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| Message Subject: Congrats to Tommy Skarlis and AIM observations | |||
Gary Parsons |
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Member Posts: 18 | Congrats to Tommy Skarlis on his victory at the inaugural AIM event at Bay City this last weekend. His fishing program was awesome and he executed to perfection, once again proving he's one of the best walleye anglers on earth. Following are some observations: The Community of Bay City and Dow Chemical, along with all of the associated local sponsors were fantastic to work with, and the tent and over all set up were fantastic. This was a first annual festival event and there was a soft ball tournament, bands playing at night, beer tent, great food stands, and fun by all that attended. Thanks to the community. The local walleye clubs were invaluable in offering their help. Thanks to all that took part. Once again, this Mid Michigan area group of anglers proved that they are involved, care about the sport, and are well organized. There were quite a few questions about the process of CRR at the rules meetiing. Although the meeting went a bit long, all questions were addressed, and the weigh-in process during tournament time went extremely well. Like the trial run that was held at Winneconnie, WI, the tournament process was smooth, fair, and went without a hitch. I can tell you that I've fished hundreds of major events since 1984, and normally when talking to competitive fishermen there are always complaints of some type. After fishing this event, all I saw were smiles, and excitement for the future of the sport. Many of the anglers had suggestions, and all are being evaluated for the future, but by and large the anglers themselves felt that this is definitely the format of the future. You guys saw the line up of fishing pro's. It's hard to impress this group, but CRR definitely has left it's mark. Everyone I talked to can't wait for the upcoming events that all take place in no-cull and/or slot states. The stage show was cool. The first day didn't have as much video as I would have liked, but it was after all the first day of the first event, with a group of techies that are just getting used to each other. By day two, and then three, the show rocked. I did not hear one comment about the weigh in being boring and not one comment about not seeing fish. And I asked many fishermen and observers. So, at least on site, it seems that the comments and concerns about seeing fish on stage were unfounded. The really neat thing for me personally was the fact that I knew the weigh in would not result in fish mortality, like it does in every other tournament format. My background guilt feelings about weigh in's are not there any more. Maybe it's just a personal thing, but it does make me feel better. Day one internet streaming and features were also lacking for the same reasons as above. I think most agree that day two and certainly three rocked! The AIM tech guys all came together and have developed a system that makes tournaments much more "real time" and fun for all. It was a cool experience. I know that there was a concern about co-anglers not trying. And that none would want to fish this format. We had more co-anglers sign up than pros. The one thing that I noticed, is that two different pros commented to me about how hard their co's worked and fished throughout the day. I said this winter that I've never fished with a co that didn't try hard in all my years, and that this new format would be no different. That is actually what really took place, in fact I truly believe that I developed a closer relationship with my partners during this event than in any event that I fished previously.... I think that when working with the angler to measure, jointly agree on length, photograph and record, there is a sense of ownership by both the pro and co as to the overall weight of the boat. I've asked all three of my co's's to pre-fish with me in the future and most know that I just don't do that very often. All three of my co's at this AIM event are new friends and these are friendships that I'll cherish for years. Most of the co-partners that fished with had very little previous Pro-Am experience... this was a new thing for them and they had fun. In fact, I found out today that over 50% of the co-anglers had never fished a Pro-Am event before. AIM wanted to get new anglers interested in tournaments by offering lower entry fees and a unique experience and if the first tournament is any indication it's looking like the ideology is working. These anglers are the future of our sport and I thank all that attended. I'll address the comments of low payouts. Yes they were not what we wanted. We would have liked to see more Pro's sign up and the payouts would have been better... in fact quite good. But just think. Tommy fished against 45 guys and won $27,000. NOT BAD. The comments were about dropping to $5,900 for second. As most know that's what I won. Would I have liked to see it be more? Certainly. And if we would have had a full field it would have been much more, so I ask, that before all compare to other tours, please remember that this is a first time event, on a new format, in tough economic times... and many of the comparisons that I've seen are comparing other tours with full or larger fields to this first event. What many viewers don't know is that both Tommy and I entered the Super Cash side of the tournament before the event started, along with about a fourth of the field. Super Cash at Bay City paid two spots $5000 apiece, so he actually won $32,000 and I won $10,900, and that's not counting what we won for big bag and big fish. Pretty good for a field of this size. The additional entry fee for Super Cash is $1000 and you actually have a one in five chance of winning. Since this format has no slots or no culling restrictions to keep the luck factor down, I'll take those odds every time. Please understand that AIM is a fisherman owned tour, and as it grows with sponsors, payouts will go up tremendously, both from entry fees, but more importantly though sponsor dollars. I'll also address the point that AIM should have waited and all anglers should fish and support just one tour. We did not start AIM to destroy walleye tournaments. Walleye tournaments are hurting themselves for many reasons stated over the winter. Bad economy is certainly not helping, but the luck factors of no cull, slots, restrictive sponsors and many other things have greatly contributed to this decline in participation. Some would not agree or would like to argue the point, but in reality it is what it is. All of the circuits have within their power to change some of the things that are contributing to this. I hope CRR catches on with all of the tours. That will help. I hope that some tours will consider that fact that the anglers who work hard to garner a sponsorship (and believe me it's hard to do in today's environment) are able to represent themselves (and their sponsorships) as much as the tour does for their sponsors. AIM is not doing this to hurt walleye tournaments, but like was stated all winter, is geared to help, by making the events more exciting, more fair, more green, and hopefully turn the sport into a true competitive event where everyone can grow. I just finished with a 5 hour board meeting. It's looking like we'll be announcing some pretty cool things in the near future. As soon as the timing is right it's looking like we'll change the industry again. Welcome to the new direction of tournaments. I encourage everyone to participate, join in on the fun and fairness, and the awesome fisheries at the best times of the year. The next stop is Green Bay. For those interested there are Pro openings and Co openings and if you want to catch fantastic bags of fish without the worry of keeping them alive or having to come in early with your guessed limit this will be the event of the summer. The final day is linked with one of the largest festivals in Wisconsin and the Bay of Green Bay is looking to be a monster slug fest and a huge amount of fun. Hope to see you all there! Thanks for listening to the post/ blog and have a great day! Gary Parsons | ||
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| Mark O. |
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Member Posts: 192 | Gary, I think the AIM event turned out extremely well for the first one. I always liked the "on the water" pics of fish. Sometimes the fish look better than they do when they sit in your livewell for hours. I'm sure many of the innovations you and Keith came up with over the years didn't go perfect the first time either, but look where they are now. It will take time for AIM to catch on. The economy doesn't help either. I'm actually thinking of fishing as a co in the Green Bay event, if I can get the vacation time off. The Bay is a place I would like to get to know better. What better way than with some of the best. Who knows, maybe I'll even draw you. Then you can tell me stories of the old days when you and my Dad fished against each other. If I can't fish, I fully intend to be at one of the weigh-ins. Best of luck with AIM and the rest of the season. Mark O'Brien | ||
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| Gary Parsons |
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Member Posts: 18 | Thanks Mark, Hope you can make it! And I truly believe that your father is one of the best and most skilled anglers that ever wet a line on the Winnebago chain! | ||
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| sworrall |
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Location: Rhinelander | The AIM Board and Owners should be very proud of what they have managed to accomplish in a very tough environment. The Bay City event rocked, and Green Bay will be even better. Congrats to all who fished, Tommy for the win, and Gary for giving him a hell of a run for the money. | ||
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| Shep |
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Member Posts: 3899 | "Please understand that AIM is a fisherman owned tour, and as it grows with sponsors, payouts will go up tremendously, both from entry fees, but more importantly though sponsor dollars." I think you cannot stress this enough. As an angler owned tour, it is all those anglers who will be motivated to bring in the sponsors, not just for themselves, but for the tour. Not sure that happens with the other series out there. Right now, you're looking at at least the initial 77 owners coming together to find that ever-so-important sponsorship dollar. How many are out there looking for the other tours and series? A couple at most? Angler owned, angler promoted, and the angler benfits. One for all, all for one. I'll be at the GB event weigh ins for sure. See you there, and looking forward to seeing a larger field. | ||
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| Jim |
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| Think about this who is going to pay 1700.00 to fish a tourny against the top pros that own the tourny? Plus have to pay a membership fee ?? Did anyone look at the payouts? If you did not take first place you would be close to being in the hole with all our expenses for the week. Believe me I like the idea of "CRR" but start out small scale and build up after a couple of years of full fields. my two cents | |||
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| Gary Parsons |
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| Jim, Payouts have never been that great after the first few spots... in any tour. They all have been run predominantly by fishermen's entry fees. That is also why we established Super Cash entries, to increase the payout possibilities. There were two Super Cash payouts in Bay City. This time both Tommy and I played (and you can sign up for that part at registration... a good idea if you've had a good practice) so the payouts went to first and second. However, it's entirely possible that it might be paid to lower spots in other tournaments, depending on who enters and how they finish. Admittedly the field is tough. Very good fisherman. But this is a Professional Tour, and is supposed to be tough. What that means is that a young angler can compete against the best, and because there is very little luck factor (no cull and slots are gone), that angler can make his/her mark faster and get the attention faster than in any other tour. If they are good business people, they will get sponsorships, and they will be able to represent those companies, because AIM has no restrictions on what the anglers use for equipment or what they wear across the stage. That's why you see fisherpersons like Joe Okada (a fantastic young man, by the way who comes from the FLW), Jesse Beuchel, Brian Keller, and Marianne Huxley enter the AIM events. They are serious anglers that are looking towards the future. Their own future! As far as paying the $250... all of the owners and life members have paid a lot more than that to get this tour started. Not to mention the time put into AIM by many, many people. I think you get my meaning. Maybe someday that fee will be waved, but in this start up circuit it is the way it is. And I don't really see where the concern is that you are fishing against owners. I hope that doesn't insinuate that they are cheaters. This format has already shown to be the fairest, simplest, ecofriendly tour for walleyes today. I don't even know how you could cheat. So, if you are a competitor, ownership has nothing to do with results. Just go catch the right fish. You win! Pretty simple, and what competition is supposed to be like. Another thing that you need to take into consideration is that because this is angler owned, that as soon as any additional money becomes available... it will go into the purses. And we are working on things for the near future where you could see some amazing stuff. But like you said, we have to start somewhere. Jim your points to some extent are valid. AIM won't be for everyone. But it is a top level tour, and if you are an angler that wants to get the attention of the industry and get sponsorship, fish it, beat the tough field, and use good business sense to garner the support you need to do this for more than a hobby. That's what I did, and many others who do this as a profession. We didn't shy away from the top anglers, we went after them, by comparing our skills in the toughest, most prestigious tours. Gary Parsons | |||
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| sworrall |
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Location: Rhinelander | Excellent answer! | ||
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| Jim |
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| Gary to your first answer the two super cash payouts if I am not mistaken is an extra 1000 to throw in correct? Take that in to consideration of the payouts com- paired to total of all entry's. To the second comment, look at the people you have mentioned all of these people you have talked about have come from wealthy back grounds more then just the average person. I would love more then anything then to compete against the best, but if I or the average person where to pay the entry fee, the 250 non owner, plus the super cash and then gas ,motel, and time off work, and not place in the top 2 that would be the end of my hopes because I or the average person could not afford to do this till we won a competition and "received sponsorship" In no way am I saying that an owner is a cheater I look up to all of you and respect all of you. All I am saying is the format that has been made for this series is not feasible for the average person to start in and compete. | |||
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| Gary Parsons |
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| Jim, Yes, the Super Cash tournament entry is $1000, but pays back 100% at 5 to 1 competition. Without the luck factors of no cull and slots, that is one of the best returns in the tournament world. The overall paybacks in the main event are 100% with no sponsor restrictions. Again one of, if not the best return the walleye tournament world. I do understand your points, and the format may not be affordable to you, as it is structured as a top tier event. Again, because AIM is angler owned, as it grows with sponsors the paybacks will increase to over 100 percent. If we were funded even close to what previous tours were, we could easily approach 200 percent or more paybacks. At that later date the tour may be more attractive to you, however with a 100 boat field, it might be tough to get in. Even today, if our field was filled at 100 boats, We would pay back $50,000 in cash for first, with good paybacks down the ranks. Thank you for your observation and good luck fishing! Gary | |||
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| sworrall |
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Location: Rhinelander | Jim's comments are pretty common across the board when discussing Pro Walleye tournaments from the viewpoint of someone who wishes to fish competitively, but can't yet afford to try the 'bigs'. The function of the evolution of competitive walleye angling that's led to the structure out there now with the circuits that cost a couple hundred to near a grand for a team is affordability due to two anglers splitting the expenses, but they are team events that will not pay out anywhere near what a Pro event will, and the team has to split the winnings. Great events, and fun to fish, but sponsorship for those events will be (if one can even get full sponsorship fishing team circuits these days) equivalent to the return in PR, press, media coverage showcasing the team and their sponsors. No surprise there, really. Pro events are the next step up from the apex of the team events... the MWC. Of course AIM and the FLW Tour cost more to play, and offer more to pay. I suspect the AIM events will eventually offer 200% payback. AIM, as a good friend likes to say about things of this nature, is a process in progress, not an 'event'. The AIM organization will grow, and should do exactly what Gary says in his last post. | ||
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| Jim |
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| Thankyou for your coments and anwsers to help me and others understand better what direction you are taking this Aim event. I wish you all at a Aim the best of luck and I also hope someday to be able to fish this event. I hope that what you are trying to accomplish opens up the world to how exciting walleye fishing can be. | |||
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| wishnfishn |
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| I think the main point Jim is trying to make (and this relates to alot of tournaments not just AIM) is that at some point it would be nice to see a little more money divided out between 2nd and 10th place, at least to the point where a person would have the ability to break even money wise with a top 10 finish. There is no doubt that any finish in the top 10 against the quality of fishemen on the AIM tour is an admirable accomplishment but that great feeling only lasts until the next time you balance your checkbook. | |||
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| guest |
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| I am just an average guy who likes to fish tournaments and believe me I can not afford to fish these elite tournaments but that is nobodies fault.If you want to fish these tournaments you will find a way and make it happen.Just because you can't afford it don't be blaming the owner about the price and that he should change things,it takes capital to start and I'm sure there is alot of there time and effort given into this with no pay and I don't hear them complaining, so if you want to fish with the elite guys and win big you have to pay like they do and if your confident in your fishing ability this should not be a problem.There are plenty of smaller tournaments that you can fish and that are affordable for guys who don't have the money to fish the big tournaments.Sometimes when you have a dream you have to sacrafice things and work your way up to the top and you will appreciate it alot more when you win a elite event and will be proud of what you accomplished because that one day you are on top and you beat the best.This is just like racing and other things, there are steps and you don't start on top rite away you have to work for for it.I know one day I will fish against the best, but until that day I will be working towards it and keep trying to win and have fun on this level, because at the end of the day it's all about having fun and braggin rights with my friends. | |||
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| Guest |
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| Exactly guest. you can have a huge bank acct but if the drive isn't there, you won't last long. You can either sit there and make excuses why the best are where they are, and why you aren't there with them but should be...or, you can put in the effort to make things happen, little by little, so that when angling skills, business savvy, and financial support meet, you will feel proud to know you went through the ranks/channels to meet your goals, and no one (not even anonymous internet posters like myself) can take that feeling of pride away. | |||
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| RSR |
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Member Posts: 174 | Question for Gary: Would it be possible to have a SuperCash event for the co-anglers fishing the last day? Maybe an extra $100 fee for the ones that are fishing the last day only? | ||
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| Gary Parsons |
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| I don't think that we could, as it raises the same issues as before. We can not make any incentive for the co-angler to benefit from the measuring process. You guys are our fishing partners, but are also our checks and balances for the score card. May be if it was purely a draw, but who would join for that? Sorry, but with this format it would open the door for potential of measurement discrepancies, even though admittedly with the accuracy of the photos, it would be almost impossible to do. Gary | |||
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| Shep |
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Member Posts: 3899 | If I was a last day Co, I'd get in for $100 drawing, winner take all! | ||
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