Based on your past experiences, list your likes and dislikes of tournaments that you have attended. I find it interesting talking to tournament anglers who often say "I wished they would have done this" or "I wish the would get rid of that". I'm interested in knowing what those things are.
Post edited by: tiara3600, at: 2005/01/11 16:14
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1) I would like to see all of them have a drop off dock like they do at the Ludington offshore. I think this tends to eliminate some of the cheating that may happen at other tournaments where the boats go back to their docks and transport coolers to the weigh in. As a side note the Ludington tournament is one of the best organized that I have participated in.
2) During the awards portion I would like to see more random prizes given out during the awards in an effort to keep people there through all the awards. Seems kind of impolite to leave the winners accepting awards (usually the last part of the program) with no one left to appreciate their efforts.
3) First come first served at the weigh in.
4) More support of the sponsors, let them know you appreciate their participation and input. The more sponsors the lower the entry fees and the higher the payouts. Buy their product if they have a booth even if it is a token purchase, once again, we NEVER have enough lures and other tackle so it won't hurt.
5) Eliminate multiple port tournaments I think these are asking for cheating (and probably getting it).
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1.When a tournament states its going to have certain payouts based on X amount of boats. Then they have 50 more boats sign up in a certain division and the payouts don't change. Gurantee the payouts say X=20 boats. Then for each additional boat above that a % is added to the payouts.
2.Payouts need to be larger and go deeper. We'll never get any type of recognition by handing the winner of a major tourny a $10,000 dollar check. While Bass and walleye anglers get $100,000 payouts to 1st. Plus you've got to remember there is generally 4 people on a salmon boat and the money is split up more.
3.Leave at X time and be across the weigh in line by X time. No run times!! Make it each boat owners responsability to make sure his cooler is in line.
4.I liked the way the GLPAA ran their times and how they checked coolers before and after.
5.A proffesional circuit needs get going in order to ever get big payouts. To me a circuit in salmon fishing means 50-75 boats. Thats 200-300 fisherman. You would need to have some sort of consistency with alot of the same anglers fishing the circuit. If we ever want air time this has to happen. People like to pick out a team and root for them. Like any sport. Without consistency you'll never get that.
6. I'll stop seing how i've got to many to type.
7. I'd just really like to see some major exposure for all of us.
If we would have had a camera crew on my boat during the second day of the GLPAA last year. And they'd filmed us on the one fish we caught. We'd definately earned are stripes and got followers.
We had a green fish come to the back of the boat and between Rick,Jim,Paul and I. It was handled beautifully. Jim drove the boat beautifully while Rick and I shuffled rods and Paul faught the fish. I think by the time we got the fish in the boat just about every rod had been moved or cleared. Or had gotten tangled with this fish. But it came in the boat. I remember thinking that was almost as impressive my little stunt I pulled while Rick pulled a trick on me.
Curt
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That fish would have made for great TV for sure Curt! Exciting moments like that are a big part of the thrill of competetive fishing. It took total team effort to land one fish and we all know that every fish has the ability to make or break you in the standings. Thank you for inviting me to join the team! It was a thrill being a part of it and pitting ourselves against so many great fishermen.
I really don't have any dislikes really. Maybe just when boats were allowed to leave after boat/cooler check, well before the established start time. It might not have been such a big deal had my teammates not have been waiting almost an hour for me to arrive. Other than that I guess the concerns of cheating can be a bummer. Observers on every boat and cooler/boat inspections before and after would help that.
Likes I have many! Mostly just the thrill of it all but as far as format specific: I like shotgun starts I like emcee's that know how to pump up the excitement I like how the GLPAA got the kids involved with giveaways I like the second day weigh ins to be in reverse order of the first day's standings. It builds tension, anticipation and excitement. I'd like get togethers after the first day. There are a lot of great fishermen I've yet to meet. Some are jerks but overall tournament anglers are a great bunch of guys. This would be a great way for future fans to mingle with the future stars of "The Tour"
Speaking of "The Tour" I love the series format! In my mind it is the future of competetive salmon fishing and the vehicle that'll gain us the recognition and respect given to the bass and walleye guys.
Jim...I Fish Therefore I Am
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After fishing 1 tournament which was this years Brew City I havent really formed to much of a likes and dislikes list.But I am sure that I will by the end of the coming year,I plan on being in a few this summer.I had to take a ride to my father this morning and the things you see when you dont have your camera.I had to drive past walleye pro Darryl Christensons house and there sits a very new very pretty Tracker tourney boat half covered with a plain old hardware store looking Tarp.Whats up with that?
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I like run times and tournaments that are run smoothly and efficiently. I can't stand waiting around for an hour or two to weigh my fish in and I can't stand it when the captain's meeting lasts over an hour. At last year's Brew City the captain's meeting was short and sweet, and my crew had the fish weighed in by the time I had the boat back on the trailer. This was a huge improvement over the previous year's tourney.
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Josh, The reason I don't like run times. Is it never fails that if you have to quit fishing at 1 and be in the pierheads by 1:30. Their is always someone who fishes until 1:15. I've seen it happen. I have friends who've seen it happen. I like the idea of making the captain repsonsable for getting in at 1 set time. Then their is no way of cheating the run times.
Curt
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This is my opinion on Large tournament with a payout of over $2,000
I like to see 100% payouts, or if the tournament does take a cut, I want them to tell us exactly what they are doing with the monies. In paper, and I also what them to tell me what they did with the funds from the tournament last year at the captains meeting.
Fish limits, I like to weigh-in at least 9 fish. Anything under that, I feel gets distorted by luck sometimes. I really like 12 fish total, 9 of 1 species.
I don't
think
I like the 10 point a fish system.
Maybe
I just need to get used to it more. But in every Lake Michigan Pro/Am event I fished, we had more weight that boats that placed higher than us, just because they landed more fish. A perfect example of this is the 2004 Ludington offshore tournament. Thunderduck won the event by points, Reel Action had the most weight for the tournament. Who won? Well, the difference was $5000.
Whenever a tournament do not use observers that stay with coolers, I would like to see them use fish tags. The dropoff our fish areas they have at GrandHaven and Ludington are good, but are there any tournament officials watching the coolers come to shore?
In Mid-february, I will be posting a set of prefered tournament rules on my website. And I will post rational after each rule as to why each rule is there. At the end, I think I may post a feedback section. Though, I had some friends abuse my feedback section to the website before.
Mike
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Other than that I guess the concerns of cheating can be a bummer. Observers on every boat and cooler/boat inspections before and after would help that. 
