**UPDATED** June 10, 2006 Burt/Mullett BFL Info for participants

[djkimmel]

I'll be posting some detailed information soon on the Burt/Mullett June 10, 2006 Michigan Wal-Mart BFL event - not fishing information. Some of that elsewhere on the site and planned for later - but accomodations, directions, assistance with logistics - all the things I hope will make it easier for particpants to have a fun and successful event up there (I'm not worried about the bass - they are numerous and BIG).

So watch this thread if you plan on going or think you might go. And tell others you know if they want to have a heads-up on the area and the event.
Dan Kimmel

[djkimmel]

Cheboygan MI Chamber of Commerce
http://www.cheboygan.com/

Indian River Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Bureau
3435 S STRAITS HWY
INDIAN RIVER MI 49749
800-EXIT 310
231-238-9325
info@irchamber.com
www.irmi.org / www.irchamber.com

If you want to check into some things to start with yourself, here is the main Chamber of Commerce in the area; toll-free phone; email; and their websites.

[djkimmel]

The launch site and weigh in location as of 6/01/06 for the 2006 Burt/Mullett BFL will be:

Pier 33 Party Store / Summer Moorings Marina
1000 Watersedge Drive
Cheboygan MI 49721-8581
(231) 597-8693

Launch fee $5

I will have a map and further good details up shortly on things this new site has to offer us.

Housing:
Fleetwood Inn & Suites
889 South Main Street
Cheboygan MI 49721
Phone: (888) 705-4085

You can find many in the area at the Chamber websites.

[yukonjack2]

I called the landing, and they have a few cabins left - I am looking for a few brave souls to share a cabin - cost ranges from $40-$55/nt each, depending on whats avail when we book it.  Also, last one in gets the pullout sofa -  I am planning on Thursday night 6/8 thru Sat night 6/10 - for a total of 3 nights - 2 nights 6/8 and 9 might be an option as well, but dread the thought of that long drive back after a tourney day - rather relish the victory and drink an adult beverage at the brown trout bar and grill in town.  Any takers?   non-smoking preferred, and bring your ear plugs.

Jack
plasticjack2002@yahoo.com
248-762-0311

[djkimmel]

I'm probably camping at Aloha State Park (800-44 PARKS).

If you haven't already, why don't you read page 1 of 2 here about our fall big bass hunt up on Burt and Mullett. Countless 4s! Many 5+ smallies almost every day

and quite a few 6s up to 6-13 along with the GIANT 8-2 smallie!!!

We could be looking at huge weights for this event! Michigan BFL tournament director Anthony Wright is looking forward to this one. So should you!

[yukonjack2]

I can't wait - looks awesome.  All those 4 lbers now 5+ up on the beds........ mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Who is planning on fishing the event?

I hope we can get together for some practice a few days prior to the event.

[MBell]

Thanks for the info Dan, I trying to fit it in to the schedule.  I wasn't planning on fishing BFL this year but I don't think I can pass up Burt Mullet in the spring.  It should be slugfest.
-Matt

[NEOFISH]

The Michigan BFL is dominated by anglers living in southeast Michigan and Northern Ohio. Just how many are going to make the 5+ hour drive north to fish this tournament?? I see this as a 60-80 boat tournament.? Burt/Mulet is more suited fo a week long tournament like the Stren Series, FLW series, or even the FLW.

[djkimmel]

Quite a few anglers live from Saginaw/Bay City down over to Lansing and the west side of Michigan too. It was obvious that some of them were starting to consider the BFL to be too heavily in favor of the SE Michigan population base. Numbers have already gone down too far to not do something about it.

I think it is remarkable that FLW Outdoors is willing to consider all the anglers that fish other parts of the state. By dominate, I would think 80% or more of Michigan BFL members are from the SE, but the percentage is more like 60%. That is too low to not consider the other 40% who FLW Outdoors still needs to be successful.

I think the dropping numbers from the past two seasons demonstrate that the Michigan BFL has to have some variety, not just be a L St Clair/Erie circuit. That might seem fair to all the anglers who live near there and fish there a lot, but it is not fair to the rest of the anglers. On the west and southwest Michigan alone, there are several 100+ boat circuits who's anglers rarely come over to St. Clair/Erie, but will readily go up north, or fish the Grand. Get an angler thinking of any one event of a series that leads to a regional, and you are more likely to get that angler to fish them all.

It's only a longer drive up north for some of the BFL members. For many, the change will be welcome, and the awesome fishing will more than make up for the longer drive for some. FLW Outdoors has to think about all the anglers if they want to gain back participation.

Three out of five events in the SE probably is still 60% of the events - probably matches the percentage of anglers from the SE verses outstate much closer and much more fair than 80% of the events being in the SE.

I still expect a very good field because of the fishing quality and because if you miss one, your odds of making the regional go done quite a bit. The gas prices will hurt some, but that hurts anyone who doesn't live a half hour from a major tournament lake.

Even if Burt/Mullett has a low turnout, they will just try somewhere else next year because they already know having 4 out of 5 events on St. Clair/Erie doesn't work either. I really like fishing St. Clair, but I feel more competitive not having to fish practically every event in a bunch of anglers' back yard. Obviously, quite a few anglers feel the same way.

I think the overall numbers will be better than last year just because a little variety has been added back in. Just switching back to St. Clair on the opener will be a great move - that has usually been the biggest tournament of the year previously.

[NEOFISH]

Last year the Michigan BFL opener was on the Detroit River with 124 boats.? ?The 124 boater field included 48 boats that where out of state (ohio, Illi, Ind, other), that's about 38% of the field.? The second event also had 38% (42 of 109) out of state boaters.? New growth seems to be coming from outside Michigan.

As of today there are about 50 boaters registered for the burt/mullet tournament, and far more co-anglers.? So boaters are needed!!!!

I talked with the tournament director for the Michigan division today.
All public water reachable by boat from the launch point will be open to fishing.? So if any one has dreams of getting out into Lake Huron you all set.? Just bring lots of money for gas!

[djkimmel]

I know some of those out-staters are looking forward to Burt/Mullett too. That's what they told me. You remember the boat numbers went down all year as usual, but ended up much lower than any of the previous years since the BFL went into effect (except maybe the first year - I don't remember well, but I think the first year was still higher).

50 boaters at this point is pretty good. We've never been known for real early signup because we don't fill up on a regular basis like some divisions do. I think ~194 is the most (St. Clair) and the only time it got over 160. It's great to get out of state anglers, but this is the Michigan BFL, not the Lake Erie/St. Clair BFL. Some guys like fishing the same water over and over and over and over. I like variety and so do quite a few others. There's plenty of potential for growth in West/SW/N Michigan tournament anglers if they are convinced the BFL will be more than just a St. Clair/Erie circuit. More guys just like Kevin Vida (North) and Chad Grigsby (West).

I guess we will know after the event if it was a good move or not. In the past before overall participation went down, the federation (the only circuit to go up there regularly) had their largest events most years up at the Northern lakes by starting in June. I hope they give it two years minimum to convince anglers that they will have a more even and fair shot.

All of the real big circuits in the past in Michigan were built on fishing all over the state and even Ohio/Indiana verses fishing mostly in one place. No matter what you do, you can never keep all of the tournament anglers happy, but the goal should be to keep the most anglers happy most of the time. I think FLW Outdoors is committed to figuring out what that takes.

It doesn't take that much gas money to fish Burt/Mullett - you'll burn more running up to St. Clair and back, or across Erie on the typical tournament wind. Anglers have run out to Lake Huron and across to the Les Cheneaux in events before. Launching near Mullett cuts over an hour off the time to get out there and back. It is closer than running to the far side of Pelee with less of it exposed to anything but the worst winds.

Even the run to Crooked and Pickerel is not that far - no worse than running to the East side of Pelee Island and a heck of a lot safer weather/wind-wise. I know I can fish Mullett lake all week and burn less gas than I burn on the typical one-day on St. Clair/Erie.

The real bonus to starting up north is adding several weeks to the Michigan BFL season verses starting at Erie/St. Clair so events aren't as badly compressed. This was always hard on the FLW staff and anglers who fish other circuits in Michigan.

[rufus]

After fishing the last two years of the BFL I absolutely love the change! Don't get me wrong I love fishing Erie and St. Clair, but I love to fish any kind of water thrown at me. I also love fishing the Grand and Muskegon and would love to see at least two of them over there. I am from extreme NE Indiana and Trenton is only an hour and 45 minutes from my home in Angola, so as far as drive time Erie is my best choice. I don't have the hours many guys have spent on these waters and am slowly figuring it out the last few years. I feel the playing field really levels out when we leave these waters. Yes, the Grand is tough and it kicked my butt a couple years ago, but that just made me mad and gave me more desire to learn it. The west side always draws several locals and I believe if they had a few more options they would join us over on Erie. I have personally never been on Burt/Mullett, but I can't wait to get up there. I hope the change is a welcome one for most anglers. I hope the high gas prices doesn't hurt the field too bad. Looking forward to putting a few faces with the names when I get up there also. God Bless and Good Fishin'!
Rufus

[SethV]

I also like having Burt/Mullett on the schedule.  This is my first year in the Michigan Division of the BFL, and I like having the variety.  It should make it easier to compete with the Erie and St Clair regulars. 

When I fished the Northeast div (Now Emprire) we always had 200 boat fields, full with wait lists.  This division only repeated 1 lake at most (4 unique waters) and drive times were as long as 10 hours for some (Champlain to the Potomac was the longest distance).  But it was worth it!  For those who did not want to drive and just fish local, thats what the club events were for.

Looking forward to June 10!!  I will be up there learning the water the weekends of May 27 and June 3. 

Seth

[NEOFISH]

I like the schedule change but I don't feel FLW is committed to a long term plan.   Just a one year run up to Burt/Mullet really isn't a good gauge of what works or doesn't.

[djkimmel]

NEOFISH - I've talked to them about this quite a bit. Expect another northern tournament - possibly on another body of water next year too - depends on how smoothly this one goes and local support. Another choice is already picked out.

It would have to be an utter bomb this year not to happen again next year. I don't expect that.

FLW Outdoors is looking for another water body to hold an FLW Tour, FLW Series or Stren event on in Michigan. Quite a bit of discussion and planning has already been done. A successful northern BFL event could lead to more national level events much closer to home than most of the existing events now. I know that would be good news for a lot of Midwest anglers. I plan on doing what I can to help that happen.

[rufus]

Elk and Torch here we come!!!!!!? That chain gets my vote. Plenty of water and it is as beautiful as it gets.

[Bulletproof]

I'll keep to my vote for the Saginaw Bay.  If this was done outta Augres, or Vets with an extra hour for down time outta the river, either way it's a an awesome fishery that doesn't get the props it deserves.

[NEOFISH]

When I spoke with the folks at FLW today I asked if they were going to do anything to focus attention on the is event.? A dull nope was the answer!? I was a little puzzled!? A full page article on this northern Michigan fishery would help get the word out.? I think we all would like to see an annual tour stop (bfl, stren, FLW) on one of these northern Michigan fisheries.? I see no reason why Burt/Mullet or Elk/Torch couldn't be the next Lake Champlain!? With all the money the State of Michigan spends on tourism I would think you could get a promotional package put together.? I'm not a promoter but I think Michigan needs some one to work with the big tournament trails.? I live in Texas during the winter.? They really recruit tournaments to Texas.? They know the economic benefit to the state.

[djkimmel]

Michigan tourism types and the governments are WAY behind the curve in bass tournaments. I've heard every kind of reason you can imagine over the past 26 years.

We have all those other fish. We have all that golf. We have winter sports. Fishin' is for southern bubbas. You name it.

I guess someone has to convince them otherwise and we anglers can do as much as anyone else by our behavior and getting the word out to people we know about how this sport is really done.

There have been recent positive signs that bass tournament fishing is becoming more mainstream than ever before, that our MDNR is recognizing what is happening elsewhere, and that we may be able to convince some municipalities they need us - and can win big with us.

We just seem to be real slow developers up here. The winter and closed season has some to do with that. I think it even helps us that more national events are being spread out over a longer time.

I know I plan on continuing to improve our relationship with the government and the MDNR, building on recent gains, so more things become possible and feasible. Anglers can help by doing what they can to minimize conflict on the many smaller popular inland lakes, and educating whomever they can whenever they can about what we do and why we do it. Familiarity is important in so many ways. I could write an article just about that.

As far as the event up north, FLW Outdoors puts on a ton of events so it's not easy singling any particular one out. I know Ron Lappin is excited about this event and feels we could set records. That will have more to do with publicity than the promise that is not really that well known yet.

I'm going to work on and with the locals up there yet to get where we can this year. Our biggest challenge up there right now is lack of major facilities, but that could change. It's happened elsewhere. We need to find a local 'champion for our cause' up there like we had many years ago with Chuck at Elk Rapids. There's a potential person up there now. I haven't talked to him yet, but FLW has.

Sometimes these things all happen and come together real fast, and sometimes they take more times. That's why I want to do what I can to make this a successful event in all ways.

[NEOFISH]

I?d like to see this event be a big success.? I?d like to see a commitment to be here for the kick off every June.? The Burt/Mullet event needs a five-year commitment so the local Chamber of commerce can see the effect long term.? But I don?t believe it will be a success.? ?I still believe, that there will be between 60-80 boats.? Now with the expanded top 40 people qualifying for the regional I think its possible to skip one of the first four events.? ?I think FLW will cut and run after just one year.? FLW prove me wrong!? People prove me wrong!? I?d be very happy to say I was wrong!