Ike Talks Tourney Info gathering

[-Shawn-]

CF, I just read that last night.

Mark is definately right about tourney tiers.
I could only fish the lower tier stuff in our area and finish in the money way more often than not.
I CHOOSE to fish the upper tier trails and the competition is much tougher. Why would I do that? Because it forces me to step up my game. The tougher competition will force you to make better decisions and fish out of your comfort zone.

[coldfront]

shawn,

the cool thing here...YOU are getting what you want out of the system  by managing where/how you compete.

You choose to compete at a much, much higher level than I do.

I like the friendships, and fishing 'laid back' even in a tourney situation...we all run small boats, fish predominatly no-wake lakes....so bigger, badder, faster, harder...gets kind of hard to do...


I've 'fished up'...personally sucked the fun right out of it for me.  I personally like fishing my club level as I can be as happy for a friend who 'wins' as for myself.


It's all about where you want to be...and knowing to be happy where every you are...

[-Shawn-]

For me it makes the days that I am just funfishing that much more enjoyable, simply because I had to learn more little tricks to put fish in the boat. 

Everyone needs to do what fits them.
The main focus always needs to be having fun. 

[Crankbait1007]

  because I quit watching mainstream sports years ago. I got turned off by the greed, the drugs, the arrests ect. All though I do miss me some Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson when I was a little kid, man they were great. Those were the days when you could look up to someone. Maybe I'm wrong but to me bass angling is the greatest sport ever. And I would hate to see it sell out like the other mentioned sports and see those same problems with the bass pro's.

+1 So true
Also I do hear what everyone is saying about the Pros and salaries and such and I only say these things because I want to see the sport grow.

[gerry387]

I know where I stand in the fishing world, cuz i'm like coldfront (very family oriented). But if they went to a salary style, then why even have smaller tourneys to qualify, cuz they'll be gauranteed a spot and end up a traveling circuit instead of a tournament circuit. You'll be looking at longer contracts and more input from a sponsors standpoint as to how a tourney was handled regarding penalties, weigh-in, and so forth. You'll be adding more fuel to the fire with that in mind. I do agree it is up to an angler to put his/her time in. I'm in ohio, and local gentleman qualified for the classic next year by fishing opens. Don't know him personally, but have fished with him and I hope he does well, cuz I do know the time and money he spent to get there. Now if you put salaries in the mix, people like him and others would lose more oppurtunities cuz of spots already filled cuz a sponsor got the spot for them. Don't care for sports much myself, just fishing. Everything else is manipulated by owners of teams owners and so forth. By no means am I saying anyone. Or myself is right or wrong. I like seeing new faces, and not just one or two a year. Another thing they  that would be good is to cover more tourneys than just elites and classic. Dedicate some time to show how these guys got there to begin with and not just the fact that they are there. Look at Mike Cork, always writing and filling us in on what tourneys he fished and how he did. Not sure where he finds time to help with the site to be honest. Btw, thanks for all that Mike!!!!

Just my opinion       
Gerry