Bay de Noc

[Ranger5Smallie]

Just read that they canceled the Bay de Noc event for the Elite Series.  That sucks!  I was looking forward to see those guys pound on some new water.  It also would have helped the UP to have those guys around for a week.  It could have really helped the economy and shed some light on the fantastic fishery.

I understand the economics behind it but would like to see 1 less event in the southeast.

Also surprised they nixed Champlain and kept Oneida.

[djkimmel]

Yeah, disappointing that they knocked off Michigan. We get so few events as it is. I'm surprised too about Champlain. Wonder why they did keep Onieda over Champlain?

[ronhuntfish]

Hear the latest?

They may move the Northern B.A.S.S. divisional to Bay De Noc now. There was not much local support for St. Clair or Saginaw Bay (which were suppose to be the two options).  Since the Elite event was canceled, they may welcome the divisional instead.

[jgip087]

N. Divisional Aug. 11-15 out of Escanaba! Official from BASS.

[skeeterman190]

  I know BASS started this whole thing.(bass fishing) but how can any of you guys still support them?? they have pretty much said we dont want anything to do with you. You throw out the co-anglers and i think thats it! they only want to make money and not take care of you. i will fish FLW anyday over them!-skeeterman-

[cr]

Well put, I agree . Did they ever say the reason for dropping the CO's?

[skeeterman190]

  I didnt hear the whole details but the Pros were tired of the co-anglers i guess?? thats what i got from the whole deal. I guess the co's hindered them? im sure theres lot of guys that want to fish the Elite Series this year that wish the co's were still there. Its what a 50,000 dollar investment on something that if your lucky might get that back.. Only a few are making money and its not from just fishing... Id love to see KVD's income! I bet he gets @ least 2 grand just to show up @ a fishing seminar.-skeeterman-

[skeeterman190]

 Dan: i think they kept Oneida over Chammplain because more of the Southern guys could feel more @ home. Its Prolly a better numbers deal on bucketheads.. those boys just cant seem to zoom in on the smallies!! i loved the deal that Chip won out there w/ 2 largies on a Drop shot on his Smallie areas!!-skeeterman-

[smbassman]

  I know BASS started this whole thing.(bass fishing) but how can any of you guys still support them?? they have pretty much said we dont want anything to do with you. You throw out the co-anglers and i think thats it! they only want to make money and not take care of you. i will fish FLW anyday over them!-skeeterman-

I honestly don't agree with you at all.  I think BASS cares about making the sport grow.  To do that, they had to make real professional tournaments with a select group of pros that could build fan bases and get more people interested.  That is impossible to do with 200 angler fields.  The entry fees are high and for as much complaining that was done when it was announced, there are a ton of FLW pros now trying to qualify.  They are doing this because they see it as a real way to get their name out, get recognized and get their sponsors recognized.  That is where the real money is, not a group of guys fishing for their own money.

BASS has listened to the elite anglers way more than Irwin has the FLW pros.  The elite pros use their own boats, display their own sponsors and chose to not have coanglers that may or may not affect the outcome of the tournaments.  The reduced tournaments and entry fees were also requested by the pros to ease their investment with the bad economy. 

You may feel FLW has personally treated you better than BASS.  But Bass has done more for the sport that FLW will ever do.  We are all benefitting from this growth of the sport

[fear no fish]

Why are we still bashing one group or the other? If you like BASS fine, or if you like FLW that is great too. There is nothing that says you can't belong to both groups. They both fill specific purposes for their members. Secondly, it isn't just about tournaments it is also about youth and conservation. Just my humble opinion.
Tom

[BigSmallie]

Yeah....."Com' on Main"   

Where's the Love..............LOL!!!

BS 

[Savage]

Anybody know what FLW stands for?  Now that guy has an EGO.

The whole thing is an excuse to promote (overpriced) Ranger boats....  let's all admit it.

[djkimmel]

Overpriced is in the eye of the beholder. Bass boats are a serious, significant investment that should be made considering all factors clearly and thoroughly. Ranger makes extremely safe, well built boats that can survive 15+ years on the Great Lakes.

Ranger Boats are an excellent investment among the bass boat brands, and the latest models are an extremely well designed blend of safety, water-handling and particularly, fishability which is very important to me. Plenty of anglers agree which is just one of the reasons Ranger Boats is the leader in the fiberglass bass boat market.

Forrest L Wood does not have a big ego. He's one of the most genuine nicest persons you'll ever meet, possibly only surpassed by his lovely wife Nina. I've had dinner with both, and been around him a number of times over the years and have NEVER heard or seen him be any other way. Because he is one of the key figures in the history of the sport we all love, AND one of the nicest and most genuine persons, he receives a great deal of well deserved honors that he would be fine living without.

Any of us would be so fortunate to be such a well-liked, influential person with so many honors. It doesn't take much knowledge or experience to know he's more than deserved everything he's received for his community, charitable and industry leadership work, along with his personal humanity.

[djkimmel]

Competition among brands / companies is what this country is based on. Once you've decided to throw your complete support behind a brand / company, you should be too busy saying what is so good about that brand / company to have much time left for any bashing.

Not that constructive criticism can't be helpful. It just has to be meant as constructive criticism verses bashing. And it should be specific and measurable.

Just as importantly, support for a brand / company shouldn't be so fervent that it causes anyone to walk around with a chip on the shoulder over the competition - way too much of that across the fishing Internet - or so blind that various issues can't be realistically evaluated and assessed. For any of us to take good advantage of the changes - often good changes for us - that strong competition creates, we have to be willing and able to logically and realistically evaluate products / companies.

[smbassman]

Anybody know what FLW stands for?  Now that guy has an EGO.

The whole thing is an excuse to promote (overpriced) Ranger boats....  let's all admit it.

Ignore this guy - He is just stirring the pot!!  He drives a Nitro that has to be screwed back together after every trip on the big lakes!

There is no arguing that the main focus of FLW is to sell more Ranger boats though.  And 'ol Irwin just uses Forrest's well respected name to do it at a premium price tag.

[Skulley]

I am going to try to put this in perspective the best I can.  It is all about $$$$ and there is not enough to go around at this time for everyone.  These organizations are all companies any way you paint the picture.  With a poor economy all these companies are feeling the pinch.  Hard choices and decisions must be made to survive.  Not all these decisions are going to be popular among the membership of these companies.  The membership being you and I.  I am a member of both the FLW and BASS.  There are good in all these entities.  I try to concentrate on the good things these entities can give me and try not to worry about the down side of it.  Doing that I can have superior attitude which in turn gives me superior confidence.  I am a life member of BASS but only a 3 year at a time member of the FLW.  That being said I will support any fishing organization that supports me whether it is on the water or lobbying for our fishing rights in Washington D.C.  There is way more to this than just an opportunity to tournament fish.  Our right are under attack by anti fishing organizations such as PETA and others.  Support these companies so that you can continue to fish and so your children will be afforded the same opportunities that you have had thoughout your life.

I am also a life member of the North American Fishing Club.  They too are a company feeling the pinch of a bad economy.  I am also a life member of In-Fisherman.  In-Fisherman is discontinuing the Walleye Trail in 2009.  Once again a bad economy affecting the fishing industry. 

Being on the frontlines of the auto industry, I can lose my job any day now.  I don't know if I will have a job in the next 4 to 6 weeks.  I am working harder than I ever have in my 30+ year career in the industry, mostly to save my job and a whole lot of other peoples jobs too.  It has not been easy and I take nothing for granted.  Some of you on this board are young and I hope that whatever I do, there will be good paying jobs so that in the future you can support your family and your fishing habit.  I work tirelessly every day for this.


BD                   

[djkimmel]

I know that Savage guy is a firecracker (or at least a sparkler )

Irwin Jacobs has always been very up front about his marketing efforts, plans and why he does it. I think it is an extremely smart marketing plan that has caused many people to envy it, copy it or even enjoy it. He has also been extremely successful at bringing bigger dollar non-endemic sponsors into a world that desperately needs them to grow outside of the small, and getting tighter fishing business market.

I don't think Forrest minds being associated with Ranger Boats. Though he sold it quite a while ago, part of his heart still lies deep within the workings of that entire community.

[motocross269]

I fish both with FLW and am in a BASS club...To say one is better than the other is just really grasping at straws...This year an FLW pro (Greg Pugh) qualified for the Bassmasters Classic and just off from the top of my head Greg Hackney and Mike Iaconnelli both qualified for the Forrest wood cup, so if the pros can see advantages to both circuits we hackers sure should be able too...

If you want to fish a regional circuit and test your skills against the best the BFLs are really the premier game in Michigan...I had the opportunity to fish with some of the best big water anglers from Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana etc....BASS does not give you that opportunity here in Michigan...

[Savage]

Anybody know what FLW stands for?  Now that guy has an EGO.

The whole thing is an excuse to promote (overpriced) Ranger boats....  let's all admit it.

Ignore this guy - He is just stirring the pot!!  He drives a Nitro that has to be screwed back together after every trip on the big lakes!

LOL, you really do have me pegged J.   I love to stir it up and Dan's buttons are easy to push alright.  I was simply saying that anyone who names a tournament circuit after themselves and only let's you promote certain sponsors during their tournaments (that has since changed, right?) is all about selling boats.  I get it, no problem.

I'll never buy one until I win the lottery, but until then I'll just screw my good old Nitro back together and be happy that it is paid for and that the fish don't seem to mind the name on the side of the boat.

One more button to push though, what place do you think SMbassman came in for points in our club last year?   Try 2 places behind me and my duck-taped, binder-twined Nitro.  (ouch)  He does have a really nice BassCat though!

[djkimmel]

Don't you be talkin' about my momma (or Forrest L Wood - he didn't name it neither, Mr. Jacobs did)