bass weekend series

[csfishslayer]

we should make a petition and send it to the ABA. I would fish this if it came to michigan

[Anthony Adams]

UPDATE - BASS/ABA are seriously considering my recommendation to bring this back in 2010. I talked to Paula Sacks and i've set him up an apointment for him to meet the big man in charge during the Bass Master Classic... If the ABA of Michigan and the BASS of Michigan can show support the chance of it coming here in 2010 greatly increase.

Here is what the ABA is asking from us. Guestimate on angler turnout numbers, Lakes, venues, times & dates.

Start with the suggestions...

[SethV]

I guess I don't see it the same way you guys do (and thats ok  ).  I would rather NOT have them come to Michigan.

We don't have enough guys to fill a BFL or any other open trail.  Why do we need another trail?  We have more than enough options now, and with declining numbers, it just does not pay to have a bunch of tiny tournaments.

IMHO, if you want to fish a "Weekend Series" type trail, why not fish the BFL?  They are already established and have a good track record for well run events.  Once we start getting 200 boats, then lets talk about another trail.

Seth

[Anthony Adams]

We don't have enough guys to fill a BFL or any other open trail.  Why do we need another trail?

The BFL considers a full field 150 boats before they pay out the full $5000 they advertise for 1st place while the Weekend Series has a Guarantied $5000 regardless of turnout.... There is no FULL FIELD excuse to hold back your winnings. Besides this is the shortest trip to the Bass Master Classic ... Honestly you've never dreamed of having a shot at the Bass Master Classic?

I guess I don't understand why someone would not want it? It's the best payout with the shortest trip to the big show...

Personally I feel that the more options we have to fish the better it is for Fisherman... competition is a good thing and the Anglers are the ones who are rewarded.

[Durand Dan]

Im afraid I have to agree with SethV. If we have never filled a BFL field(maybe one when they first came to Michigan) this would just add another trail to draw more anglers away from what is currently offered in Michigan. If anglers what to fish the BASS weekend trail there are tournaments close enough to Michigan that they can enter.

[Skip Johnson]

I agree as well, just too many trails to get full fields and full pay down the line.
BASS guarentees $5k for first place but thats it, the rest of the field gets very little thus making anything but first mostley a waste of time.
look at roy randalphs tournament list if you have any doubt about too many trails.

http://www.royrandolph.com/fishing/opens.htm

[smbassman]

I would like to see the BWS back in Michigan, but I don't think it should be Michigan alone.  At least Michigan East&West and Indiana with a possiblity of adding Ohio too.  Ohio already has their own division with 40-60 angler/tournament.   IF the Ohio fisherman were willing to add some tournaments in Michigan & Indiana, we could grow on their established numbers.

I do not fish BFLs (because of FLW) and have no intentions too but I would fish a BASS tournament.  There are a lot of others that feel the same way but for various reasons.  I have always had an issue with the "use my sponsors product or else" mentality of FLW so I choose not to support them.  The only reason I bring this up is because of the arguement that "the BFLs aren't full so why bring in another organization".

Another bonus of the multi state & east/west Michigan is the diversity that the BFL is severely lacking.  In case nobody has noticed, the only difference between a St. Clair tournament and a Detroit River tournament is how long of a run it is to get to your spot.

[cr]

Its not a perfect world and I dont see how come everybody expects a perfect organization to come along. I dont like the color green but I'll take all the money I can get. To say that the weekend series pays 5000 regardless of the turnout, well obviously they learned their lesson and quit having the series. I think the more the merrier, as far trails, dont quite get it either. Right now maybe what 140 people fish in the BFLs ? If there was ten trails then what ? You would get 15 or 20 people in each one and wheres the future in that ? Too much politics and not enough fishing ,IMO......... 

[Durand Dan]

This may ruffle a few feathers but here goes. 
There are other variables than just saturation in the tournament world. We have the economy and also the plight of the co-angler. Back in the late 1990's it wasn't uncommon to have full or nearly full fields in the BFL in Michigan. I, along with many other co-anglers that participated in these I choose not to continue as a back ender. I have spoken to many co's that felt the same. There were a variety of reasons but one stands out, the boater considering himself the primary focus in the tournament with the co-angler along for a reduced price ride. Now the BLF struggles to get 125 boats per tourney. That is why I like the fact that some of the major tournaments are going to a Pro only format. In this situation you eliminate what came be an overriding feeling of helplessness on the part of the person on the back and in a few cases the boater losing focus by helping out the co-angler with boater position.

[cr]

100 BFL boats - 50 BWS boats = 50 BFL boats. Right?

Wrong! Some Michigan anglers will choose one trail instead of the other, some will choose both, and some still won't fish either trail. When you consider the possible impact of anglers from Ohio and Indiana, there is still more unpredictability. BFL will not suffer from the existence of BWS, which will need its own demographic to be successful in this region.

Eric, do you have facts to back this bold statement up or are you just stating your "humble" opinion?   Or?
If the BWS does take anglers away from the BFLs and the numbers drop to the point the FLW no longer finds it feasible to maintain their presence in MI and they leave, then what ? Yes the BFLs are mostly LSC oriented, but where else is there a boat launch that can handle the large numbers of trailers? Or could it be that the LSC area holds the highest number of tournament anglers? I don't know I haven't seen the "demographic's" . Myself , being a entry-level tournament angler, and not wanting to sound like a know-it-all, feel that while I could come up with many reason's not to fish a  BFL , I am very fortunate to be able to fish against the best anglers in the area for such a nominal fee. I would like to see the BFLs numbers increase, not decrease . And when you factor in the bad state of the economy, I don't think it makes sense bring in another series to compete for anglers,at this moment in time .  It seems a simple matter of supply vs demand and I don't see the demand for the BWS, "IMO".

[dartag]

i have to agree with Eric.  2 bigger trails would hurt numbers.

FLW already know there numbers will be down this year.  my bro fished a BLF 2 weeks ago in florida.  at the meeting the director asked for comments on what they can do to get more entries.  there were 115 boats and they had to ask for co-anglers and then went with observers in 2 boats.  they are cost cutting also.

the Stren now is asking for boaters to sign with a co.  i think that is a new rule this year.

look at the BFL page on this board.  there are a couple guys looking for boaters or co,s.  look at this time last year there was lots of talk about the BFL's.  real quiet this year.   

[gr@ssmonkey]

if the bass weekend series stayed to the west side and northern indiana i think there is a slot to fill there,there is alot of west side anglers that would fish if they got a chance to fish some lakes on there side of the state,i love the idea of starting in indiana early!my other thought is that bass still will have to give it 2 years,the 2nd year being what there looking for......

[Skip Johnson]

funny how some guys mention that BWS be a multi state trail, do ya realy think guys can or will afford that kinda travel expense for such a low pay trail 

come on, if you wanted to travel or could afford travel youd fish a stren or BASS open unless your a rich idiot and those are getting fewer and fewer these days, the turnouts wouldnt be there and it likeley would hurt the existing trails by at least several boats.
I bet if the BFL's drew 30 or 40 boats less they would pull out of michigan and then our only tournament choices would be these little 10 to 30 boat trails, Id rather golf wax my back or attend a womens basketball game than fish a 10 to 30 boat trail.

now with that said I have nothing against BASS but remember they(the multi corp conglomerate) turned their back on us when they did pull out of michigan and the north a few years back and FLW filled the gap and stuck with us....thankfully!
I see no reason to bring them back only to mess up what FLW has worked so hard for and possibley losing both trails in the future.

[cr]

 Eric, it seems to me your saying two different things. First you say

100 BFL boats - 50 BWS boats = 50 BFL boats. Right?

Wrong! Some Michigan anglers will choose one trail instead of the other, some will choose both, and some still won't fish either trail. When you consider the possible impact of anglers from Ohio and Indiana, there is still more unpredictability. BFL will not suffer from the existence of BWS, which will need its own demographic to be successful in this region.

Then you say

CR,

I could be wrong...

So how about a friendly wager? When both series have a trail in Michigan, I bet the average number of boats in the BFL plus the average number of boats in the BWS will be greater than the average number of boats in the BFL in the previous year. Think of it as an over-under proposition.

2010 BFL boats + 2010 BWS boats > 2009 BFL boats

Name your terms.

Which is it ? Will the BFLs lose anglers if the BWS was to have a competing tournament on the same waters just weeks apart or not? You seem to be flip flopping your position here .
My point is and always has been that I don't want to see the BFLs lose anglers to the point that they quit having a presence in MI.
Maybe there is a need for a BWS on the SW side of MI and N IND, I don't know, not having access to your "highly classified data and the advanced computer models ". I do know there will always be cherry-pickers, dissidents, and people who got their feelings hurt,etc,etc, but is there a future in catering to them ? I think not!
 As far as a wager with you, OK, I'll wager 2 cents because that's all your opinions are worth, at least to me .

[Durand Dan]

How about a great big group hug!! (The snow and ice getting to everyone I think)

[macbass]

Guess I will throw my 2 cents in..for what it is worth...I use to fish Redman bach in the mid 80s we would usually have close to 100 boatas for every tournament 150 early in the year. We always started in indiana in early may and usually had 2 tournaments on the east and 2 on the west. didnt have co anglers we all fished for the same money. boaters non boaters nons payed for gas as do co anglers.  but we didnt have priority entrys because of boat brand. pay your fee and fish..but since they started sticking to the east side entries in the BFL has dropped...So I ays start a west side BWS and lets see how it goes. Alos in redman we always drew boats from indiana,ohio,illinois never a problem...

[Team houston]

I remember a few late 80s Redmans on the Grand that had 180+ boats. I think if the BWS stayed on the west side and did not have dates conflicting with the BFLs they could be successful. By drawing guys from NE Indiana and NW Ohio plus the Mi guys it could work. Unfortunatly if they were successful it would not be long and they would move to the Eastside and have conflicting dates. I guess that is why I prefer they stay away also. I also do not like that you have to join BASS and the ABA to fish them. If that is still the case, is it?

[Skulley]

I'm not feeling much love on this post!!!  A group hug would probably be in order.  I think someone needs to go fishing!!!     

BD     

[canvsbk]

 An Indiana/Michigan trail would probably do the best. Most of the guys on the west side normally fish these areas anyway.
If the BFL's are as wonderfull as you guys say then they shouldn't have any thing to worry about. The guys that fish 'em really seem to enjoy it. Good for them.
Like others have stated, I will not fish any FLW stuff for my own reasons but I find BWS appealing.
Man am I ever tired of this snow..........

[Fishmael]

Yeah, the problem I have with the BFLs is that there are no West Side tourneys anymore...A couple years ago, they used to throw in a token west side (Muskegon or Grand).  However, we didn't rate...So, of to St. Clair and Erie for every tournament and also into Ohio on Erie for one of the Michigan Division events.  How does that make sense?  I understand Burt/Mullet, as that is probably the second best smallie lake in the country.  But I bet if you give it a couple years and have them in n. indiana and W. Mich, you would load up on boaters.  Especially since you can qualify for the classic, etc.  I do see a direct correlation between those who have a problem with the return of the Bass Weekend Series and where they live.  I don't want to drive to Erie/St. Clair for every tournament offered.  The argument that we couldn't travel due to the economy doesn't stand up.   It is further (or at least just as far) for us to drive to the East Side for the BFLs than it would be to N. Indiana for a COUPLE of them...