FLW vs. B.A.S.S. - Decision time

[ronhuntfish]

Thanks for answering my questions Dan, one-by-one.
Another thought I had is if my club chooses BASS, and the MI Fed chooses TBF (based on the club presidents votes) we can still choose to go with the MI Fed and TBF.
Right, even though we originally voted to go BASS?

Boy, I never expected to be involved in issues like this when I joined a club.  I know you can't avoid the politics completely, BUT I JUST WANT TO FISH!!!

Pardon my outburst.

[Skulley]

Well, at least we will be an informed bunch when it is time to vote..........




AND I JUST WANT TO FISH, TOO!!!!!!!!!


BD? ? ? ?

[Dan]

I tell you what you guys impress the heck out of me. This forum has some real class. Good info. good discussion, nobody bashing, that's why I hang out. Plus I want to glean some of your hot spots and baits. Steal them glean them any way you want to give them up!
It's costly though. You guys already cost me over a hundred bucks in new baits this month alone. Hope summer gets here soon so I'll quit salving my fishing pangs with stashes of plastic.

[djkimmel]

Dan (nice name btw) we all have to feed the pangs somehow...

ronhuntfish - regardless how your clubs votes, BASS has made it clear they don't have a problem with clubs having multiple affiliations. I would not want to be a member of an organization that turned down members. I don't want to see a major split.

Heck, just like when we vote for president - about half vote one way and half vote the other, but when the smoke clears, most of us stay in the US anyway. I would hope your club stays in too regardless of how the vote goes.

I'm not worried about the board holding any grudges. I don't expect TBF to turn anyone down. BASS says they don't have a problem with clubs having multiple affiliations. Yeah, there's a handful of guys who may get really torqued (we saw a couple at the meeting), but overall I think we can get through this without too much 'permanent damage.' That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

[djkimmel]

I think about and actually what worries me more is that the most personal level will happen in the votes within the individual clubs. I hate to think friendships and clubs might be damaged by this process.

I just hope everyone remembers that after the vote, regardless how any individual votes, we should all remember why we are in the clubs we are in with the people we are in them with. We should be able to still get along even when we don't agree 100% on everything the same. That is the principle this country is founded on - majority rule without unnecessarily harming the minority.

This issue should not be wrecking any real friendships or clubs. Life will go on and we WILL still get to fish (and earlier than normal this year - YAY!

[Savage]

we should all remember why we are in the clubs we are in with the people we are in them with.

Ouch, that one made my brain hurt!

[djkimmel]

I dislocated my left ringfinger when I typed it... but it was late and... well, it was late.

[blakstr1]

From BASSFAN...
A little math 2/8/2006
According to Federation representatives who were at the January meetings with BASS, the former, or previous, BASS Federation was down to around 35,000 members as of the end of 2005. If true, that's 10,000 members (or 23%) off the alleged 45,000-strong Federation roster when ESPN bought BASS in 2001.

Nevertheless, here's some simple math regarding the FLW Outdoors-TBF deal. If you assume that 100% of former BASS Federation members register with FLW (unlikely), and were not already FLW members (unlikely), that's 35,000 x $25 annual membership = $875,000. FLW's $1 million that it's giving TBF annually minus $875,000 in annual membership dues leaves $125,000 as FLW's annual cash contribution under this scenario (note that FLW is contributing more than just cash to the TBF package).

Kind of interesting stuff...

[blakstr1]

I opened my new BASS TIMES last night (which the print was perfect in this one, unlike my Bassmaster mag from another post)..I got to the page that outlined the differences between BASS and TBF.  I had to laugh outloud, it was like going into McDonalds and asking them if the Whopper is better than the Big Mac!!   They were pretty biased but I totally understand their publication, their right...I'm sure TBF is doing the same. 

At least I got one laugh out of all this!! 

[Revtro]

That's funny.? Of course we all know though that the Big Mac is better than the Whopper.? Or is the Wendy's double cheeseburger better than both of them?? Crap, now I have to do an experiment to figure that one out.?

But seriously, what is the time-frame for all of this stuff now?? Where does it all stand?? Is there a deadline for the states to make a decision about all this?

Never mind, I just read the other post from Dan.  I'm looking forward to March to see how this all goes.

[Savage]

It always makes me feel wary when someone is trying to push for a quick decision.....

What's the rush?  I already paid my BASS dues for the year to the Michigan Federation too, so why would I not fish with BASS?  Are the clubs getting their money back if they don't agree with what the board decides?  Time will tell who the greedy parties are in all this.

[blakstr1]

yeah makes me nervous too, should have been given a year or so to consider, but again when BASS decided to raise the dues, they should have went out and asked the federation members and gave a reason for the increase..then we wouldn't be in this mess! (for the most part).  Initially thats why i couldn't understand when BASS posted the Federation Nation sign-up had to be by March 1st, I guess they've relaxed on that...

[Savage]

I hope so.  I'm starting to wonder how many clubs will tell everyone to "kiss their bass" and just go independant for a year or two.  Might be nice, save money and all.  If a club doesn't have an open (need the insurance) and does not really want to fish the SFO, why be in BASS or FLW?

[blakstr1]

thats an option too, fish your club organized events and tour around hitting opens..not a bad idea..then we can keep all of the political headache causing hooplah out of our lives and concentrate on whats important ...? being on the water!!

(i just decided to modify my post based on Revtro's next post)

I think Revtro's bass club has a great idea!? I agree with you too about the business end of things, we tend to overlook that I guess, but they are both businesses and if I was in either of their positions I would want this upcoming years business under my belt and not let it hang out there forever where even another organization could step in...

[Revtro]

I know how you feel about the rush.  You might be right, it could be interpreted as greed.  But as a former business owner, I understand how sometimes a company can be in a hurry to get something done because of expected or desired growth.  Plus, I'm sure FLW expects more success in winning over clubs to their side of things if the timetable is abbreviated.  Either way, I'm gonna give both groups the benefit of the doubt.  It's a competitive world out there and I think we're seeing it with these two organizations. 

Our club isn't going to affiliate with either of these organizations this year.  We're just going to go out and fish and have fun and see where the chips have fallen a year from now and then make a decision.  Besides, most of our guys will be very busy with NBAA and FOM.

[Savage]

Honestly I want to stay in the game this year at least, for two resons.  One is the SFO is in my back yard this year, the BAY.  The other is that we hold an open every year, and that's tough to do without insurance!

[ronhuntfish]

I'm leaning to staying with the Federation decision even if it is not what our club voted.  That would keep us in the SFO and we could still kind of sit back and see what happens for next year. B.A.S.S. has said that they will give back dues that clubs have paid.

[djmaclf]

Remember also at the club level, your club can belong to both organizations.

As far as trying to rush the decision, Remember both organizations need to make the plans for the fall for Divisionals, Nationals, Etc.

I have to explain all of this to my members on Sunday.  Got a go start reviewing.   Again.

[djkimmel]

Regardless of the timescale - and some of the reasons have been touched on, united bass anglers are extremely important to our future of having more bass fishing and being able to hold tournaments.

I understand people don't like politics - just look at election participation every year - but that is how this country works. I agree with people who say 'if you don't vote, don't complain' although I'm not so hard I say don't talk to me if you didn't participate.

I have to tell you though, after another public meeting I've been to where once again no anglers, or hardly any anglers showed up, it is hard to feel positive knowing that a tiny tiny number of anglers seem to do all the work that ends up affecting all anglers. It's frustrating to say the least.

What having a group like the federation does, is give an elected or appointed representative enough legitimacy that when you sit at a public meeting once again outnumbered five or ten to one by lake association members or others who aren?t on your side, what you (me for example being conservation director) say means more because you REPRESENT hundreds of anglers and their official position.

If I speak at a meeting or hearing as myself, it just doesn?t mean the same as when I speak at the same events as a representative of hundreds of organized anglers. A lot of the time, that is the best we can get out of anglers. Not scolding anyone, just stating the way things are.

We had dramatically better participation during the bass season issue, but that?s often what it takes to get anglers involved in the public process ? something really dramatic. But every day, I get mail and notices about things going on that affect many or all anglers that need anglers? involvement to turn out in favor of anglers. Talking public access fights, wetlands loss, tournament regulations, weed poisoning, water pollution - the list is endless.

Anglers need to be heard. I have seen many references by even government officials of this ?great silent majority? that could be so powerful in outdoor issues IF they would get involved as an organized group. The federation is one way all of you can get involved!

EVERY time outdoor writers and reporters interviewed me during the bass season issues they asked ?Who do you represent?? I got a more press and interest AFTER ABA, BBT, NBAA and other groups said I could represent them, than before when I just said, ?I?m an involved angler.?

I?m not saying it doesn?t count when you are just speaking for yourself. Ten anglers together at the same meeting all speaking for themselves are powerful, but it doesn?t happen enough, so the next best thing is an angler officially representing a whole bunch of anglers. Just the way things work out there.

That?s also why I?ve asked for club conservation directors. An angler who represents a club will be listened to more than if only one angler representing him/herself shows up. Obviously, I would love the whole club to show up at the meetings and hearings, but I?ll take the one member REPRESENTING everyone else next.

Politics is uncomfortable at times, but it is the way things work. So please, hang in there. We?ll get through this and then move on to the next challenge and the next. Fishing is a privilege, not a right. We need to protect that privilege - constantly.

[Skulley]

Fishing is a privilege, not a right. We need to protect that privilege - constantly

I am going to disagree with you on this quote Dan.? Hunting and Fishing is a? RIGHT!!!! ? And this? RIGHT? was handed down to us from the Founding Fathers of this great nation of ours.? And I am not about to let a bunch of Bleeding Heart Liberals take that? RIGHT? away from me.? Apparently someone lied to you about this and you believed them.? ?Also, I believe that politics is only uncomfortable to those who don't stay informed and get involved.? Shame on them for not getting involved and letting their legislators make decisions for them.
Allow me to correct you Dan:

FISHING IS A RIGHT AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THAT RIGHT!!!!!!


I am not in favor of the move to FLW.? BASS was the first and original and I believe we need to hear their side of everything before we make any hasty decisions.? This is an extremely emotional subject and we all have opinions.? We need to thoroughly think these through before we make a decision that will affect our Federation in the days to come.?

I am not in favor of FLW because of Walmart.? Being a Union man, Walmart has destroyed the very essence of the American workforce.? However, my wife did make sense to me when she said, "Why don't you fish the FLW organization tournaments like BFL and Everstart??? Fish hard and get in the money.? Take their money and use it against them."? So that is what I am going to do.? Fish their events and do my very best to win.? Then take those winnings and donate them to the anti-Walmart website.? That is why I married her.? She brings to me a fresh perspective.? ?That is why I love her.


BD? ? ? ? ?