does anyone know anything about a B.A.S.S weekend series in michigan just wondering
No, the last time they had anything in Michigan was two or three years ago. When the changed it to ABA, they dropped anything that was north. When they did have them here last, I think they were only getting around 35 boats or so. I don't expect them to be adding anything soon based on the turn out they had. It seems no big tourneys with the FLW or BASS want to come to the west side either. Oh well, I guess we still have plenty of opportunities.
I fished the week end bass events that year and it was a great time,but your right we were averaging 30-35 boats,not enough i guess.I heard last year that they were going to have one again in michigan,just wondering...thanks
I checked their website about a month ago, and it did not list a Michigan division or any MI tourneys. The year they came up, I made their regional down on Patoka. 2 days of straight pouring rain. I think I am still a little damp from that fishing trip...anyway, it would be nice if they came back. However, I think it is ran by southerners and they don't really like northern fishermen...oh well, all I can say to that is KVD and Ike.
The last time I talked to them, the told me if they were to add a division back for this area it would be based out of southern Illinois and hope to draw from the Indianapolis and chicago areas. It would not be in Indiana or Michigan.
r we a third world state over here or what,nobody will touch us with and 8' rod(lol)i understand they need more then 30 boats but i thought they would give it more then 1 year to try and build a following.....o well,i geuss the bfl is about the same.....thanx for the info guys......
I've had this disccussion many times with the powers at be in the ABA - They believe there is not enough support from Michigan anglers to bring this trail to Michigan.
I feel that if the Michigan ABA and BASS Fed members stepped up, e-mailed, called, or made a list of anglers interested. Then voice thier oppinion with these anglers backing to the ABA that the ABA would bring this trail to Michigan.
I will tell you what - Here is my suggestion.... lets start a list of anglers right here in this thread. Call your friends and have them log on and post in this thread if they would join the weekend series if it came to michigan.
By the Way --- I would fish it if it came to Michigan.
Put my name on this list
Anthony Adams
Anthony,
What do they consider a good turnout. I went through alot of the Bassmaster Weekend results and found that most of the turnouts were between 30 and 80 boats. Obviously there are some that are more but there are some divisions that only averaged around 40. Would that be enough to bring them to Michigan. I do think they should have giving it more than one year to develop. I do like the thought of northern Indiana and Michigan Division. I think you would pull more boats if this was the case. I would definitley be in for them coming back to michigan. Add my name in.
Don Watts
I suggested to the ABA that they shold consider a division that includes Northern Ohio, Northern Indiana, & Southern Michigan. Or a Michigan wide division.
The ABA gets a hand full of calls a year from interested anglers. To them taht is not enough interest. They want to see some strong interest. I believe that if someone provided them with a list of names & phone numbers 50-75 anglers strong that they would come.
Let me add ...
The first year that the weekend series came to Michigan it was operated by BASS, thrown together at the last minute and had a poor turnout.
The next year the ABA took it over and made the payout a guaranteed $5000. They looked at Michigan and planned to come here but do to the short period of time they had and the logistics involved it was planned to wait ONE year until they had their ducks in a row. They did not want to make the same mistake as BASS did on Michigan. Problem is they did not get much feedback from the anglers about missing this opportunity and the ABA decided there just was not enough interest in Michigan for them to come back.
Not trying to be the devil's advocate here...But with the economy the way it is in this state this may not be the best time to get another circuit off of the ground...I may be wrong, and the FLW numbers weren't to bad last year, but can this state handle another large tournament circuit???
I'd be really interested depending on the lakes they picked.
the best bet would to do a Michigan/Indiana division and share lakes on west michigan and northern indiana. there are enough guys who dont want to fish st clair/erie all the time to do an inland lake division. But if they do it like they did last time and make it east side big water heavy, they wont get the turnout.
If i had a boat, and the money, and if my wife said it was ok, and if they made a west michigan/northern indiana division, and i was a better fisherman........i would probably fish it.
McCarter himself :-\'
I would fish it for sure, especially if they had some W. MI waters in the schedule. You can add my name to the list.
Chris Helsel.
I love the idea of a N IN/W MI division. I would look at fishing something along those lines. Put my name in the hat.
Blake Britton
I'd be there for sure. I loved those tournaments, and was considering borderline terrorist actions when they didn't come back.
Eric Smith
Put me in and I can speak for one other boater also, so make it 2.
i would fish.i would just like to see more bigger touney's like the bfl or a bass weekend series come around.I think the bass weekends would of done better the following year once the word got out how much fun they were and the way they were prof. run.(no entry classic 50,000 to win,i'm in every time)
You nailed it McCarter, excuses.....Your friends dont need them and your enemies won't believe them! You could add my name to the list, but as Eric was saying it would take a whole lot of serious fishermen to build it and that my friends is a risk many outfits are not willing to take. I truly believe we should be soooooo greatful for the FLW, I sometimes think the only reason the BFL is still here is because of the ground work operation bass laid and the core group of anglers who are dedicated to this series, do a search and you will see that the same names are there year after year, I know I could name thirty who were fishing it in 2001, point is it does not build itself and it is not overnight, not without serious commitment.
LGMOUTH, man it did my heart good to see you in this thread, hope all is well with your son, suspect he's still teaching dad a thing or two....Rich Soderquist
we should make a petition and send it to the ABA. I would fish this if it came to michigan
UPDATE - BASS/ABA are seriously considering my recommendation to bring this back in 2010. I talked to Paula Sacks and i've set him up an apointment for him to meet the big man in charge during the Bass Master Classic... If the ABA of Michigan and the BASS of Michigan can show support the chance of it coming here in 2010 greatly increase.
Here is what the ABA is asking from us. Guestimate on angler turnout numbers, Lakes, venues, times & dates.
Start with the suggestions...
I guess I don't see it the same way you guys do (and thats ok :) ). I would rather NOT have them come to Michigan.
We don't have enough guys to fill a BFL or any other open trail. Why do we need another trail? We have more than enough options now, and with declining numbers, it just does not pay to have a bunch of tiny tournaments.
IMHO, if you want to fish a "Weekend Series" type trail, why not fish the BFL? They are already established and have a good track record for well run events. Once we start getting 200 boats, then lets talk about another trail.
Seth
QuoteWe don't have enough guys to fill a BFL or any other open trail. Why do we need another trail?
The BFL considers a full field 150 boats before they pay out the full $5000 they advertise for 1st place while the Weekend Series has a Guarantied $5000 regardless of turnout.... There is no FULL FIELD excuse to hold back your winnings. Besides this is the shortest trip to the Bass Master Classic ... Honestly you've never dreamed of having a shot at the Bass Master Classic?
I guess I don't understand why someone would not want it? It's the best payout with the shortest trip to the big show...
Personally I feel that the more options we have to fish the better it is for Fisherman... competition is a good thing and the Anglers are the ones who are rewarded.
Im afraid I have to agree with SethV. If we have never filled a BFL field(maybe one when they first came to Michigan) this would just add another trail to draw more anglers away from what is currently offered in Michigan. If anglers what to fish the BASS weekend trail there are tournaments close enough to Michigan that they can enter.
I agree as well, just too many trails to get full fields and full pay down the line.
BASS guarentees $5k for first place but thats it, the rest of the field gets very little thus making anything but first mostley a waste of time.
look at roy randalphs tournament list if you have any doubt about too many trails.
http://www.royrandolph.com/fishing/opens.htm
I would like to see the BWS back in Michigan, but I don't think it should be Michigan alone. At least Michigan East&West and Indiana with a possiblity of adding Ohio too. Ohio already has their own division with 40-60 angler/tournament. IF the Ohio fisherman were willing to add some tournaments in Michigan & Indiana, we could grow on their established numbers.
I do not fish BFLs (because of FLW) and have no intentions too but I would fish a BASS tournament. There are a lot of others that feel the same way but for various reasons. I have always had an issue with the "use my sponsors product or else" mentality of FLW so I choose not to support them. The only reason I bring this up is because of the arguement that "the BFLs aren't full so why bring in another organization".
Another bonus of the multi state & east/west Michigan is the diversity that the BFL is severely lacking. In case nobody has noticed, the only difference between a St. Clair tournament and a Detroit River tournament is how long of a run it is to get to your spot.
Its not a perfect world and I dont see how come everybody expects a perfect organization to come along. I dont like the color green but I'll take all the money I can get. To say that the weekend series pays 5000 regardless of the turnout, well obviously they learned their lesson and quit having the series. I think the more the merrier, as far trails, dont quite get it either. Right now maybe what 140 people fish in the BFLs ? If there was ten trails then what ? You would get 15 or 20 people in each one and wheres the future in that ? Too much politics and not enough fishing ,IMO.........
This may ruffle a few feathers but here goes. ;)
There are other variables than just saturation in the tournament world. We have the economy and also the plight of the co-angler. Back in the late 1990's it wasn't uncommon to have full or nearly full fields in the BFL in Michigan. I, along with many other co-anglers that participated in these I choose not to continue as a back ender. I have spoken to many co's that felt the same. There were a variety of reasons but one stands out, the boater considering himself the primary focus in the tournament with the co-angler along for a reduced price ride. Now the BLF struggles to get 125 boats per tourney. That is why I like the fact that some of the major tournaments are going to a Pro only format. In this situation you eliminate what came be an overriding feeling of helplessness on the part of the person on the back and in a few cases the boater losing focus by helping out the co-angler with boater position.
Quote from: ebond on February 20, 2009, 07:57:06 AM
100 BFL boats - 50 BWS boats = 50 BFL boats. Right?
Wrong! Some Michigan anglers will choose one trail instead of the other, some will choose both, and some still won't fish either trail. When you consider the possible impact of anglers from Ohio and Indiana, there is still more unpredictability. BFL will not suffer from the existence of BWS, which will need its own demographic to be successful in this region. 8)
Eric, do you have facts to back this bold statement up or are you just stating your "humble" opinion? Or????
If the BWS does take anglers away from the BFLs and the numbers drop to the point the FLW no longer finds it feasible to maintain their presence in MI and they leave, then what ? Yes the BFLs are mostly LSC oriented, but where else is there a boat launch that can handle the large numbers of trailers? Or could it be that the LSC area holds the highest number of tournament anglers? I don't know I haven't seen the "demographic's" . Myself , being a entry-level tournament angler, and not wanting to sound like a know-it-all, feel that while I could come up with many reason's not to fish a BFL , I am very fortunate to be able to fish against the best anglers in the area for such a nominal fee. I would like to see the BFLs numbers increase, not decrease . And when you factor in the bad state of the economy, I don't think it makes sense bring in another series to compete for anglers,at this moment in time . It seems a simple matter of supply vs demand and I don't see the demand for the BWS, "IMO".
i have to agree with Eric. 2 bigger trails would hurt numbers.
FLW already know there numbers will be down this year. my bro fished a BLF 2 weeks ago in florida. at the meeting the director asked for comments on what they can do to get more entries. there were 115 boats and they had to ask for co-anglers and then went with observers in 2 boats. they are cost cutting also.
the Stren now is asking for boaters to sign with a co. i think that is a new rule this year.
look at the BFL page on this board. there are a couple guys looking for boaters or co,s. look at this time last year there was lots of talk about the BFL's. real quiet this year.
if the bass weekend series stayed to the west side and northern indiana i think there is a slot to fill there,there is alot of west side anglers that would fish if they got a chance to fish some lakes on there side of the state,i love the idea of starting in indiana early!my other thought is that bass still will have to give it 2 years,the 2nd year being what there looking for...... ;D ;D ;D
funny how some guys mention that BWS be a multi state trail, do ya realy think guys can or will afford that kinda travel expense for such a low pay trail :D
come on, if you wanted to travel or could afford travel youd fish a stren or BASS open unless your a rich idiot and those are getting fewer and fewer these days, the turnouts wouldnt be there and it likeley would hurt the existing trails by at least several boats.
I bet if the BFL's drew 30 or 40 boats less they would pull out of michigan and then our only tournament choices would be these little 10 to 30 boat trails, Id rather golf wax my back or attend a womens basketball game than fish a 10 to 30 boat trail.
now with that said I have nothing against BASS but remember they(the multi corp conglomerate) turned their back on us when they did pull out of michigan and the north a few years back and FLW filled the gap and stuck with us....thankfully!
I see no reason to bring them back only to mess up what FLW has worked so hard for and possibley losing both trails in the future.
Eric, it seems to me your saying two different things. First you say
Quote from: ebond on February 20, 2009, 07:57:06 AM
100 BFL boats - 50 BWS boats = 50 BFL boats. Right?
Wrong! Some Michigan anglers will choose one trail instead of the other, some will choose both, and some still won't fish either trail. When you consider the possible impact of anglers from Ohio and Indiana, there is still more unpredictability. BFL will not suffer from the existence of BWS, which will need its own demographic to be successful in this region. 8)
Then you say
Quote from: ebond on February 22, 2009, 09:36:41 AM
CR,
I could be wrong...
So how about a friendly wager? When both series have a trail in Michigan, I bet the average number of boats in the BFL plus the average number of boats in the BWS will be greater than the average number of boats in the BFL in the previous year. Think of it as an over-under proposition.
2010 BFL boats + 2010 BWS boats > 2009 BFL boats
Name your terms. 8)
Which is it ? Will the BFLs lose anglers if the BWS was to have a competing tournament on the same waters just weeks apart or not? You seem to be flip flopping your position here .
My point is and always has been that I don't want to see the BFLs lose anglers to the point that they quit having a presence in MI.
Maybe there is a need for a BWS on the SW side of MI and N IND, I don't know, not having access to your "highly classified data and the advanced computer models ". I do know there will always be cherry-pickers, dissidents, and people who got their feelings hurt,etc,etc, but is there a future in catering to them ? I think not!
As far as a wager with you, OK, I'll wager 2 cents because that's all your opinions are worth, at least to me .
How about a great big group hug!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D (The snow and ice getting to everyone I think)
Guess I will throw my 2 cents in..for what it is worth...I use to fish Redman bach in the mid 80s we would usually have close to 100 boatas for every tournament 150 early in the year. We always started in indiana in early may and usually had 2 tournaments on the east and 2 on the west. didnt have co anglers we all fished for the same money. boaters non boaters nons payed for gas as do co anglers. but we didnt have priority entrys because of boat brand. pay your fee and fish..but since they started sticking to the east side entries in the BFL has dropped...So I ays start a west side BWS and lets see how it goes. Alos in redman we always drew boats from indiana,ohio,illinois never a problem...
I remember a few late 80s Redmans on the Grand that had 180+ boats. I think if the BWS stayed on the west side and did not have dates conflicting with the BFLs they could be successful. By drawing guys from NE Indiana and NW Ohio plus the Mi guys it could work. Unfortunatly if they were successful it would not be long and they would move to the Eastside and have conflicting dates. I guess that is why I prefer they stay away also. I also do not like that you have to join BASS and the ABA to fish them. If that is still the case, is it?
I'm not feeling much love on this post!!! A group hug would probably be in order. I think someone needs to go fishing!!! :D
BD ;D
An Indiana/Michigan trail would probably do the best. Most of the guys on the west side normally fish these areas anyway.
If the BFL's are as wonderfull as you guys say then they shouldn't have any thing to worry about. The guys that fish 'em really seem to enjoy it. Good for them.
Like others have stated, I will not fish any FLW stuff for my own reasons but I find BWS appealing.
Man am I ever tired of this snow.......... >:(
Yeah, the problem I have with the BFLs is that there are no West Side tourneys anymore...A couple years ago, they used to throw in a token west side (Muskegon or Grand). However, we didn't rate...So, of to St. Clair and Erie for every tournament and also into Ohio on Erie for one of the Michigan Division events. How does that make sense? I understand Burt/Mullet, as that is probably the second best smallie lake in the country. But I bet if you give it a couple years and have them in n. indiana and W. Mich, you would load up on boaters. Especially since you can qualify for the classic, etc. I do see a direct correlation between those who have a problem with the return of the Bass Weekend Series and where they live. I don't want to drive to Erie/St. Clair for every tournament offered. The argument that we couldn't travel due to the economy doesn't stand up. It is further (or at least just as far) for us to drive to the East Side for the BFLs than it would be to N. Indiana for a COUPLE of them...
I totaly agree that losing the grand river was a mistake, putting another Erie tourney out of Ohio just didnt make any sense either.
The Ohio event didnt draw as many boats as FLW thought it would so Im realy surprised to see them keep it on the schedule, I talked to anthoney about it and requested the grand be put back on and dump Ohio, guess nothings perfect.
oh and Im with Eric....no group hugs Im just fine thanx!
personely I woulda liked to see a totaly different schedule like
Burt/Mullet OR Saginaw Bay
saginaw bay St Clair
St Clair Grand River
Grand River Detroit River
Detroit River St Clair
Detroit River Grand River
To be totaly honest Im not fishing the BFL this year becouse I didnt like losing the Grand River to another Erie tourney out of Ohio, I hated sandusky, all that big water is hard on the boat equiptment and the pocket book.
Its a MICHIGAN BFL, drop the sandusky tournament and put a west side event back on the schedual. All 5 tournaments are on smallmouth lakes, put a largemouth event in the mix so the guys that dominate on Erie/St clair atleast are out of there element for one tournament. I think this is one of the reasons the MI guys get there butts kicked in the regionals. Most guys are smallmouth experts that finish in the top 40 and have a tough time figuring out the reservoirs down south. Look at cherokee last year, the top finisher from MI was Skip in 45th place!
T
well Im actualy a transplanted southern guy so I loved cherokee and Id love to go back, in practice I had a couple 18lb days, I went and checked both of my good bays the evening before the tournament and shook off several fish but that cold front that moved in that night messed me up bad and I couldnt buy a fish from either of those very large shallow spots so I had to go to plan B....DEEP.
I totaly agree about mixing up largies with smallies thats why Im fishing the Stren central this year instead of the BFL, I probobly would have just fished the BFL if it was mixed up a bit but I beat the heck out of my boat fishing basicaly 4 erie tournaments, stress cracks pee me off.
I suppose if FLW dont change waters next year and BASS came in and set it up evenley Id switch over ::)
With the great Largemouth lakes/rivers we have in michigan Im totaly confused why their all smallmouth lakes, Ive found smallmouth to be soooo much easier to fish than largies...excluding st clair anyways, that lakes just silly with both species.
I absolutley loved the grand river both times Ive been there I wish it was closer to me.
Judging by the number of boats that show up during weeknights to the NBAA tourneys around the Grand Rapids area, I would say you are wrong about that "southeast michigan" comment. When you can get around 20 boats to fish from 6 to 9, I would say there are quite a few fishermen around here (the west side). B/t/w, how many boats did the BFL have when they fished the Grand and Muskegon? (87 and 98 respectively, if you were really wondering) Also through a quick scan of city/state locations, a large portion were from W. MI and N. Indiana. Seems like it would work to me...
I would like to see them stay away from the Great Lakes and fish something like:
Grand River
Muskegon
Hardy Dam
Skegmog/Torch/Elk or Burt/Mullett
Wawasee
Quote from: TCook on February 23, 2009, 04:49:08 PM
Its a MICHIGAN BFL, drop the sandusky tournament and put a west side event back on the schedual. All 5 tournaments are on smallmouth lakes, put a largemouth event in the mix so the guys that dominate on Erie/St clair atleast are out of there element for one tournament. I think this is one of the reasons the MI guys get there butts kicked in the regionals. Most guys are smallmouth experts that finish in the top 40 and have a tough time figuring out the reservoirs down south. Look at cherokee last year, the top finisher from MI was Skip in 45th place!
T
I totally agree with TCook. I think the tourney numbers would go up if they split their lakes up. There are plenty of lakes that will hold a big number of boats on them. I have said the same thing about the Federation fishoffs both BASS and FLW, they are mostly on smallmouth waters up north or eastside doesnt do much for the westside.
This would be the perfect curcuit for the BWS or BFL
Wawasee-Tournaments could start in April
Randall or Coldwater
Burt\mullet or Elk\Torch
Grand River or Muskegon
St Clair or Erie
This would be a westside curcuit for the BWS
Wawasee
Randall
Grand River
Coldwater
Muskegon
I think these lakes would pull boats from other states and get the numbers up.
Quote from: cast n blast on February 22, 2009, 11:17:46 AM
funny how some guys mention that BWS be a multi state trail, do ya realy think guys can or will afford that kinda travel expense for such a low pay trail :D
I really dont know if people will travel that far for the BWS but they travel to Burt\Mullet then all the way down to Sandusky in the BFL. There are a few things that I noticed in the BWS,they have exactly the same payout as the BFL but they have a $5000 first place prize guaranteed no matter how many entrees. This sounds like a no brainer to me. You are always supposed to believe you can win every tournament you enter (I heard KVD say that at the classic the other day ;D) With that said that $5000 for 40, 50, 60, entrees is fantastic and cant be beat.
I do think there are enough anglers to support both the BFL and the BWS but they will have to cater to two different types of anglers like the eastside and the westside.
This is the schedual I would like to see for the BFL:
6/6 Burt&Mullet
7/18 Grand River
8/8 St Clair
8/29 Muskegon
9/19-9/20 Detroit River
This would mix it up and show the all around best fisherman in the field. Muskegon and the Grand would fish much bigger than they are since a good chunk of the field would run to White or anywhere else in range. Not sure if it would draw more or less boats though?
A few of you need to seriously learn the fine art of debate without personalizing it. It can be done.
First off, please stop addressing your response to an individual. Yes, there's some cabin fever. And yes, there's some personality things going on, but the point is, debate the issue, not the person. It's the only way to keep things civil and worth reading for anyone not interested in the Jerry Springer crowd. I'm not and it's not what I envision while I work on keeping the software working and updated.
If someone else singles you out, you don't have to sink to that level yourself. I'm impressed with how deftly someone debates the issue and present points on the issue, not with how 'good' a dig you get back at someone. Stopped being impressed with that sometime around 3rd grade.
These topics can be discussed in an adult manner with a little effort as many of you do demonstrate. I guaranty no one at ESPN-BASS or FLW are impressed or swayed by some of these comments. Goes in one ear and out the other. And too many unproductive comments will actually hurt chances to attract what you want.
My last response was not meant to be a dig at anyone or any organization and I hope it did not come out that way. Sorry Seth if it did.. Those of you who know me know I have ties to ABA / BASS and FLW
I do feel that the BWS is a great opportunity for fishermen. I believe more opportunities are a good thing.
I also feel that quality fishermen are always looking for quality trails to fish. Every serious fishermen I know fishes more than one trail and will continue to do so. Some anglers are very loyal to FLW, BASS and the ABA and that is why I feel bringing BWS in is a great opportunity for us all.
I have read this thread over several times and I can not find anywhere in the posts where anyone has attacked me personally. All I can say is "Your darn lucky you didn't"! :D
This is a great post and something that i have been thinking about alot. I dont want to single anyone one out here like Dan commented on but how can you say that that there are too few serious fisherman out side the southeast? thats a joke. i can name a ton that will put you too shame when it comes to fishing and not just the big waters. im sure they would participate if there was a different schedule..(Greg Mangus, Don Watts, Jason Ammerman, Tad Hepler,Dave Eggers, Rick Mast, Norm Greene,Justin Hahaj,Kevin Fletcher, Mickey Thomas) the list goes on and on. You cant justify that the best fisherman in michigan are from ST.Clair. If you look at things,2 people really stand out in other places than here, Chip Harrison and Art Furgeson, Kevin Vida does well too and he loves frog fishing?? how can having the biggest boat make you a better fisherman??I really want Michigan BFL or BWS to make it fair on a split choice. there are tons of lakes around that can handle 100-200 boats at the ramps. If you want full fields on the Bfls dont blow off the westside! Or Northern Indiana!-skeeterman-
Oh yeah look at the BBT circuit on the westside they draw just as many boats as a bfl?? huh not too many names from anywhere but that side of the state and Indiana??pack a lunch!-skeeterman-
You've made your point by talking about the issue. That's all I ask. Thanks.
I don't care where they have the tournaments..East side,West side, Up North where ever...In this Economy I don't see another large circuit being successful at this point...Heck most club guys will tell you that they are just struggling to keep their numbers up to maintain a club..
I have seen this Rodeo before, everyone is committed until it becomes time to pony up the cash and participate..
Look at the boat numbers in the ABA, state BASS Classic series, NBAA weekend series, etc etc...They barely get 40 boats if they are lucky...
I think it would be awesome to have another circuit but everyone has to face reality...and the bottom line is reality is how light everyone's check book has gotten over the last few years...That is part of the reason, I believe, that you see all of these ST Clair/Eerie specialists...The Southeast guys can spend alot of time on that water with minimal travel..
If you want to fish more tournaments go to Roy Randolph's site and check out his tournament Calendar...You will find plenty of tournaments there that aren't filled up to fish any weekend of the year...
Amen!
Oh the joys of living in the worst economy in the nation! And now the nation is even getting bad!
Been saving my 2 cents, not that it matters because everyone else has put in their 2 cents already and not swayed anyone either way. BASS left us, plain and simple, right? If my wife chose to leave me, I wouldn't take her back. Why should we take them back? I'm not against fishing anything, as long as there is some kind of money to be won. I would prefer to win big, but let's face reality, that's a hard task. I think some of the series that are run around here already could fill some voids, if sponsore would start ponying up. How much do we spend on the products we use, and then to be sponsored you get a discount????!!!!!! Tell that to the guys driving NASCAR. Fishing is a hobby, and unless you can compete at the highest level on and off the water (because getting and keeping sponsors is really where the money is), you're going to lose money anyways. I'm all for a westside tournament, or a split tournament. I'm not driving to the East side 4 times to get beat by the local smokies. No thanks
1Jav
Jav sees the light 8)
Its not that I want to bash BASS be negative or detour them from being here or upset ANYONE on this site but I have to face the fact that they did leave and they have wayyyy enough money to stick it out but they didnt becouse it was a corporate decision not a whats good for our annual dues members and competitors decision.
all the magazine,insider and conservation members of this state and the northern region are contributers to BASS, theres revenue here for BASS even without competitors so I feel they should have stayed just to give the "reguler" members a chance to participate in a BASS tournament even if they didnt have full fields, and dont forget about all the western U.S. members of BASS that BASS doesnt feel compelled to give them participation options but most clubs out west including the one I was in the members had to be a BASS member.
The revenue they make is just insane for what little they obviousley are willing to give back.
I wrote them in 2006 stating just such feelings and asked some questions and never even got a response so I did more research to make sure it was getting to BASS instead of disney and ESPN so then I sent it to all of them and still never got a reply.
maybe guys that havent been BASS members for over 30 years like I have dont feel the same way becouse they havent contributed hundreds or even thousands of dollors to BASS and BASS dues like I have but know this, BASS wouldnt be BASS without all that the reguler members have done and contributed.
I have a hard time being friends with someone who turned their back on me, yes I know Im stubborn to a point of ignorance in some peaples eyes but Im willing to take a hit or two for what I feel is right, Ive allways been that way and I can sleep at night.
Im a current BASS member, insider,conservation doner and current ABP member so dont get the impression that Im a BASS outsider with an oppinion, IVE PAID MY DUES!
now with that said if they did come back I feel they need to realize what I mentioned above and stick it out not run away to the next profit margin invest in us and try to maintain and build a michigan and northern presence, in the long run I think it could be a wise buisiness decision with more publicity and advertising thus bringing more subscribers but it would take investing in a region and they have proved they dont do that.
unfortunatley they did pull out and lose ground here and the economy fell apart in the meantime, theres a ton of trails out there and fewer competitors with cash, Im willing to bet that alot of guys that say they can and will fish it unfortunatley either wont be able to fish any or just some BASS tournaments if they did come here becouse were still facing thousands of jobs lost and if guys do switch to BASS then fun trails will lose participants.
As much as I would like to participate in BASS and have a shot at the classic I just dont see it being a winning situation right now for them to come here.
just my 2 cents :-\'
Come join Team Bass and fish some tourneys with us....Make the state fish off and you will have your chance to make the Classic..... We would love to have you Skip ;D Just a thought..
Quote from: ebond on February 26, 2009, 07:44:41 PM
Thanks cast n blast for contributing to this conversation. It looked like this thread was decaying into the same tired East vs West, smallie vs largie, pros vs amateurs, and yachts vs dinghies bickering. I boycotted the BFL when it switched to a Saturday pro-am format. But now I fish their trail again. We all choose what works for us depending on our situation. 8)
I have to agree, The statement that all the serious tournament fisherman reside in SE Michigan threatened to turn this thread into a disastrous debacle.
ummmm KVD is a west sider, I definitley dont want to say that all the serious tourney guys or good sticks live on the east side cuz we could get creamed.... ;D
and Im going to say it again that if BASS did come and run a good divided east/west largie/smallie(michigan)trail Id try my darndest to fish it, I just think its too much to ask of them the economy and our anglers but heck Ive been wrong before wich means I just might be wrong again ::)
I'm suddenly reminded of a T-Shirt worn by Adam of Myth-busters that say's" I reject your reality and substitute my own".
Quote from: CR on February 27, 2009, 12:19:35 AM
I'm suddenly reminded of a T-Shirt worn by Adam of Myth-busters that say's" I reject your reality and substitute my own".
Touche' CR!!!! :o
BD ;D
Another good one... "I Think I Have An Angler Management Problem" - I'm thinking about making a T-shirt with that on it...
;D :o
Maybe a new thread should be started that ONLY talks about who wants the circuit to come to town with positive reasons only why they should come?? Otherwise, I don't think this thread did much in the way of a winning sales pitch?
Oh come on...this thread has become the highlight of my day for over a week now! (You must admit it's better than the usual " their payouts stink" thread that runs forever this time of year.
Whose pay-outs stink? Serious anglers know ......Never-mind ...just .. Well you know... ;D
Quote from: djkimmel on February 27, 2009, 01:14:56 PM
Another good one... "I Think I Have An Angler Management Problem" - I'm thinking about making a T-shirt with that on it...
;D :o
Maybe a new thread should be started that ONLY talks about who wants the circuit to come to town with positive reasons only why they should come?? Otherwise, I don't think this thread did much in the way of a winning sales pitch?
I would buy that t-shirt for my wife. So who should start that new thread??? Are there any reasons why they should come after reading this whole thread??? I agree DK, it certainly didn't sell me on the idea. A winning sales pitch would be.."Come to the Michigan region because....................you fill in the rest. After reading this, I don't have too many positive things to say about it. So I will just keep my mouth shut. :-X
BD ;D
I wonder how many wives would like to have that t-shirt?? Hmmmmm....? Wonder if it is copyrighted?
Quote from: canvsbk on February 27, 2009, 01:23:33 PM
Oh come on...this thread has become the highlight of my day for over a week now! (You must admit it's better than the usual " their payouts stink" thread that runs forever this time of year.
Not going to delete it or something... Just don't think it is the one I would show ESPN/BASS if I really wanted to convince them to bring their circuit back...? There's some good info scattered lightly among the rest of the.... stuff, but I haven't enjoyed reading it maybe as much as some people. I expect they'd feel similar.
Dan has a good point and I think most other peaple had good points as well, I think we should start a new topic in the BASS forum now that weve got both the positive and negative feelings of BASS aired out, Id like to see who REALY is interested in BWS coming to michigan in 2010 and if it gets good numbers and stays positive it just might be able to be forwarded to BASS and help sway them our way.
Let's see. You have made 3 posts in this thread and all are still there. No part of this entire thread has been censored or removed. I think Dan mentioned starting a thread containing all positive feedback that could possibly be used to demonstrate a need and attract BWS. Cast n Last (Former DK Open Champion) has done that. If you wish to continue posting and reading in this thread you may do so, I didn't get the impression that we were to stop.
We would certainly like for you to reconsider and stick around at least until next Tuesday. ;D
I obviously have a sense of humor. ;)
Quote from: MadWags on February 28, 2009, 01:09:51 PM
I obviously have a sense of humor. ;)
Yes you do. Thanks :)
LOL! Dan I look forward to fishing with you again.