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Member
Posts: 164
| WF'ers,
To go along with my post about what tournaments you plan on fishing this year I would also like to know why you fish the tournament circuits you have chosen.
It can be for any reason, payout, professionalism, camaraderie, location. Please answer as completely as possible.
Once again thanks for your assistance.
Dave Landahl | |
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| I fish team events, MWC for one.
The main reason I do is I like to know the person in my boat! The payouts are good and the expense's stay down.
I looked at the PWT events this year and was not impressed with the sites.
I see that the FLW is starting to follow the PWT. I have fished the RCL and found it to be nothing more than a follow the leader contest.
I'm sticking with the team format until someone comes out with the perfect tour= which means never! | |
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Member
Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | PWT - The challenge to fish against the best.
MWS - An opportunity to fish with my son in a competitive atmosphere.
Fox River Classic - An opportunity to fish with my wife alongside friends, have a good time.
Mercury Nationals - A chance to have my family and friends along for walleye weekend.
I love the competitive atmosphere, the figuring and calculating of how and where to fish, the excitement of speaking with fellow competitors after a day on the water, comparing notes, seeing how everyone did, and the anticipation that goes with getting ready for Day 2 and/or Day 3 of an event. I love the nervous energy I have on the morning of an event, preparing for the day, going over things about a million times, making sure all my equipment is functioning properly after launching, and the rush at take-off. | |
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Member
Posts: 701
Location: upper michigan | As i am still fairly new to tournament fishing i dont have alot of criteria as of yet. I have a goal that will take me about 16 years to acomplish. I want to have an affect on the future of fishing. I want to get more people to enjoy the sport i love so much. I have found that i am a competition junkie. The money means little to me but the competition means everything. The preperation and planing that goes into fishing an event. The Anticipation of a day to come when you get on the water in the morning and lets not forget the butterflies in the stomach when your in 2nd place after day one in a 2 day event. I wish i could have been invisable that morning. My ultimate goal is to fish the PWT to fish against the best in the buisness. Hopefully i can have some positive impact to others along the way. | |
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Posts: 43
Location: DeKalb, Illinois | PWT- like Jerry said to fish against the best in the business, and for the challenge.
Illinois Walleye Trail- A great local circuit run by Bob Kidd that offers the challenge of good competition as well as making good friends.
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| I fished Michigan Walleye Tour because my partner and I got our wives involved and going with us. We also liked the locations we went to.
This year I went to FLW League Mi because last season I did better in the league than MWT. The locations are the same ole, but I found I did better as a boater than as a boater friend team.
Dan | |
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Member
Posts: 2300
Location: Berlin | A huge issue to me is how the circuit is run. I was planning on fishing an entire circuit last year with my wife. We fished the first one and I was so disqusted we did not even weigh our fish. We dropped out of fishing the rest.
Payout percentage is another big issue. The MWC has a great payout percentage. You only need to have a pretty good year to break even fishing this circuit while you have to have a great year on other circuits.
Location of each event is another big factor. I can't stand mind numbing open water trolling so I choose not to fish circuits that fish a lot of great lake tourneys. That will have to change if I want to fish PWT and FLW obviously. With my present situation, I do not want to travel more than 8hrs to any site.
I have a great partner so fishing team circuits works out well for me. Finding a partner like Mark is not an easy thing to do. If I would not have met him, I would not be fishing the entire circuit. Even though it is not criteria for a certain circuit, it is a must for fishing ANY team circuit.
Notoriety (sp?)- I am hoping to go places in the fishing industry. If you can even manage a win on the smaller circuits, it does not mean a whole lot as far a sponsors are concerned. They just don't draw the attention that the larger circuits do. When I choose to fish an event on a smaller circuit, I take more of a fun approach to it. With that being said, the MWC is a perfect fit for me right now. | |
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Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Dave,
You raise a great question! If you look at the responses so far you’ll see a lot of human emotions determining the decision process. I concur with many of these feelings but I also try to look at the business aspect while selecting a tournament circuit. Before I get into the dollars and cents of the business end I will also tell you that it means a great deal to me on how I am treated at a tournament and the professional level that the directors and workers display while I’m there. I’m also concerned about the media coverage given by the tournament. If a particular tournament has internet, newspaper, TV and magazine coverage, it gets a higher value in my mind because it offers me “free” press. This becomes valuable when working with sponsors and trying to promote my other business interests like guiding and doing presentations.
The dollars and cents…….
One of the first things that I do is try to determine what circuit(s) offers the biggest bang for my buck. I will try to come up with an estimated cost of participating in a tournament and compare this to possible winnings. This is not very difficult for me to do because after being in tournaments for awhile you get a good idea on what it will cost you. The biggest decision is deciding on how many days I will prefish for a particular tournament. As a general rule, the bigger the purse, the more days I will allow. I then calculate my travel, hotel, gas, food and entry fee costs. This will give me an estimate of how much it will cost me to participate. Obviously the closer tournaments and those on water that I have fished before will cost less. Then I’ll look at the first and sixth place paychecks and compare these to my cost estimates. I come up with a percentage value that can be compared to other circuits. As an example, if tournament “A” has a cost estimate of $500 per person and a winning purse for first place of $10,000, I will assign it a value of 20 (10,000/500). If tournament “B” has a payback of $30,000 and a cost estimate of $5,000 it will be assigned a value of 6 (30,000/5,000).
What this tells me is that although tournament B has a larger purse, the added costs of a higher entry fee and additional traveling costs, do not make it as appealing as first thought. I go through this same calculation for a 6th place finish because I have discovered that many tournaments are what I call top heavy. They appeal to the tournament fisherperson by showing high first place finishes but do not payout as well at the lower ends. Being the realist that I am, I recognize that I will not win every tournament and my chances of placing lower are a lot greater. Thus, I assign a higher personal value to this calculation than the example above.
By using formulas like these you can also figure out what place you need to finish for different tournaments just to break even. I have probably already given most people more information than they really want to hear so I will not bore you with these details. But it does make for great mental gymnastics in the off season and prevents any real surprises at the end of the season when I need to see the accountant and tax man. You’d be surprised to learn about the countless people there are out there who have been stunned at the end of a season when they thought they did great but discover that they lost money in the business part of fishing.
……….just musings of a mad man with a great disease called tournament fishing.
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Member
Posts: 164
| Excellent responses. This is what I was looking for.
Please continue.
Dave Landahl
Fishing Fanatics Radio | |
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Member
Posts: 171
| Obviously the MWC is the #1 team Walleye Circuit, so choosing to compete in that is in fact competeing against the best teams in the country. I would have loved to fish all six events, but the Lake Ontario one is just too far for us, 16 hours for my partner.
The payout schedule is important, as if you are fortunate enough to cash a check it will cover expenses and then some. Realistically, when you figure travel, lodging, gas, etc.. The entry fee is not a significant factor when comparing $600 per team vs. $300 per team. Also the pretige and press coverage for these events is alluring to those whp have aspirations of climbing the ladder.
On the Pro-Am side of the equation there are definite advantages and disadvantages. Number one disadvantage is the cost. If you figure depreciation in equipment, travel, food lodging (time away from work) etc. The cost is extremely high to fish in these events. Also, the payout percentage is lower in these events than the team crcuits in general. It is almost impossible to compete in these events unless you are part of a "team" of guys/gals (Juls) that are sharing information.
Advantages are awesome also. The media coverage is fantastic, (even a nobody like me had newpapers wanting interviews). It is very cool to have the walleye world with their eyes on you and the prestige that comes along with that. Also, these tourneys are usually held at prime time in each location so the fishing is usually awesome too. Going different places and fishing new waters and the challenge of figuring them out is also attractive.
All in all, it's the competition though, team or Pro-Am. Pitting your skill against the your peers that you respect so much is exciting. I love it and plan on doing it for a long time!
Rob Stratton | |
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Member
Posts: 279
Location: Rockford MN | I fish the Team format as well, the MWC central this year.
I like the team events because you and you're partner need to figure it out! Today everyone is teamed up trying to make the money, its great if it works out but we have a sour taste of that! We will go it on our own this year, its better to have some other guys to work with but not worth the hassle to us.
I think that the Pro-ams are great and the most of the guys are top notch, but some just can afford to play. I would like to fish the PWT and who knows maybe? I might fish an FLW this year I'm kicking it around any way. Everytime I think about fishing a tour I just feel I would rather have my partner in the boat come the 1st day of the event. No matter what I fish I like to figure the water and fish out, thats the # 1 challenge to me and I can't get enough of that!
Winter is getting long again this year but I leave for the 1st event in 3 weeks and I cant wait to get the boat in the water and catch some fish!!!!!!! | |
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Posts: 1188
Location: Chicago IL. | I fish the WAT and the IWT because they are river tournaments. I like river fishing so thats where I put my efforts. I fish tourneys for fun and love the competion it brings. It is not a main source of income for me.I dont like sore losers, so thats mabey why I dont like the larger tourneys at this time. I have always said ,when it stops being fun, I will stop that day!!!! I'm not against the big tourneys,I just dont like alot of the stuff that goes around with them from people that take it way to seriously. Dont get me wrong 99% of the people are great guys it's the 1% that gets me aggrevated. | |
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Member
Posts: 86
Location: Byron, IL | Well, getting back into it, after a 3 year break, I see that my preferences or limitations have not changed much.
Basically, I fish the team circuits based in Wisconsin. That is not too far for me, plus I have a place near Petenwell/Castle Rock, where some of the circuits stop, so that saves me lodging for a portion of the season...
Now, I decided to fish the FLW League as a Co-Angler this year, I guess because of the cost as well as baby steppin' back into the tournament scene. I am also going to be doing MWS as well. Now, I am still deciding on doing a Co Angler for the FLW Tour or PWT...Maybe even another circuit as there are not too many conflicts to complete an entire circuit or 2...
Of course I have limitations...Cash and time...I have a great job that I need to spend a lot of time at. I am single, and have to pay a mortgage, bills, etc. so I am pretty strapped most of the time. Also, I need someone to watch my dog while I am gone, so I have to set that up...
In addition, my boat, which is PRO V SE 1660...too small for big water...can't afford a new boat just yet...
That's about all I can think of for now...I'll add more if I can...
Edited by Tom K 2/17/2005 4:02 PM
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Member
Posts: 859
Location: Appleton wi | I'd fish them all if i had the resources and all the time in the world but reality is i dont! Teams tournaments have there positives and negatives just like pro ams.For you tourny poeple who have a good partner,there partners can afford there fairshare and there dependable you have a great setup.FLW league has been great for me.I am new at tourny's(3years).I like being responsible for my own decisions,prefishing with many poeple have met thru the series has been great,I fish tourny's for the love of fishing and the competition. The day i feel i need to win for the money i will hang it up and go back to fishing out of a 16ft boat..Every year i will evaulate the previous year and decide then what i will do the next year and keeping in mind always how fortunate I am to be able to fish tourny's and have fun doing it! | |
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| I fish the PWT because of the professionalism and the chance to fish and to learn from the best. I also fish MWC with my husband because we enjoy having the chance to fish together and spend quality time together. We take our son with use as well.  | |
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Member
Posts: 714
| I guess I'll have to be the one to stand up and say that I fish the tournaments I do because I'm selfish!!
I fish only those tourneys that are on my home water. I don't want to travel and spend my money to stay in a cheap hotel, and eat frozen pizza, and eat pre-made refrigerator sandwiches on the road, or drink anymore of that stale gas station coffee thats been sitting in the pot since 7AM. YUCK!! I've been there and done that. I don't want to take time off from work in order to go somewhere new and compete against the local "big" hooks, or networks of fishermen that have been there several times before and donate my hard earned paycheck to them. I've been there and done that, also. I'd much rather have my happy wife waiting for me to get home each day so she can serve me dinner, than to have her not be happy, and waiting for me to get home so she can serve me papers!
I look at this tournament competition as a business decision. Plain and simple. Do I want to pay someone to go fishing on my home waters, or do I prefer to be paid to take someone fishing on my home waters? I diffinetly love the competition, but in the end, its only fishing! Why complicate it any more than you have to. If I'm not booked, then maybe I'll fish.
Either way, I'm still scratching that same itch!!
I'm lucky enough to be able to say I've found a balance between my fishing and my personal life, and I don't want to do anything to mess it up. Life is too short to complicate it needlessly.
If I was younger, and not married, my opinion might be different. But,...I'm not, and it isn't. I give all respect to those of you who are out there chasing your dreams. I honestly hope that each of you reach your goal. In the mean time, if ever you are going to be fishing Mille Lacs, give me a shout, and I'll see what I can do to help you out, even if I might be fishing that same tourney, after all, its just another day on the water! | |
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Posts: 874
Location: Neenah, WI | Ginny and I like the team tournaments so that we can fish together. The MWC is our choice. We've made a lot of good friends on the circuit and look forward to it each year. We both fished the AM side of the PWT and I fished on the Pro side a few times. The PWT is a great circuit but it's just too expensive and time consuming for me. I fished my first tournament in 1985 and cashed a check. I still get excited about each upcoming tournament. The competetive itch just doesn't go away.
Good Luck to all in 2005. | |
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Member
Posts: 7
| Since I move back to MI a couple of years ago and changed jobs my vacation time is limited. So I fish weekend leagues of FLW and GNWC. I have enough time to fish both as the locations are somewhat aligned allowing me to carry-over some prefishing information from each circuit.
Also does anybody have Dan Woodward's, Dan (MI), e-mail address? You can drop me a note at [email protected]. | |
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Time and sponsors affect my tournament choices. Last year Crestliner supported the RCL. My Mercury, Crestliner, and Lowrance don't get me any bonus money on the FLW this year. I fish for a living so this is important. I will fish all of the PWT tournaments in 2005. I fished the entire PWT circuit only once when it was 4 tournaments and I am excited.
I want to go to a Devil's Lake tournament but I would be away from my wife too long. She is more important than tournaments. Like Jack said if " I was single" it might be different.
I love competition. I have been in baseball, wrestling, track, pool, bowling, foosball, and chess tournaments since I could participate. I actually have more enjoyment in the planning, practicing, and pre-fishing than I do during the tournament. I think it comes down to my personality. Since I was young, the worst thing to tell me is "You can't do it". I love challenges. A friend's father was an attorney and he told me I wouldn't get into Medical School because my father owned a bar. Bad carrot to put in front of this donkey! At that time, who you knew did affect getting in. Proving him wrong for my father was very important. Doc | |
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Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Doc,
You'll never win 2 PWT tournaments in one year!!
Good Luck this season.   | |
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Member
Posts: 164
| Fascinating stuff. Keep it coming.
Charlie Moore, PWT Tournament Director, will be on our show this week. We were discussing this post recently. Very interesting indeed.
Dave Landahl
Fishing Fanatics Radio | |
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Criteria For Choosing A Tournament Circuit