on Lake Ontario but who enjoy coming here for our events and have started to feel that they don’t really have a competitive chance against these groups.

In the end, the small group of lakewide volunteers that works to put these events together is only trying to make the tournament series bigger and better for all involved. In order to do that successfully and fairly we need to have structure and rules. Not everyone will always agree with the rules but every successful business has established processes, protocols and procedures that are put in place to ensure the continued success of that business. Most businesses have an end goal of generating a profit, ours is simply to manage and grow the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tournament Series to a point that it becomes known as the premier fresh-water competitive event. Our hope is that this makes the events more enjoyable for you as competitors and more lucrative for you as winners.

Thank you for your continued support.

[dreamsteelie]

Greetings:

I usually lay low on this forum and just look for info. and try to get a few laughs(LOL)..

I am copy/pasting a response I sent to Tom yesterday.... Some of you may agree or not agree. Ultimately, when we reach into our pockets and shell out hard earned coin to support an event, we want to support an event that listens and supports us in return.

For those who do not agree with pulling sponsorships, please understand that the "beef" should be with someone besides us. I, personally am not mad at anyone and will continue to fish the events because I love them But from a business perspective and a sponsors perspective, I cannot support an event that has rules or does things that I do not agree with.

However......

Hi Tom,

This is disappointing news to hear but I understand where and how you feel. I don't blame you for pulling out.

I do not "fully" understand why team names cannot have a sponsor's name attached. I understand it may be easier for the pro-am committees but who should determine "what" a team name should be or should not be (with exception of a profane or racy name). I guess Dave Sullivan would not be allowed to enter as TEAM BIG JON then? Because that's not his boat name? How will that newly instituted last minute policy favor or attract potential future sponsors??? Furthermore, the committee should have given notice a while ago, not within 2 weeks of the first Pro-AM.

I know if I was sponsoring a tournament team, I would certainly want my name attached to the scoreboard and score sheets. It has been this way for years and now it has been changed with little or no notice???

I have been a "cash" sponsor for the last several years and in 2009, even kicked in $500 in gift certificates over and above from my on-line tackle store. I am also bailing as a 2010 sponsor. I put a lot of time effort and money in to the events just from a competitors standpoint but will not extend that beyond my entry fees. I will still participate as a competitor but not as a sponsor.

I am with you on this one.

Pete Alex

Vision Quest

Great Lakes Tackle Shop.com

[dreamsteelie]

Hi Paul:

I just read David's response. Thank you for sharing.

Item no. 1. I understand the reasoning-However, that decision to change the rules should have been sent out much earlier, explained to all and perhaps massaged to allow it to a "certain" extent. It went from all to nothing in a hurry and I don't agree with how it happened but understand the reasoning.

Item no. 2. Is weak at best. Give the team a number to hold up like the Scotty's and there will be NO confusion at the pier heads.

Item no. 3. Is weak again. We know all these teams DO NOT work together and we all KNOW MANY do anyway. Are people really going to think that that all these teams are going to help each other out. LOL Currently, most teams are mad at each other or mistrust one another and all have turned like the That just leads us to the old argument of no comm. and why it should be put back into the rules. No comm. would in fact attract more teams and take the large advantage away of local teams. We have faced this disadvantage from day one coming from Erie. So, if item no, 3 was truly a concern, let's go NO COMM Baby !!!

I understand the number one reason but the other two are stretching it.

To conclude:

I really like the events, and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved. Kudos to Dave, Bob, Billy, you and all of the committee members.

The folks involved have the right to do what they want, how they want and what is in the best interest of the big picture. That's business as they say... However, I just don't happen to agree this time and would like to voice my opinions this one last time.

Captain Pete

Vision Quest

[Billy V]

I've scanned Dave's response, but I still have a few questions & comments:

1. What does the Pro-AM committee propose for those of us who have made arrangements with our sponsors to get them the exposure we always were able to get them in the past (i.e. naming my team Billy V/Krenzer Marine)? This rule should have been announced last fall - long before deals were struck and promises were made. Having this rule change come out two weeks before the first event is terribly wrong, and the way it came out is even worse. Someone should have notified all past participants last year as soon as the series had finished up. There are some awfully upset companies out there who have stepped up to help individual teams and they were expecting a certain level of exposure as a result. In my case these companies aren't sponsoring the entire series, but by limiting a teams ability to provide their sponsors with the exposure that they've always been able to enjoy this change might have just ruled all of those companies out for future, and perhaps even bigger sponsorships. I've personally been trying to get Cannon downriggers to commit to a major sponsorship for the Pro-Am's for two years now, and getting them to help out my team this year was a step towards that goal. I'm afraid that this new rule has left them with a sour taste in their mouths. I've personally worked all winter long to secure my team's sponsorships and telling me two weeks before the first event that I can't register my team with my major sponsors name as part of my team name significantly undermines all that work that I put in and damages any chance I have at securing those sponsorships again in the future. I'll say it again - This rule should have been announced last fall.

2. What happens to the teams that have to fish on more than one boat for the series? If I fish the West end on my boat, my team name is Billy V. But what happens to my team name, and more importantly my series points if I have to fish on another boat for the East end events? How are we going to track those points? Will those points even transfer over? There are many teams who fish one boat on the West end and another on the East end and I can see this being a huge issue for them.

3. What happens to the teams that have always fished together under the same name regardless of the boat that they're on? For example, Team Screamer has fished these events for years, but this year they had planned to fish them on another boat. Now they can't be Team Screamer any more? Why would we want to ruin the legacy that some of these teams have worked so hard to build? There's a lot of value in some of these team names - they're widely recognized in the fishing industry and arbitrarily forcing them to change their name would greatly diminish the value that those teams bring to our fishery and their sponsors.

I'm all for growing the series, don't get me wrong. But if you're going to make a rule change as big as this, at least give those of us who have worked so hard all winter to secure sponsorships a heads up so that we could have made alternate plans.

[A-TOM-MIK]

To Paul and Dave

HOG WASH

How would any entity react after being prompted to the highest commitment ever since the start of their business, only to be followed up by pulling the chair out from underneath them.

Chances are this "Lift Off of the Pro/Am" will make it, but not without hurting a part of the supporters who put them there along the way

VERY SAD AND NOT FAIR !!!!!

On a side note to Paul, you seem like a descent sole, and I have appreciated your friendships and what I thought and still hope were honesties from 2005 till present, you could be next on the hit list for your efforts, unless drawn out to be a future pawn !!

Tom

[Paul Czarnecki]

To Paul and Dave

HOG WASH

How would any entity react after being prompted to the highest commitment ever since the start of their business, only to be followed up by pulling the chair out from underneath them.

Chances are this "Lift Off of the Pro/Am" will make it, but not without hurting a part of the supporters who put them there along the way

VERY SAD AND NOT FAIR !!!!!

On a side note to Paul, you seem like a descent sole, and I have appreciated your friendships and what I thought and still hope were honesties from 2005 till present, you could be next on the hit list for your efforts, unless drawn out to be a future pawn !!

Tom

Tom, its not "hogwash"---it is the opinion of the Directors of the Series and and an explanation for their reasoning and it should be regarded as such. To say their opinion is "hogwash" but yours is important enough to be heard on a World Wide Forum kinda puts you in the class of "opinionated, egotistical trouble maker", doesn't it? For three pages you and everyone else has been clamoring for an official explanation. Dave took the time to write a very lengthy and detailed explanation, I posted it for him and all you can say is "hogwash"?

You and I are still friends but that was the most classless thing you've said in a LONG time!

Thanks to Pete, Rod, Billy and everyone else that wrote intelligent posts expressing their opinions.

[Breakaway Fishing Charter]

Just when we were closing in on NASCAR with all our stickers and colorful shirts. Hope they don't follow Pro-Am steps...may be detrimental to their sport.

[fishman08]

Dave thanks for the response, although it may seem to not be the ideal situation for some, I know you guys do a lot for the series and would like to thank you and the entire tournament committee for making what I consider the best tournaments on lake ontario possible.

For those you are on the fence about participating in these events don't let these random outburst cause you not to participate, believe me these guys put on a great tournament, which is obvious by even those who don't see eye to eye with the directors as they come back year after year to compete!

[GAMBLER]

ProAm Director Dave Turner has asked me to post the following Official Statement in response to what is now 3 pages of assumptions, innuendo, heresay and political sabre rattling. Please read it in its entirety and try to understand everything that is written before continuing with the rants.

Thanks,

Gentlemen:

I try not to engage in online debates because as many of you know, these things can go on forever and are usually not a productive use time. However, it was brought to my attention that Tom Allen had decided to use this forum to announce that he was no longer going to sponsor the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tournament Series. Once I had the opportunity to read the posts, which included several requests for the reasons why, I thought that it was important for you to better understand what actually transpired.

The Pro-Am tournaments have been around for over 25 years and have grown from one event in Niagara County to the now four unified events that stretch across the entire southern and some of the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. This growth has provided new competitive opportunities for you and enhanced the tourism activity for our host communities.

The tournaments, and the respective promotion that goes with them, have also helped to promote the Lake Ontario sport fishery to the world. Which, from the perspective of anyone who makes their living in the sports fishing industry, is one of the most significant benefits of growing the tournament series to the point that it has now become, and we hope will continue to be, a televised event. Last year, hundreds of thousands of viewers, mostly anglers, were exposed to the Lake Ontario fishery, the Pro-Am series and our various sponsors through our partnership with the television series Angling The Great Lakes. We also recently added a tournament magazine as another method to promote our events and the sponsors who support them. This year we are close to securing the support we need to film all four events for national airing later this year and/or early next year.

As the only tournament series on Lake Ontario that pays back 100% of all entry fees it is important for us to continue to seek new and enhanced sponsor support if we want the tournament series to grow. At the end of the day we want more visitors in our communities and more teams in our events. More visitors means more support for and hopefully from our local businesses and sponsors and more teams means bigger payouts for you our customers. Successful growth also potentially raises sponsor commitments again resulting in bigger payouts for you.

The Pro-Am events have enjoyed sponsor support from A-Tom-Mik Manufacturing, Shakespeare, Lowrance, Gander Mountain, Health Imaging and countless others. Many are still with us and some have left due to corporate buy-outs, mergers, the recent recession and other reasons. Even so, we continue to work to grow and improve the events for you and for our sponsors and will, we hope, for many years. With respect to our sponsors, we are in effect, selling them a product and like any business we need to be consistent in what we offer and how we treat our buyers. And, like most businesses, larger buyers receive enhanced benefits. In our case, that means more promotional opportunities.

Sponsor support for the tournament series is entirely different from sponsor support of individual teams or charter businesses. The fact that someone pro-staffs for a manufacturer is unrelated to our events and does not guarantee them the right to use the tournament series to promote that product or company. As a protective measure for our sponsors it became apparent to us that we needed to have certain controls over where and when sponsors names appeared so that every sponsor who was putting money directly into the tournament series was treated fairly. One of these measures was to limit the places where sponsor names appeared. As your level of support for the tournaments grows so do the opportunities for recognition. This is no different than any other well managed sponsor based sporting activity.

Very recently we had a gentleman’s agreement (nothing signed) with Tom Allen where he had agreed to continue his support for the tournament series and in fact increase it from past levels. We were excited to have him back and in fact gave him an extra spot in the tournament magazine based on his commitment. Tom later became upset that he would not be allowed to have his company name after every team that he also supports independently of the pro-am series. Our response was that this only applied to the official scoreboards and score sheets and that we would and he could use their full names in press related materials, including those on our website. Tom’s new commitment also guaranteed his company enhanced coverage during our filming project this year and the opportunity to have cameras on board one or more of the boats that pro-staff for him. A benefit to both his company and that captain’s charter business.

The limitations that we have placed on names serves several purposes. First, as we have mentioned, it protects our sponsors by preventing someone who is not a tournament sponsor from getting recognition during our events. Second, it makes it clearer to our pier spotters which boats are actually in our event as they rush to be in the harbor on time. And third, it helps to diminish the perception that there are organized teams made up of several boats all working together to ensure their success in the events. This has been brought to our attention by several independent teams that aren’t based on Lake Ontario but who enjoy coming here for our events and have started to feel that they don’t really have a competitive chance against these groups.

In the end, the small group of lakewide volunteers that works to put these events together is only trying to make the tournament series bigger and better for all involved. In order to do that successfully and fairly we need to have structure and rules. Not everyone will always agree with the rules but every successful business has established processes, protocols and procedures that are put in place to ensure the continued success of that business. Most businesses have an end goal of generating a profit, ours is simply to manage and grow the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tournament Series to a point that it becomes known as the premier fresh-water competitive event. Our hope is that this makes the events more enjoyable for you as competitors and more lucrative for you as winners.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sounds like Corporate BS (like in most work places now a days) to me.

[motoman]

When i'm not out fishing and we are off too the race's when we sign up there's alway slots on the side of the fourm for are sponcer's. As there out on the track the anoucer's alway hits them off with wisico pistons sponcerd/ -- driver/rider name , with out the people being spocerd it would be hard for some too even make it too an event , i know with out are racing sponcer the level of racing we do and have done would of been nothing but a dream ! I just can hope the the pro am officials can make this right for fisherman bringing sponce's and promoting in some sort of aspect. This will be my first trip down for a pro am event i hope its run well and not my last. Capt. John Ross

[Shade]

I am 100% with ya Tom. I want some A-Tom-Mic stickers for my rig.

Just a thought. I do not know how long the Scotty has been going but I never seem to see or here of contraversy fro m that event, however since I have been a member of LOU each year there seems to be some contraversy over the Pro/AM.

Most of the teams who fish the Scotty also fish the Pro/Am so I will eliminate the problem being the teams which leaves the people who are running this event. The discussion on communication, and i was told this by a committee member, was changed so Varizon would look at sponsoring the Pro/Am. I asked this question then and I will ask it again...Where is Varizon?

I think thiat if Dave HIMSELF would had stepped up and gave his speach on why these changes where made prior to the deadline date this would not have gone this far. I also think that seeing the rule was announced after the deadline date to enter that the committee give us an opportunity to withdraw from the Pro/Am with a full refund.

I am sure everyone has used or heard this moto - DO NOT FIX WHAT AIN'T BROKE...25 years teams had sponsors after their team names and used a different team names rather than their boats name.

Pete great idea with using numbers, but I am sure it will fall on deaf ears.

Howie

[A-TOM-MIK]

This is why I say HOG WASH

I will make a general response to various statements

Yes I used this forum to portray, answer and enlighten the many who have NO CLUE what the Pro/Am is doing next, nor what they are up to

However my first phone call was to the Big Dog himself to express my concern, and my second conversation was with one of the (2) next men in line to do the same

An array of answers varying greatly were spewed to me with quivering voices as they each new it was HOG WASH and not the real reasons.

So yes I did use this forum but my final decision was not until I was sure I had all the correct info from the powers

As far as the only series on LO paying back 100% .... YOU ARE WRONG, there are only 3 "series" that I know of, the Pro/Am, KOTL and my little A-TOM-MIK Triple Crown Series and we each pay back 100% or more.

Your statement about larger buyers receiving enhanced benefits: Ever think of maybe taking into consideration the amount of interest that plays off consistent repeated sponsors (if you want me to elaborate more I would happy to) as opposed to the sponsors here one year gone the next (due to various reasons including legit ones) The reason I was tipped off about this entire MESS was all while I was hooking up a new A-TOM-MIK sponsored Canadian pro team, a team that quite possibly may not have played if it wasn't for ME !!

Your "opinion" on Pro Staff vibes being unrelated to the Pro/Am event, Oh God I cant even believe you went there, without us as sponsors some teams may not be able to play, where does that leave your idiot-ology, without these teams where would your Pro/Am be? How would your Pro/Am look, who would compete? We help with gear, dockage, fuel and so your telling me you would rather have premier teams on TV for your 150,000.00 expenditure wearing typical everyday fishing clothing like stained T-Shirts vs. the 3 to 7 grand worth of sublimated, embroidered and matching printed various wear that I spend just about annually? Sick, zero sense, who do you think pays for a very high percentage of this wear........................that's right, us the sponsors who are sponsoring teams who give you guys cash and are enabling you guys to put on a potential show. ..... US !!

Tom later became upset that he would not be allowed to have his company name after every team that he also supports independently of the pro-am series. God darn right I'm upset, I see where my past commitment ranks............... in the garbage !!! I know what the public, the teams, the recs that don't compete and the rest of the internet fishing world want to see come Monday (or earlier)........ THE RESULTS, who ranked where, how this team did over that one. Always, I would smear this info across the diet of the same, as most days there wasn't enough time for coordination to get it to us. So I did it, for promotion to the teams I help, for promotion to the events and also for my business.

You also claim: "I could have cameras on board one or more of the boats that pro-staff for me" This was in all our best interest, not only mine, ALL of my teams have worked feverishly year round to maintain current rankings, to be on top was not a gimme, the Pro/Am's would only benefit again due to my involvement with such teams, and now the deal is to strip that away from hard work and involvement that A-TOM-MIK had an association to. Strip it all away while the new Pro/Am runs with the fruits of these labors. You guys will use these teams now but I cant? Yeah, I guess that sounds fair...... HOG WASH

Limitations on names serving purposes you claim: "To make it clearer to our pier spotters which boats are actually in our event as they rush to be in the harbor on time" Maybe there was trouble in the past that I am un aware of, probably not........ WEAK EXCUSE........

Quote: "Third, it helps to diminish the perception that there are organized teams made up of several boats all working together to ensure their success in the events. This has been brought to our attention by several independent teams that aren’t based on Lake Ontario but who enjoy coming here for our events and have started to feel that they don’t really have a competitive chance against these groups.

Can you say "CLOSED COMMUNICATION" Like your honestly that worried.............. C'mon

ROFLMARTFO !!!!!

So Paul, I am an opinionated, egotistical trouble maker.....? lol

That was pretty funny, even made me smirk a little

I'm still liking you Paul, better try harder than that !!!

Your turn go.................

Tom

[shadster]

Being present at all of the captain's meetings and weigh ins last year had me hearing about what a wonderful contribution Tom Allen makes to the the pro/am series and without him a lot of it wouldn't be possible. Seems very strange to me that because of a few who cried about fair play or being ganged up on, the powers that be, decide to throw this man under the bus. Especially, in the fashion that they did it. Two weeks before the start of the season???? Then with an excuse like the names are too long for the whiteboard...All those volunteers must have carpal tunnel I'd imagine.

Didn't they have boat numbers to display in the windows in the Captain's package at Oswego and Sodus Bay?

Closing the communication might stop all those tears. .. Not that it matters much. It was a joke as it was. There was so much bull going on, between people calling each other friends, on the phone it was ridiculous. Do people honestly think that 'teams' regardless of sponsor were going to put others onto fish that were putting money in their 'own' pocket?

The only question I have is how are the powers that be going to respond to the demands of sponsors and big time television, if they ever get there. Might want to get a head start and at least put a thinking cap on....