FLW Tournament Perspective!!!!

[Fisherwoman]

Now that I have had a few days to recover I figured some people might be interested in how the tournament was actually run and how well we thought it went.

Friday night was the captains meeting, as we all showed up but Greg, we had preregistered online which was fairly simple to do. It was hard to find out where they were set up with the FLW trailer as there were no signs anywhere. Keep in mind this is just our observation and not knocking the tournament as they are still working out the bugs.

Finally find the trailer and go over to check in. They had many FLW staff there to help you find your way around. I thought it was a little strange how the tables where set up, but again this is the 1st time we have done this. But you would go to one table and check in, then sign a release form, which needs to be signed by all team members. then go to another table and do something else then go back to the other table to rent your keep alive.

On a side note, It does mention that the release form needs to be signed on there web site but only says either the team captain or 1 member need to be at the meeting. Well Greg had to work late, so we had to have him come by and sign or else he would have had to go to the trailer in the morning by 5 and sign the day of the tournament which would have put a little crunch on our game plan of getting to the start on time from our marina. So it is something they need to change on there site to let everybody no they should come sign at the meeting.

After we were completely checked in we were given our Keep alive box and the staff informed us how to use it, We rented ours for $50 or you could buy one for $250. We went and put it in the truck and came back over to the staging area.

So the meeting got started, all the rules were gone over by Bill Carson, Bass had to be 28 inches from the tip of the mouth to the tip of the tail, larger size was 34 inches to the fork in the tail, which actually gives you a bigger slot, which I think is great.

They also talked about handing out transponders to go in every boat, Why so they can track were you are at any minute so if you go out beyond the 3 mile limit as ruled by the state to try and cheat, you are disqualified. This is a pisser move by FLW as these fish are coming back alive and they can keep track of where every boat is.

They went over a few more rules and then they draw random numbers for your boat, you go pick up your number, your trasponder
a copy of the rules and a sheet that lets DMF know you are fishing this tournament and can Kull fish. They Infored us there would be a boat set up in the moring outside the marina and we all had to be at the staging area by 6:30, teams 1-19 left at 6:30 and teams 20-39 left at 6:45. End of tournament was 3:30 for the 1st group and 3:45 for the second group.

When you come back in at the end of the tournament you have to once again check in with the boat in the staging area. You come in and dock and you are responsible for loading the fish box keep alive onto a cart and someone we assist you and you have to have 2 team members capt and one other take the fish up and weigh them in.
I really wish the whole team could go but I am sure they do this because of dock space while trying to get everybody in to weighin ontime.

So you weigh in your fish and now the waiting game is on, I was surprised that the time went rather swiftly for them to get all the boats in in a timely manner and get those fish up to be weighed in.

Then while you awate the final tally and your heart is about to jump out of your chest they announce the winner!!! They call you up on stage for photo's and a little chat with Bill Carson on how you worked your day. Then you go off stage and have to talk with some reporters and do a few more photo ops for FLW and the local papers and magazines. While we are doing that we are also awaiting the word on when we would have to go take the Lie detector test.

Now keep in mind we have been up since 3 am and it is now almost 6pm, so Bill Carson had a gentlemen fly in for MS to give the lie detector test so he would be at the hotel at 7, so we drove the boat home, cleaned her up and had to go back for the lie dectector test, which by the way lasts about 1 1/2 hours.

But I commend FLW for doing this test, It will keep everybody honest and if you do not pass, I have to tell you, you will not get your check. After I completed the test the gentlemen giving me the test called Bill Carson and told him I passed with flying colors, Bill Carson met us in the lobby and handed me a check for $20,000. and also gave us a the actually Bill Board check for $35000.

The reason the money amount got messed up was that I registered everbody online and I was paying with my credit card so my name went in 1st as the team captain. Well the bonus for having Yamaha engines was $15000. Well when they sent the serial numbers from the engines they didn't match up with my name as they are in Bill's name hence the problem. Well no problem, We brought the original title certificates for the engines to the captains meeting and it is all resolved and we should be receiving the other check soon.

Overall we felt that this was a very proffesionally run tournament. The staff was very helpful and tried to accomodate everybody as best they could. I am saying this either because we won, but I would recomend any body to go fish this tournament as you have just as good a shot as any of those big fancy boats out there to win. You can't beat a $500 entry free if your winnings is $35000 or maybe more if you also have a sponsoring boat.

The way they did the slot limit and keeping these fish alive is one of the reasons we participated in this tournament. I have heard alot of comments about whats the big deal with catching fish of that size, well I suggest you go ask the 39 boats that just participated how easy it is to get those size fish. We fished almost the whole time, caught 15 bass and only had 4 in that slot limit, and only 10 of the 39boats weighed in fish so you tell me how easy it is. In my opinion anybody can go get live bait and put them over fish and take a big fish, thats a no brainer, but try and get the ones in the middle range and only on artificials and we will see how good you are. Luck will play a role in any tournament.

SO thats my scoop on things, we will definatly be fishing it again whether it be this year or next as we still have to sit down and make a team decision. But if you are thinkin about doing it my suggest would be to go for it, You have nothing to loose. I would like to also thank all of the FLW staff for there hard work in putting these tournaments on and best of luck with them in the future. IF you have any more questions about it, just drop us a line or email and we will let you know as much as we can. The nest tournament is in Sept. Out of the bass river so go get um!!!!

[Raider Ronnie]

(Qoute) In my opinion anybody can go get live bait and put them over fish and take a big fish, thats a no brainer,


I've got to respectfully disagree with you on that one Julie !!!
Some are FAR better than others at fishing live bait, being Mackeral, herring, pogies, ect.....

[Fisherwoman]

Raider Ronnie, don't take that the wrong way buddy, every fisherman is good at some method and some are better that others. What I meant by that is that 90 % of the time fish are more willing to take live bait than and artificial. So if you have it it does make catching fish easier most of the time if you know how to do it.

[sokinwet]

First congrat';s to captain and crew on the win; great job!! Having fished f/w bass tournaments for many years I know just how much of a rush it is to be sitting on top waiting for that final boat to weigh in! (And conversely, how bad it feels to have that last boat beat you by oz's!!)
As far as the 34" slot limit goes, I think that idea stinks and know that it kept a lot of locals from participating. If you think it's hard to get a 28-34" fish on artificials just try to put BIG fish in the boat using those same baits. It would certainly be a better "test of the best" than a 2 fish slot limit that adds a good degree of luck into the skill equation. I frankly can't believe that only 10 boats weighed in fish. Maybe they should have spent more time jigging and less time on the radio!! JMHO

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by Fisherwoman

Raider Ronnie, don't take that the wrong way buddy, every fisherman is good at some method and some are better that others. What I meant by that is that 90 % of the time fish are more willing to take live bait than and artificial. So if you have it it does make catching fish easier most of the time if you know how to do it.

Julie,
My reply was more towards fishing live bait and getting BIG fish!!!
And when even there are days that the fish are finicky, some are MUCH better at getting the fish to eat than others.
Maybe it depends of what some think a big fish is !
To me, a 20 - 25lb fish is NOT a big fish! Maybe for my son , but not for me !!!
Year in year out in Boston harbor we have the usual same guys who allways get the big (40lbs + ) fish.
It's not because they are just fishing live bait or they are just lucky,
They put their time in and are just better at it !!!
Lots of guys don't even know how to find or get the bait !

[Fisherwoman]

Raider Ronnie, I totally agree with you there!!!

[blue oyster]

i think they should allow boats of all sizes , i find it hard to believe my 18 ' parker is not seaworthy

[reelecstasy]

no radios allowed or cell phones....
part of the reason for the tight slot is the keep alive system, that is the size fish that fits in the box, we had to toss a 40+" back in the drink and keep looking for another 33"er, as odd as that sounds. others did the same. I am not a big fan of kill fish tourneys, say it was a bigfish kill tourney, there could have been 80 dead breeders sitting on the dock.
IMHO, FLW did a great job in organizing this tournament and i appreciate the fact that it was a catch and release.
Kudos to FLW and the staff.

[sokinwet]

Get a bigger box! I figured that the slot limit was tied into the "release tube" thing. Does a 40" fish die quicker than 34"; I think not. Regarding the "radio" comment;didn't know they were out. Just my observations on the everyday "haba" airwaves...Reel Dream this is Draggin Fly.. My Sunshine..Lucky Strike..Alternative , etc.

[sokinwet]

Steve & Ron - I'll tell my dad you said hello! We've all been a little down lately as my mom passed away suddenly a few weeks back. I've been keeping him busy fishing as much as possible. For an 84 yr. old deaf, blind, forgetful old coot he can still catch em with the best and has been fishing every day of the commercial season with me. Still have to remind him once in a while that the fish have to be a little bigger than 16" these days before they go into the box. Once a "pin hooker" always a pinhooker! Despite the family issues and some down time with ethanol problems ,a broken helm and a tilt trim that decided to do neither, we have been having a good year. I would guess that my dad is one of the last of the old guard MSBAers from the 50's that's still with us and I know he would jump out of his death bed if he saw the trout stocking truck drive by! I'll be forever grateful to him and that old MSBA crew (including your dad, Steve) for letting me tag along with them when I was a kid and helping to turn me into a "fishoholic." Since this a tournament thread I'll brag on my dad a bit with a story about his only striper tournament about 35 yrs. ago. He had been fishing Great Bay, NH for a few weeks with my little (now balding!) brother and had been hammering BIG fish. One weekend trip happened to be on the day of the Great Bay Striper Tournement so he figured they might as well enter. They had been fishing one of the umbrella rigs that we used to make in the garage and sell through Bill Nolans shop and the locals had never seen one before. (30 yrs. before 9er rigs)They had a great day and my dad took 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the mens division with fish to 40 lbs. and my scrawny 10 yr. old brother took 1st in the jr's and 1st OVERALL with a 40+. Well the locals were a little pissed off and gave my dad some grief: weren't catching those fish in the bay, kid couldn't have caught the big one, illegal lure, etc. Well my dad being a little feisty in those days put them in their place and walked away with all the prizes. Next year he figured he'd enter again but when he tried to enter they told him they had a new rule; "Previous winners couldn't enter" Well they fished that day for fun and my dad made a point of going to the weigh in with the old tin boat fish box filled with cows. Knowing my dad I'm sure that he got more satisfaction from that than a couple of trophies and a few plugs. See you on the water! John

[Swimmer]

I think it neat that two of the hardest fishing people I know won the whole schlemiel!