TBF of Michigan 2007 information available so far

[djkimmel]

Here are some details for the 2007 TBF of Michigan federation:

2007 dues will be $40 per member for state and national TBF total.

Join by December 10, 2006 and pay the discounted rate of just $30 total. Dues go to the state and we forward the TBF national dues on.

We have at least 5 more clubs in the process of coming aboard. Several more have contacted us. I will post them as they come in at www.michigantbf.com, but you can join an existing club or start your own with only 6 members. All information needed is at www.michigantbf.com. If you contact me, I will help.

We have 8 board members so far with the 9th and final member to be confirmed shortly. Specifics are listed on the www.michigantbf.com web site also. We will still be looking for volunteers to assist us with youth, conservation and other roles.

We are looking at an early July 2007 1-day state championship on St. Clair. Probably a $100 entry with all members eligible to fish again for 2007 only. Each club will pick their boaters verses non-boaters, but must send an equal number of boaters and nonboaters. Format at the tournament will be draw with each angler getting equal fishing time up front if they want it. We have a mid-June alternate choice on a northern lake chain in case St. Clair can't work.

You must be a club/member by our April general meeting (exact date to be set) to be eligible to fish the 2007 state championship. But you can save $10 per member by joining by December 10. We'd like clubs to use the electronic spreadsheet you can download at the www.michigantbf.com web site to submit members on.

The 13-angler 2007 state team will go IN 2007 to the September 9 - 14, 2007 Northern Divisional championship in Sandusky Ohio. Two Michigan anglers will qualify for the 2008 Federation National Championship by the National Guard. 1st place goes as our boater. 2nd place goes as our co-angler.

There will be an additional tournament the day after the Northern divisional for the top two anglers from each state to try to qualify for our 2 North Division spots in the BassFan Army Weekend Warrior Championship.

We will also be holding a youth event to qualify 2 youths for the 2007 Junior National Championship to be held just before the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup in early August. Details coming on that. We will have at least one youth club for next year.

Expect to see TBF of Michigan at some of the boat shows this winter too.

TBF nationally is at 44 federations plus the collegiate anglers association, ~1,550 clubs and over 25,000 members so far!!

Some of these details may be subject to change.

[dartag]

any idea what the pay out will be at the state championship??  or does the money go to support the state team.??  this is all new to me.

[Revtro]

Same question.  Personally, I'd prefer a higher entry if it meant some payback for anglers.  That's one thing I always hated about fishing the other fed championships.  You'd have to pay a high entry just to send a dozen guys onto the next level.  When the field grows to a large number it just means that most guys pay the entry with little hope of anything in return.  So I'd vote for a piece of the pie to be paid out to those who don't make the state team if it's possible to set something like that up.  I'd be willng to pay a higher entry for that.  Just my opinion. 

[Team houston]

This may be a dumb question but can I join and not be part of a club?

[joshimoto son]

Here's the deal, my club really depends on the monies that are made from the "Federation Nation" raffle ticket sales.

Is there any consideration of something like this in the TBF's future?

Also, is there any talk of a TBF of MI tournament circuit?

To put it mildly... my club is as "traditional" as they come. They don't want to change, they would like to have things the way it was before 2006.

joshimoto son 

[Roy Randolph]

Did I read this right?

Format at the tournament will be draw with each angler getting equal fishing time up front if they want it

When was this rule started?

Our state championship format is the same as the other federation. It is a draw format with the only preset factor being one angler is the boater and one is the nonboater to alleviate the need for a coin flip.

The nonboater has always had his/her say for half of the fishing day in the other federation, and continues to in our TBF of MI federation. Nothing new there.

It is the same at the Divisionals in both federations.

The format does not change to true boater/co-angler until the national championship qualification. At the point, the 1st place northern divisional finisher for Michigan becomes the boater and the 2nd place finisher becomes the co-angler, and FLW Outdoors rules apply from that point on.

I will post the exact details for 2007 once I have them. I have most of them, but the TBF National Championship by National Guard is still being finalized.

[djkimmel]

This may be a dumb question but can I join and not be part of a club?

There are paper clubs you can join such as mine - you can join online if you want at www.greatlakesbass.com/michigantbf/tbbinfo.html.

We are going to ask clubs to do youth and conservation efforts, but at this time have no requirements. That would be up to the members in the long run.

We want numbers as much as we want members who do youth, conservation and all the other things active clubs do. Numbers are important to efforts to influence governmental actions and for sponsorship/support to the other aforementioned activities.

[djkimmel]

Here's the deal, my club really depends on the monies that are made from the "Federation Nation" raffle ticket sales.

Is there any consideration of something like this in the TBF's future?

Also, is there any talk of a TBF of MI tournament circuit?

To put it mildly... my club is as "traditional" as they come. They don't want to change, they would like to have things the way it was before 2006.

joshimoto son 

Josh - right now, we will not be in the position to raffle off a boat. We are planning on possibly raffling off a trolling motor at the shows or maybe doing it for the state championship. The boat is a future possibility although I don't know who will be raffling a boat this year since the other federation will not have a Ranger contract next year.

The situations have all changed based on the votes that occurred last spring. If we do something as substantial as a boat raffle, it would be up to the members to want it and support it, assuming we have enough members to support such a major effort. I will be doing my best to get our member numbers up in Michigan enough to be able to consider major projects such as this.

Watch what is going on nationally, and you will see where the best future for bass federations lies now. We have over 25,000 members nationally already with more federations (Minnesota and North Dakota coming over in the north) and members coming on line this fall.

The strength of the federation we build in Michigan will depend on how many anglers look ahead and see the future direction federations are taking nationally. We are getting great support already, which will only greatly increase if we gain a significant number of members.

[Skip Johnson]

I know Im jumping in on this with no info but I am interested in the TBF, I read the paragraph that states boater and co angler then it states each sharing time up front!

I am used to pro/am and team formats, after fishing ABA for a season I am absolutely positive I wont add more shared time tournaments to my schedule.
please correct me if Im wrong!

I dont spend thousands of dollors on a boat, equiptment, fuel and time off to pre fish to have to sit in the back of my own boat.

[djkimmel]

The TBF of Michigan state championship is a draw format exactly like the BASS Federation Nation state championship (I know for a fact having been on several state teams). They have always been a draw format.

Both anglers have equal time in determining the fishing location(s) for the day. If you don't give the time when it is requested, in either state championship, you could be disqualified. The purpose of the predesignated boater/nonboater status was to alleviate having to have 200 boats show up with half of them left in the parking lot after coin flips.

It is up to the fishing partners for the day to work out an agreeable schedule for the day for operation of the boat and fishing locations. That has ALWAYS been the case. Some nonboaters do not request time up front or to fish a location they want to fish, but that is their right. It is a fair tournament were everyone should have equal opportunity to make the state team.

This is also done because it is exactly the same at the divisional championships in BOTH federations. I've been there. Even though the who's boat will be used is predetermined, BOTH anglers get equal time to fish the front of the boat and select the fishing locations. It is up to the anglers to work this out amongst themselves before you get on the water.

The rules are the same for everyone. Protests are rare, but do occur. The separate FLW Outdoors boater/co-angler rules do not come into play until the National Championship and beyond.

[djkimmel]

Personally, I been a nonboater at several divisionals and sometimes let the boater pick the spots and run the boat all day. I have also gotten to start and spend half of the day on my own spots while running the front of the boat. I have even gotten to take my own boat because the water was big and my 'boater' draw had a small boat and I was ON them!

It all depends on who you draw, what they are on, where you are fishing and what you have for spots yourself. It is a new discussion every evening before the tournament day to be worked out and has ALWAYS been that way, including at the state championships.

If you have been fortunate to fish state championships before and never have the nonboater ask to fish somewhere or run the boat, then you are a lucky angler and/or been really ON the fish.

[djkimmel]

As far as a payback above and beyond the expenses to the state team, this was an issue we wanted discussed by members and potential members at the November 11 meeting. We brought up the option to pay $100 entry with all the take going towards expenses and splitting amongst the state team qualifiers verses a $150 entry with $50 going towards a payback to 14th place and above ? number of places paid depending on how many entries.

We had a small turnout at the meeting, but everyone at the meeting was against the 2nd option ? they wanted the smaller entry with the take going towards event expenses and the rest splitting amongst the 13 state team members.

The board decided to announce the $100 entry, but we will offer that participants in the state championship who want an additional payback are welcome to have a side pot that is optional to pay for a payback based on finish at the state championship amongst those in the side pot.

This way, all those interested in an additional payback have the option to enter one, but those who are not interested do not have to pay the extra money if they don?t want to. If there is enough demand ahead of time, we may offer to help take the side pot money and keep track of those in it and the correct payback. All depends on the actual demand for this additional payback. Right now, the demand does not appear to be real high, but is there. If you want this, time is now to join up and let us know you want it.

[Revtro]

I am joining and hopeful that our club will have enough interested parties to be an affiliated club.  That being the case, I'd vote for payback for the rest of the field somehow... for future reference. 

[cameraguy]

Revtro, I must respectfully disagree with regards to paying the field beyond the state team.  The goal of this tournament is making the state team and advancing to the next level, and the next lievel after that and so on, with the pool of money helping to pay expenses along the way.  It's not a pay-a-percentage-of-the-field type tournament.  There are tons of tournaments like that across the state all year long.  This one has a different objective, and I, as well as others, enjoy competing in this fashion. 

The Federation State Championship has historically been one of the best drawing tournament in the state year after year with well over two hundred anglers (in most recent years) participating.  But still it's not for everybody.  No tournament is.  There is no one way to run an event that can make everybody happy.  So I vote to leave the payout exact as is.  Those who enjoy it will fish.  Those who don't will find other events. 

This is a new and growing organization.  Maybe sometime in the near future the Michigan TBF will hold a number of tournaments.  Right now I'm satified with one.  The board member all have day jobs and are spread pretty thin trying to get the TBF going in this state.       

[Revtro]

I can see your point.  I'd still prefer a different setup, but your points are valid.  Just a difference of view...no biggie.

[Skip Johnson]

I think the side pot idea is great, say $50=100% payback paying down something like top 10%.
nice thing about side pots is theres always the guys that kick themselves for not entering and you drive home with the money they could have won, seen it before its fun.
I would be interested in it wether it was $10 or $100 to enter.

[Revtro]

A good experiment would be to have an optional side pot and see how most folks feel.  Besides, an optional side pot would be good for those on both ends of the discussion.  I like that idea. 

[djkimmel]

The optional side pot is where we are leaning based on feedback so far.