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Observers needed 2014 A-TOM-MIK Invitational

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A-TOM-MIK

A-TOM-MIK

Posted
Posted (edited)

Please contact me for placement

 

Date: Aug 9, Saturday

Blow date Aug 10, Sunday

 

Observers must also be available Friday the 8th for a 90 minute captains meeting starting at 6pm

 

Event is held out of Oswego, NY

 

[email protected]

 

Tom

Edited by A-TOM-MIK
  • 2 weeks later...
Backlash33r

Backlash33r

Posted
Posted

Depends if you can make it to a 90 min meeting the nite before and be at the boat your assigned to on time. Contact me if your interested. 607-425-0708 ryan

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

A-TOM-MIK

A-TOM-MIK

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Posted

A note on observers:

Acting on being an observer is a multi-faceted task, an awesome learning tool. It is a serious position that demands a punctual individual who is also a sea-worthy soul. Observers are expected to be very conscious of rules and are paid most times, however other arrangements are sometimes made like fishing a pre-fish day with the team.

 

Observing for a simple payday is not recommended in most cases.

 

Tom

  • 4 weeks later...
John E Powell

John E Powell

Posted
Posted (edited)

Commedic81,

 

Being a good observer is a lot more than knowing the rules, in fact I would say it's not the most important thing. 

 

When I observe for a team I approach the role of observer very seriously. Every decision I make in preparation for my responsibility to my team is to minimize the possibility of an unforeseen incident preventing me from arriving to my assigned boat early. I arrange accommodations near the harbor of the tournament well in advance. I contact my captain about two weeks out, then again a week or so before the tournament. I make contact again the day before I travel to the harbor, when I actually leave home, and when I arrive at the port. I show up to the captains meeting one hour before I am supposed to and send another text informing the captain I am there. I go to bed early and try to fall asleep no later than 8:30 PM. I NEVER go out drinking or partying the night before, I spend this time rechecking my personal gear for the day (food, drink, two working pens, raincoat, copy of the rules, list of every telephone number for both teams, etc...) . I get up at 3 am each day of the tournament and immediately send a text to either my or both captain(s) that I am up. After eating breakfast and rechecking my personal gear, I send another text that I have left for my assigned boat, and a third text that I have arrived at my boat or arranged meeting location. I arrive 45-60 minutes before I am supposed to be there. Because I have gotten a good full night's sleep, I am wide awake and alert throughout the day serving my role to my team in the best way I can. If my captain, at any time, has to wonder if I am going to be somewhere at a certain time, then I am a distraction to them and that is the last thing they need and I am a poor observer.

 

The best observers are people that approach the role like a profession. Your captain should feel relief in the knowledge your part of their team, and not worry if they made a mistake in trusting you.

 

Don't worry about being a data collector either. if your with a good captain, someone in contention to win any tournament they enter, they probably wont want to know specifics, they already know who is running what and how. Look for trends and be a student. Listen to the members of the team you're with and soak it in. If your captain comes to you and asks for info, be honest and give the trends you noticed, but remember your role is not to be a spy; if you play the spy role, you will get a bad rep among captains. The captain of the boat your on deserves the same level of respect and confidentiality as the captain who your observing for. Some captains are very willing to share info during the day, others are very secretive. If the boat your on is the more secretive, respect that. If your captain pressures you to spy for them, look for another boat in the future. Remember it's okay to be a sponge and share your observations on trends you might notice throughout the day, but don't go to your captain after the first day and tell them how to fish based on what you saw, you'll come across as a fool.

 

After a few tournaments, if you're doing your job well you'll find some people you can work with and they'll want you back. When you start to have the captains whose boat your observing on ask you for your contact info because their impressed by how much more reliable and professional you are compared to their current observer, you'll know your doing the observer role justice.

 

On a more personal level, be prepared for big water. If you can't handle all day in really snotty conditions, then observing is not for you; do everyone a favor and let someone else do the job. If conditions turn bad and the tourney is not cancelled, the last thing you want to do is be out there all day chumming, you're not doing your job for your team and you're an unfair distraction to the team whose boat your on.

Edited by John E Powell

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