What's holding you back from fishing a tournament?

[Bozeman Bob]

21 hours ago, jimski2 said:

In Alaska the limit on “King” salmon is one per person per day. Any fish taken into the boat is your limit and you are finished fishing for the day. You may release fish in the net that stay in the water and continue fishing. This insures unnecessary killing of fish. A thirty pound salmon is plenty of fish to feed your family for a year .


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And this has what to do with fishing tournaments ?  Must be a small family that you can feed a family for a year with 30lbs of fish. If your point is were overharvesting Kings by tournaments ,that's not correct. I would guess 95% of the Kings caught are stocked ,and for the sole purpose of sport fishing. I doubt that all of the 100 of thousands of Kings that are stocked yearly and naturally reproduced are caught.

[rdebadts]

I like 3-6 fish boxes, with culling allowed. 6 is probably my favorite- a nice mix of skill and luck required to win those tourneys. I like the open concept with no observers too.

 

I was a bit frustrated in niagara when I caught 12 salmon by noon and would have been 7th in the pros, but barely got 6th in the open. All because I lacked a 18-20 lb fish.

 

 

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[GAMBLER]

Boat size is what keeps me from entering bigger tournaments.  Case in point the OOO this past weekend.  Day one, flat seas and smaller boats were able to compete.  Day 2, The smaller boats dropped like a rock and the bigger boat jumped into the money.  You do not have the boat control in the rough stuff with a boat like mine. 

[Landshark]

It does make it tough Gambler.  I was fortunate to be on a big boat this past weekend at the Orleans Open.  There is no way I would have fished the Sunday in my 21 1/2 fter.  Those days of being brave (or stupid) are long gone for me.  

[GAMBLER]

41 minutes ago, Landshark said:

It does make it tough Gambler.  I was fortunate to be on a big boat this past weekend at the Orleans Open.  There is no way I would have fished the Sunday in my 21 1/2 fter.  Those days of being brave (or stupid) are long gone for me.  

Me too Mike. 

[hawkeye625]

A simple survey of past players might help the directors.  I'd guess they only get feedback from complaints.

 

I'd like to see the AM side:

• 5 or 6 fish with culling
• no observer
• a start time - maybe 15 - 30 minutes prior to pro's - just to keep everyone somewhat honest if bad weather pops up - or a call in to tournament control with another boat as witness. 
• weigh in same as above 15-30 minutes prior to pro's
• Saturday - Sunday event - no vacation time needed
• money back   OPTIONAL if you choose not to fish due to bad weather, but, you mush check in prior to start time to cancel.
• captains license - no - personally don't care, but, you will lose more players than you might gain -
• communication - no - but difficult to police with no observer

 

Just my opinion.

 

Jeff

Playing Hookey. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rdebadts]

A simple survey of past players might help the directors.  I'd guess they only get feedback from complaints.
 
I'd like to see the AM side:

• 5 or 6 fish with culling
• no observer
• a start time - maybe 15 - 30 minutes prior to pro's - just to keep everyone somewhat honest if bad weather pops up - or a call in to tournament control with another boat as witness. 
• weigh in same as above 15-30 minutes prior to pro's
• Saturday - Sunday event - no vacation time needed
• money back   OPTIONAL if you choose not to fish due to bad weather, but, you mush check in prior to start time to cancel.
• captains license - no - personally don't care, but, you will lose more players than you might gain -
• communication - no - but difficult to police with no observer

 
Just my opinion.
 
Jeff
Playing Hookey. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yes to all of this. And keep the buy in 300 or less.


The Fishin' Physician Assistant

[Fishtails]

I gotta say, some really good feedback guys !

 

On a side note, the past two weekends I was able to participate in the Oak Orchard Open in Point Breeze NY and The Tightlines King Of Kings in Toronto Canada.  The OOO is an absolute blast!!  We had so much fun.  It's an incredibly enjoyable and challenging format.  Very well run and one worth checking out!

 

Tightlines is great, but a big $$ event on the north shore so only a half dozen or so of the approx. 55 team field is from the USA. I've fished it a few times now and one thing that really jumps out at me every time I fish it is the large number of SMALL boats that enter the Canadian events.  As we all staged out in front of the harbor awaiting the shotgun start, I counted around 15 - 18 aluminum boats 18 to 20 ft and a few more smaller fiberglass rigs.  Those guys are not intimidated one bit going up against the big boats in a one day six fish high dollar shootout. I wanted to snap pics but its no communication and my phone was off. A totally different mentality on the north shore and those little boats often times not only finish in the $$, but even win !  Not saying I think 3 guys PLUS OBSERVER should pile in a 20 ft Aluminum boat and fish a 20k tourney, but they not only do it in CA, they do it well! 

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by Fishtails

[Bozeman Bob]

Somewhat surprised that the field is only 55 boats.  When you consider the population difference between the " Golden Horseshoe  " Toronto to St Catherine's has to be pushing 8 million and Wilson to Sodus at around 500,00. That could be another reason for the large entries of smaller boats.  

[Landshark]

I haven't seen any results yet.  I'm glad you had fun Rod and it was great to see you at the OOO

[Fishtails]

18 hours ago, Bozeman Bob said:

Somewhat surprised that the field is only 55 boats.  When you consider the population difference between the " Golden Horseshoe  " Toronto to St Catherine's has to be pushing 8 million and Wilson to Sodus at around 500,00. That could be another reason for the large entries of smaller boats.  

 

Its an invitational type of tournament Bob. The spring event is capped at 60 teams.  The summer event is capped at 40. There is normally a waiting list.  I actually don't know the exact number of teams this past Sat but 55 rings a bell.  I could be off a few either way.  Regardless it was either a full field or around 90%.   

 

We actually attributed their different "viewpoint" of competing in small boats at least in part to a couple of very successful captains on the north shore who regularly win and do so in aluminum boats. Canadians just seem to have a different mindset in that regard.  It would be interesting to hear from a few at some point on the subject.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by Fishtails

[Fishtails]

Quote

I haven't seen any results yet.  I'm glad you had fun Rod and it was great to see you

 

Was great seeing you as well Mike !

 

I didn't see it either Mike. Couldn't even tell you who won.  We were last to get in line at weigh in, only made it with maybe 5 minutes to spare.  Once we knew we were not top 10 and wouldn't cash, weighing in was going to burn up valuable time so we bailed to gas up the boat and run back across the lake.  Even so, the gas dock had closed and we almost had to stay the night.  Luckily, two other boats were also stuck without gas and the marina got someone to open and pump gas for us.  

Edited June 18, 2018 by Fishtails

[HotWires]

Yes weather is a gamble with big or little boats. Hotwires started with a 20' Grady White didn't know any body to tell us were the fish were but still won the the A Tom Mik Challenge 

 

Never know till you try!

[Fishtails]

On 6/14/2018 at 7:31 PM, rdebadts said:

I like 3-6 fish boxes, with culling allowed. 6 is probably my favorite- a nice mix of skill and luck required to win those tourneys. I like the open concept with no observers too.

 

I was a bit frustrated in niagara when I caught 12 salmon by noon and would have been 7th in the pros, but barely got 6th in the open. All because I lacked a 18-20 lb fish.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

 

 

I feel the same Abe.  5 or 6 fish seems to be the magic number. 

 

I experienced a similar fate last time I fished Niagara. The 3 fish format The Niagara Pro Am has for the Am's is more of a derby format than a tournament.  I'm not knocking it, I think it's good for plenty of guys and a great starter event.  That format just isn't for me.  I do however, like that each day is a separate event so you have the option to fish just one day.  That's a really smart idea.

 

 

[RobertHan]

What I'm pretty concerned with is the weight of the boat when using them.
Manufacturers refer to the dry weight as the weight of the ship itself and nothing else. This dry weight means that the trailer, the fuel, and other gear are not included.
While a bass boat is made to be lightweight, other factors will weigh it down when it is ready for use. I can’t let the boat go on its own without these accessories. Thus, it is also pertinent to know how these accessories affect the weight of the boat. It will help me consider what things to prioritize when loading and unloading my vessel.

[tuffishooker]

As previously posted the weather is the main factor holding me back from day specific derbies !

[jimski2]

We were caught up in the Dunkirk Walleye Tournament when winds over 45 MPH blew up over 10 foot waves. Our 21 foot Crestliner took over an hour to make it back six milles. Many waves had the boat vertcal dozens of times and we were lucky to not get fully blown backward. Fishing for money makes your decision making do foolish things. Winning a contest like that is something that the organizers may face criminal and liability charges.

 

Stay safe and do not get worked up in a foolish endeavor.

[laker1]

This is an outside comment. I do not fish on the great lakes.

 

However these are some observations when my little fishing club tried to hold a "professional " tournament.  1) The entry fee was outrageous. 2) There was no sharing of information after the tournament. 3) It was not self supporting . Non participating members were expected to support the tournament financially (using club funds raised for fish stocking) and to volunteer all day during the event. 4) It seemed that the most ardent supporters of this event had a problem keeping their feet on the ground,(swelled heads). 5) There was a lot of self promotion.

 

As a result my club split and to this day barely operates any more. I miss the comraderie we once had when we all fished together for fun not profit. And our membership has declined.

 

My apologies for being negative but maybe seeing this you can avoid some of the issues we had to deal with.

 

 

 

[jimski2]

This is an outside comment. I do not fish on the great lakes.
 
However these are some observations when my little fishing club tried to hold a "professional " tournament.  1) The entry fee was outrageous. 2) There was no sharing of information after the tournament. 3) It was not self supporting . Non participating members were expected to support the tournament financially (using club funds raised for fish stocking) and to volunteer all day during the event. 4) It seemed that the most ardent supporters of this event had a problem keeping their feet on the ground,(swelled heads). 5) There was a lot of self promotion.
 
As a result my club split and to this day barely operates any more. I miss the comraderie we once had when we all fished together for fun not profit. And our membership has declined.
 
My apologies for being negative but maybe seeing this you can avoid some of the issues we had to deal with.
 
 
 

Club membership is falling now as original members pass on. More contests have started up and prize donations are down. Virus restrictions have limited meetings and monthly meeting revenues have disappeared. Private run contests seem to have more interest but boat sizes chase the smaller boats out. It is tough now but the bass clubs have evening and weekend contests that are popular with smaller bass boats with two person teams. New York waters with several species and a drawing for the grand prize seem to draw good numbers of salmon, walleye and bass prizes. Maybe trout could add more categories.


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