Looking for Help

[skeeter20i]

I really love this organization and want to see it prosper need the help of the more EXPERIENCED bass guys as far as sponsorships and business.  Why is BASS top prize for a Western Divisional Team $40,000 and TBF is only $2,000 what can we do to make this organization stronger?  In my opinion they arn't doing the job right at the top.  Am I way off base??? 

[skeeter20i]

Come on I always hear people arguing!!!!!!!!!!! Lets hear some constructive criticism for Robert.  Why the hell don't we have a boat sponsor for divisionals?  What can we do to make this organization stronger?  I have fished both organizations but choose this one because they have decided to make women and youth a main priority.  After being at divisionals it was amazing to see how a beer and dinner bring everyone together in a civil manor.  At the last meeting I said I thought if anyone had anything to make this organization better they should bring it up to the president and have it up for discussion so I'll start.  Here's my list

To start this Robert told us at divisional s that if we had any criticism to let him know so I might spill over from club/state and national issues.

1.  Really Federation Nation(BASS) has a $40,000 boat for each team divisional winner!!!  Kinda makes the team concept important..  Our first place is about 1/20 of that!!!!! RIDICULOUS 

2.  WE did away with the non-boater at the state level/we did away with the non boater at the national level/  WHY does boaters compete with non boaters at a divisional level??  This is a sport where knowing your electronics, trolling motor, boat performance, boat positioning in the wind, how to approach your spot, EVERYTHING is TIMED, you don't have a second to talk, switch positions or spots!!!!!!!!!!!  Understand at a divisional level most of guy's are fishing HIGHER level competition it should be treated as such.  Example  I fish the state qualifier with my mom, we happen to qualify for divisionals, she should NOT have to fish against me for one of the two spots to nationals!!!!!!!  She should fish against the other 5 nonboaters in Colorado and the other nonboaters from each state...  Which brings me to the other states----- PATHETIC  ITS a boater/ nonboater format you know who you are thanks for EXCLUDING the people who really make this work!!!!!!!!!!!!  (I drew the guy in 6th place in the Western FLW standings on the second day as my supposed "NON BOATER"...)

3.  Colorado needs to set a format for youth!!!  Its an investment in our future.  Can we try not to fight about it?

4.  I was on my horse about Colorado hosting the divisional in 2012.  This is where we rely on our more DISTINGUISHED membership.  Joe, Sam tell us what it's like to have boat sponsors, to fish the Classic, the TBF nationals.  We want to make Colorado stand out.    For the most part we travel all over the country chasing the uncatchable dream...  Divisionals is a chance for us REGULAR FOLK to show our wives and KIDs what we spend all our extra money on.  DON'T make it a POTLUCK IN THE PARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!JOKE and I am still mad about(shit on the tables).  We have the opportunity to do the LOGISTICS right no matter the venue and the logistics is what people will remember not if they caught their fish on a tube at pueblo or navajo....

5.  BOD needs more power!!!!!!   Read the BYLAWS they were not WRITTEN to FURTHER MEMBERSHIP. (example eveyone voting by proxy ballot on Oct.1----- lots of stamps lots of paper lots of "woops" what were they thinking??  LET each club president conduct a club consensus!!!!

6.  MORE BOD meetings!!!! I don't care what anyone says if you have dinner and a beer(soda, tea) face to face EVERYONE is more respectful.  You should have seen YOUR state team!!!  It was rocky at first(because of previous misconceptions)  but watch we were awsome!!!!
Larry- shortest and best fisherman I know
Brandon- second shortest but I am dame sure going fishing with him on Monday because he knows a ton more than I do
Cliff-  The airline business might be slow but I have seen him on multiple state teams!!!!
Ben-  Would have loved to see how it would have turned out!!!!  BUT didn't see me leaving for another divisional dudes got skillzs
Steve-  Dirty BEN how do the two Colorado guys weight the big fish?
Mike-  Bring your own Generator, catch all those fish, multiple state teams, dude speaks for himself
Steve W.-  Totally proves TRITON boats catch fish,  probabally changed my mind(hard headed) on 2012 divisionals.
Jim-  I fish pueblo ALOT always see his name above mine in the standings...... enough said
Tony- You fished on EVERY TBF state team-----WOW
Curt-  Host Hotel, FOAP, driving me around, putting up with Tony, oh did I mention dude can fish??
JIM M.-  What the hell first state team, sweet ass Ranger, my GOOD FRIEND, dude someday the "show me your boobs" sticker will work!!!!
Sam-  mentor, TBF national qualifier, flip master, great dad, dudes got to much to list!!!!!!!!!!!(I truly believe this)
Lamont-  Found the pattern I qualified on, taught me how to fish, more importantly taught me how to be a man, if I can be half the dad to my son I will be a success, did I mention he went to the California Delta and found the winning pattern for Colorado??  Difference between being a boater and nonboater!!!!!!!!!!!  SEE above JOKE 

Gonna add to the list but I hope everyone knows that criticism is helpful, but each person brings a new demention to this organization, don't tear them down!!!!!  Divisionals was cool but we can make them soooooooooooo much better................       

[here fishy,fishy]

Love the passion! I don't know why there is no one replying to your post, but I felt you should know, someone is listening. These are very valid points. I know people are always trying to compare the TBF to BASS and why can they do things and we can't.?

Well, the real truth of the matter is money! The BASS federation is and always will be a ESPN controlled group. They have deep pockets. Ask your self one question, what brand of boat was offered? Could it have been a Ranger if our state wanted it?

My guess would be no! You see all federations are controlled by their sponsors and the money the federations can collect. There are large sums of money each and every year that our TBF does not collect because they can't. You want to know why? Because we can not get people to do a simple thing like renew their membership until Feb, or March etc...  

The TBF gets a large portion of money for having each person renew their membership before Dec 31st. Yet no body cares enough to do it. There has been hundreds of thousands of dollars lost over the last few years. So with out the money you really can not do the things you and I and everyone else wants at our divisional, STQT, and on down the line.

Speaking of which I have not heard anymore about our hosting the divisional in 2012. And I would bet that there has been nothing done to futher that process either. You want to know why? Well I think  you and I know why!

This is a great opportunity for our state to futher the bass fishing in Colorado and give our federation the exposure it deserves. Yet people are sitting on their hands.

I do believe we need to look at the by laws and see what works for us now and what does not. WE also need more BOD meetings. Which would require a by law change in and of it'self. So first things first. You can not climb a mountain carrying a mountain and be effective along the way. Please try to pick a battle and see it thru. Then we can tackle another, then another and so on. It does no one any good to just come up with issues and not try to come up with a plan of action at the same time. So let's make a list get the things in  order of importance and start taking down the walls that we see are in our way.

Even the Egyptians used steps to get on top on the pyramids. We need to start some where.


From me to you! I personal want to thank you!

Troy

[vikingbass]

Ok so I have been in the TBF for 3 years now and our club is now going to be a dual affiliated club. I know that there are MANY guys out there that can catch fish when I am flailing around wishing I could get a bite. The problem that both organizations have in common is communication. There are some pople out there that dont get along with others so no matter what some people say, the others will jump all over it and come up with some reason to discount it. Personalities play a big role in what does or does not happen in everything that we do.

In my opinion (here is where we run into trouble) we need the ones that dont get along to stop looking at ways to undermine a suggestion or an idea that has come from someone that they dont get along with. Heck I know of some issued that guys have with each other and they really havent ever even really talked to each other or met face to face. What we need to start with is making sure that WE ALL start to think before we type and before we just rip into someone for an idea that they have. If we start to look at ideas openly and objectively we can look for ways to tweek ideas that we may not like when we first read or hear about them. Clubs all need to work together to make any federation work, there are WAY to many clubs who just want to do their own thing and they really are not concerned about what anyone else is doing or if they need help.

Gizzi I am very happy to see you getting involved in this and trying to make this a better federation and a federation that we can all be proud to be in.  The reason that there are different clubs in town is not because there is a need for other clubs, it is because the same personalities that are still going after it after all these years started different clubs to get away from the people they did not like. I am not pointing fingers at anyone or saying that anyone is wrong, what I am saying is that if all of us took a step back and looked at it for what it really is we would see that we are not united in any way...

We are all fishing for bass for a reason, its because it is what we love to do.....I dont know that any of us are making a living doing it (Heck i cant cover my gas bill with the way I fish) but we do it anyway.. Take that same passion we have for catching these fish and apply it towards getting along (or at least just shutting up) with everyone in the federation and you will see that we can make this a united front and get things done.....

If we all just listen to mama and if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all, we can make it work. I would almost put money that if you take anyone in our organization, put them on a boat with someone they "think" they dont like and tell them they will be fishin gat the next level IF they can find a way to work together and to get along, I would bet the farm they would put their past, in the past and fish their Arses off to get it done....Bet they even may find they have a lot in common and may even share a laugh or 2 before they are done...

What I am trying to say here in short (ya like this was short) is that we can all get along for the purpose of the future of fishing, we all do it because we love it, if we all have that in common we have more than that guaranteed.....I am sure there are guys out there who didnt like me that now do, and I am sure there are some that dont.....that is fine, i dont expect to get along or like everyone, doesnt mean we are enemies and we cant get along to better our sport.

So thank Greg for getting this started, I know we are not "officially" a TBF club yet, but i am working on it....So thanks for reading this.....lets keep it goign with CONSTRUCTIVE ideas...no bashing please.....
Thanks to Troy also for jumping in ans stepppig up....

[BassinColorado]

Trying to disifier some of these sentences in some of these posts. Will return with some ideas and answers after that. I think Skeeter20i is off slightly on what he thinks the states get in the divisionals. The values are nothing like they are marketed. Be back soon!

Ok... I'm Back!

I think it is important to pay attention to what Viking says. Many guys out here don't even know that others are mad at them, or think of them as an enemy for some reason or another. Remember, some will continue to give their opinions and not be silenced because of anothers opinion. It is all about hearing and listening to each other. Part of making good thoughtout decisions as a whole.

Skeeter20i, there always needs to be structure in any format, youth or not. There is always some resistance when a "structured format" is implemented. Some say they don't like it, but have no plan on running a different format themselves. So it is what it is, and the crying will go away, maybe, once everyone realizes that the structured format is in everyone's best interest and really works.

As far as Skeeter20i's issue with The Bassfederation sponsorships, one must take into account the fact that this federation hadn't really made it nation wide until just before the economy crunch. In the act of getting sponsors, The Bassfederation ran into sponsors cutting back. "Cut backs" are happening across the nation, as you know. Not a good thing for a growing federation. We, the federation, are on hold, is all. Things will ramp up again soon enough.

There are issues at the major tour levels also. Many "bigger" sponsors have pulled out due to the economy crunch. It is in the rumor mill, amongst the pro's, that the tours may be in trouble come next year and may have to cut them for a season. Although scary sounding, that would be good for The Bassfederation. We are the guys that purchase the products that the sponsors market. Sponsors would be able to put more funds where they will get there best marketing returns. "Patience is a virtue," my friends! The Bassfederation days of glory are still ahead of us!

As far as the 2012 Divisional is concerned, I personally have backed off, due to folks thinking their toes were getting stepped on somehow. not normally in my nature, but I know we have a "slight bit" of time left to give those with the ideas that they can make things happen a chance to prove it. time is running out fast for them to show what they can do!  I have noticed, or haven't heard anything anyway, since backing down, about the 2012 Divisional. It could be another item that is really actually taking place, but nobody gets to hear about it until........we complain, I guess.

The energy that was being placed into getting the 2012 Divisional upfront for discussion with the DOW and State Parks, has been placed into the hands of the power of the Colorado Federation. If the Colorado TBF waits to see what develops, I believe, from past and present energy expressed from the BOD, we will miss this opportunity. I believe the delays may have something to do with a conflict of location for the Divisional, but that wont be resolved if we do not have BOD meetings.

As of right now, the Colorado TBF BOD needs to be tweaked. If we can't get the President to call a BOD meeting together, then we the remainder of the BOD and/or the membership, need to get one pulled together and make "some badly needed changes," before we lose our best chance to get Colorado on the map once and for all!

When, where and what time?

[skeeter20i]

Being new to this it's easy to say whats wrong with an organization and by no means do I mean to tear things down.  I realize that times are tough but there are organizations who are going strong.  Anyone interested in what Lebrons contract will look like next year?  I have heard the saying a good salesman could sell ice to an Eskimo.  I am maybe missing things but I don't see the high end marketing execs. working at TBF for the betterment of the organization.  I think that just because an organization is young doesn't mean it can't be successful.  For the youth format I just mean something that is voted on and written into the bylaws.  By giving the youth director a one year term you have the opportunity for the format to change every year.  You are probably right the value is not what it's stated in the press release, but that's what the public(which we are trying to recruit as members) is reading so when you have two competing entities and one is offering a greater prize(weather perceived or not) for a team divisional winner.  You can see the point.  The only other thing I had is the co-angler thing.  I think that most of these are not even state issues.  We have a great state with great people.  I enjoy fishing with and against everyone.  I truly believe that leadership starts from the top down.  I see other organizations prospering even in this economy and just wonder what can this organization do (besides siting around and waiting it out) to prosper as well.