Open or Closed?

[Genie]

I am in the process of setting up the tournaments that I will be running this year and I am debating the inevitable question of - should I close big water or keep it open?

Being from the west side, this naturally means should teams fishing Muskegon Lake for example be able to run to While Lake via Lake Michigan.

I think I already have my answer, but would appreciate anyone's views or opinions or explanations on this subject.

Thanks,
Genie

[SethV]

Leave the big water open.  Everyone has the same opportunities to run if they so choose.  They trade the running time & risk for the potential of better fishing.

It also spreads the field out more.  I can't really think of a good reason to "close" the big water.

Seth

[Eric]

I think it depends on a few different things.  

How big of a tournament are you planning?  A small moreless for fun group, or a large scale tournament.  A small, or fun tournament should stay.  A big tournament should have the choice.

Is it one tournament, or a series?  if it is a series you will visit the wates more than once, you can make some open, some closed each place.  

Who will you target participants be?  If it is new or fairly inexperienced boaters and/or competitors, closed would probably be best, but if it a bunch of old dogs, let em go.

And you can always decide at the tournament to close it due to safety concerns.

So, let us know what you are thinking. We like tournaments.

[Genie]

These are large NBAA tournaments with new, average, and experienced fishermen.  We will average 30 or more boats and we will fish Muskegon and White multiple times.

[Eric]

If they are going to be weeknight, I say closed. 

Since it will be a series, I say open some and close some to mix it up a little.  Otherwise, theoretically, you could fish the same spot for every tournament.  Find out who are better fisherman, not who has the best spot.

[TritonTR20]

I say closed unless you have more than 60 boats. Some people with smaller boats can not make a run, so keep things even. If you are fishing Muskegon and White seperatly then why not close it? What would be the point of picking different lakes if you can go to another lake? To me its like having a tournement at a given lake and saying you can trailer to any other lake you want to fish as long as you are back to the main ramp in time.

[Dan]

I know lake associations and property owners don't like people always raiding a lake. I'm think Portage Lake in Onekama. It gets raided a lot, and you may say that having access to the big lake that the fish move in and out and I'm sure they do, but.... If it is a tournament series under 30-40 boats I feel you ought to have the big water closed. That has always been our Tear Drop policy and it never really has been a problem. Everyone competes in the same arena. I also think that your liability is less. If someone were to have a problem and you couldn't account for their whereabouts I would think that you, at the very least, would be in court if there were damage or an injury.

[Rickm]

I plan on fishing the Northern division this year and it really doesn't matter either way to me .I know a lot of the "Shoreline bass tour" guys only fish this circuit because it is closed.

[Genie]

I am leading towards closing.  For scheduling and notification reasons, I have to choose open or closed.  It is just easier to get the word out and to not confuse anglers.

Weeknights I think is a no brainer - I will close them.  3 hours is just not enough time.  Just go fish.

I am mainly asking about the weekends.  I think I am realling starting to buy into the philosophy - "who is the best fishermen" and not, "who has the fastest boat or can run the furthest".

I have run the Northern Michigan division for a couple of years now and the lakes have always been open.  There have not been any problems - thus far.  I am just entertaining the idea of changing things up to see what happens.

Eventhough there have not been any accidents or issues with open water and ultimately you are not the director's responsibility, I would feel horrible if someone got hurt or something serious happened in one of my tournaments that was open.

I'm just trying to get a feel from the angler's.  What do you guys want?  It doesn't matter to me as the director - I never leave the host lake anyway.

Genie

[Rickm]

I vote CLOSED

[fish hound]

how has attendance been?  30+ boats?  not according to the web site..... avg 19.5 excluding Hardy, 24.8 including the opener,last year.  How will closing the big lake effect the " businesss model of the NBAA"?  Will it increase or decrease attendance?

IMO you will PO the few teams you have left by closing the big lake.  Hey, just let everybody know soon, so they can make arrangements to fish something else if they don't like your decision.
 

[Waterfoul]

As an avid tournament angler running a boat that CANNOT and WILL NOT run on Lake Michigan I would vote closed.  Pier heads are the limit.  I think anyone else running a flat bottom tracker like mine would agree.  Both lakes are big enough for 30-50 boats without too much issue most days of the week.

[thedude]

closed.

All those big bedding smallmouth up north will thank your for not releasing them into the grand river.
Pretty soon, it won't matter because all the big ones will be in muskegon lake.