TOPIC:

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen. Looks like we have a few things to take a look at. I like the idea of having a laker only tourney. Maybe call it LAKER FEST. Something like that could be fun, and with every one targeting lakers in early summer, maybe we could get some of the guys taking charters to buy in. Would be a fun item for a charter group to enter, who knows they might have the winning 5. Or the big One!

Thanks to all that chimed in.

The nice thing about the small tournaments is they can be set up and designed for different types of outings.

Was glad to see that most thought that one more weekend set aside for the Salmon Slam was the way to go. This is the last big tournament of the season. I know the HCC watches this site so maybe next year they will think to add it on. Was disappointed to here how many had decided to stay out this year. Like other contest, if this one falls to the way side it might be hard to bring it back.

I've been eyeing this post along with a few others and gathered that this board is mostly a salmon board but maybe a Perch tournament in the middle to late November for a final wrap up for the season? Though it would most likely be limited to smaller boats with outboards. But I'm sure the guys with bigger boats could partner up and enjoy a final gathering and fill up the freezer to carry them through the winter.

Any thoughts?


Poorboy

PoorBoy,

thats a very good idea. We had talked about trying to do something for a perch tourney earlier in the year. It was hard to put a date together since they were here today and gone the next. Possibly this fall will hold those tasty bandits long enough to put something together.

Lickety-Split wrote:

PoorBoy,

thats a very good idea. We had talked about trying to do something for a perch tourney earlier in the year. It was hard to put a date together since they were here today and gone the next. Possibly this fall will hold those tasty bandits long enough to put something together.

A key date for them those tasty morsels is usually around Thanksgiving +/- a week...lol! The only draw back to whole idea is if we get a bad northwind storm and the water gets dirty. I'm almost positive though we could get a big turn out as long as the weather cooperates

Anyone else wish to add their $0.02

Poorboy.

Like it for those smaller boats!! I think it's a great idea. My fishing ends when the boat has to be taken out so to see a tournament in November makes me happy.

Poorboy wrote:

I've been eyeing this post along with a few others and gathered that this board is mostly a salmon board but maybe a Perch tournament in the middle to late November for a final wrap up for the season? Though it would most likely be limited to smaller boats with outboards. But I'm sure the guys with bigger boats could partner up and enjoy a final gathering and fill up the freezer to carry them through the winter.

Any thoughts?


Poorboy

I spent about 3 hours sitting on my front porch yesterday evening tournament brainstorming. A perch tournament or two is definitely on my list of things that should be done . I am thinking one in possibly the summer and one in november as PB suggested. I have come up with anything from a one day tournament to a 1 week tournament with ideas on how to manage both. Any crazy ideas or thoughts are certainly welcome.

I've been up chasing the slim to none kings in the PM river the last week and a half and just saw this thread. I'll just add my .02 worth, and it's only just an opinion.
I don't tournament fish...period. I fish solely for the pleasure and camaraderie and relaxation I get from being out there. You guys can have as many tournaments as you wish, but this site sounds like it's going to go to a bunch of tournaments like another now nearly defunct site was. If that's the way you want to go, that's ok by me, I have no control over that. The reports will become non existant because of tournaments every other weekend. I enjoy reports, bad reports help me more than anything. But I'm to far from the lake to be able to make snap decisions.
I just hope you scale back the tournaments to a couple a year, and again, its only my opinion.

Another why I don’t fish tournaments story.

A friend of mine was (is) a member of the Michiana Steelheaders and when, years ago, they started their Buffalo Bill tourney, he called me to reserve a charter for that day and we’d fish the tournament. (He’s basically a stream angler, but wanted to support the club and be in the tourney.) “Can do,” I said.
Morning of the tourney was horrible with storms blowing through, afterwhich the wind was to blow gale force out of the SW. That’s a tough forecast for Michigan City.
So I told my crew, we’ll make a long run to Gary Light, 20-some miles but there, we can easily fish on a strong SW wind. Plus, that’s where I’d been fishing. As I recall, in that tourney, we would weigh our top 10 fish.
I told the guys, “We’ll catch 10, then head back before the waves get too big. I figure most of the boats will try to fish closer to the City and it will be tough going. Anyone weighing 10 fish will very likely be in the money.”
That was the plan and we stuck to it. In a couple hours we caught our 10th coho and the wind was howling. Pretty nice ride home until we got past the Port of Indiana at which time, though staying very close to shore, we were soon in threes, then fours and by the time we passed Mt. Baldy, easy five footers.
We tried to slow to trolling speed and set out some mag spoons and J-Plugs to see if we could coax a bonus king but after a few minutes, some of the crew was turning green. So we headed for the weigh-in.
No one was there. WTF? Another small boat came in, they’d gone to the Port of Indiana and had three cohos and three browns and together we both said, “WTF?” Just then someone drove up and told us the contest had been cancelled (we were out of radio range) and was rescheduled for the next day.
I was booked for the next day so I couldn’t go. But really? Cancelling the tourney because most of the boats couldn’t fish where they wanted to fish? A part of the strategy is to have plans that take in weather conditions. We fished and boated safely, all morning long, as did the team that fished inside the Port of Indiana. Any other boat could have done the same thing. Or just fish until the conditions got out of hand and then quit early.
Next day, Fuzzy won the tournament by going 20 miles out in the lake and targeting steelhead.

reel wrote:

I've been up chasing the slim to none kings in the PM river the last week and a half and just saw this thread. I'll just add my .02 worth, and it's only just an opinion.
I don't tournament fish...period. I fish solely for the pleasure and camaraderie and relaxation I get from being out there. You guys can have as many tournaments as you wish, but this site sounds like it's going to go to a bunch of tournaments like another now nearly defunct site was. If that's the way you want to go, that's ok by me, I have no control over that. The reports will become non existant because of tournaments every other weekend. I enjoy reports, bad reports help me more than anything. But I'm to far from the lake to be able to make snap decisions.
I just hope you scale back the tournaments to a couple a year, and again, its only my opinion.

The point of the tournaments is to bring guys together and further generate reports and discussion and camaraderie. I think so far, this has been very successful. One key aspect is keeping the tournaments very low stake - they are almost like a golf league versus some high caliber event. We all get back, drink some beers, and tally up the scores to crown the winner for the day. It is a good time - I think you would be pleasantly surprised .

I certainly do agree with your concerns above which is why we have been very careful about how things are done. The point of this site and events involved is to bring everyone together, generate discussion, education, and friendships.

I fished in the Great Lake Superior Trout Hunt sponsored by the Thunder Bay, Ontario Rotary Club a couple of years. They had an interesting concept and earned a bunch-O-$$$ out of it.

Same plan could make tourneys down here a bit more fun, as well.

It was “mystery weights.” They’d gotten dozens and dozens of local merchants to donate prizes, from a dozen donuts to bicycles to anything and everything. Then knowing the fish that were going to be caught would likely weigh from three pounds to 20 pounds, they assigned a “mystery weight” to each prize. An 11 pound, 1 ounce fish might win a gallon of paint. A 19 pound, 10 ounce fish might win a free car wash. A three pound, 6 ounce fish might win a rod and reel.

The way they made their money was it cost five bucks to have your fish entered. No other entry fee required. That made it fun for everyone and you didn’t have to be the world’s best angler to win a nice prize. You should have seen the line of people waiting, five dollar bills in hand, to hang their fish on the scales at the weigh-in station.

This could be a great concept for a club. It could be a great concept for The South End to raise money for a charity of one sort or another or perhaps a fish cleaning station at Portage Marina!

So while you are sitting on your porches, pondering what to do with future tourneys, you might want to incorporate this idea into your plans.