Following up with what Brady has said......it's easy to misunderstand someone's opinion on forums as complaining versus suggestions. Several of us host
tournaments and most have helped in some sort of fashion...we know how much work goes into putting on an event. Complaining is certainly not the intention.
As far as the fishing for money issue...I'm not sure where this got taken out of context. Brad stated somewhere that he thinks guys only fish it for the money. Brad - "First I think they bring out the worst in some people in the fact that they only fish when there is money on the line and not because they love it. Example is a handful of catfish league guys will not fish the river again now that the tournaments are over for the year." I don't discount what Brad has said but I think in order to consistently be successful a person needs to continue to study and learn catfishing. My guess is these people that just show up to a tournament hoping to win money, aren't very successful.
This was the third year I've competed in this event...I've yet to cash a check. At that rate, would we continue to come back if it was for the money?? It's a lot of money out our pockets to drive that far and compete. I fish tournaments because I love catfishing...and I love competition. I like to put my skills to the test against 149 other teams in hopes of being the best that weekend. That's why I'd also like to see guys like Brad, Kent, and Ed Carlson fish this thing...to see the best competition in action. It's also nice to hang out with guys that enjoy the sport. It's also a great opportunity to learn from other catfisherman.
To further exemplify Brady's point and the money issue and getting cheap...there's a couple minor things I would suggest looking into. The "goody" bags they hand out each year to every team keep getting worse. What use to be a little fishing gear and a free meal at the booths is now brochures and the same cabelas magazine I get in the mail every week. Again, nothing major but just a small non-verbal token of "thanks for coming." The second thing is their T-shirts. I would love to have a "year" specific shirt as memorabilia. "2009 Cats Incredible." But I've seen the same shirts every year I've been there. I know it's cheaper to buy in bulk but sales would probably improve with different apparel. Just little stuff they should take into consideration. With $12,000+ in money to work with, I wouldn't think money should be an issue...
As far as the fishing for money issue...I'm not sure where this got taken out of context. Brad stated somewhere that he thinks guys only fish it for the money. Brad - "First I think they bring out the worst in some people in the fact that they only fish when there is money on the line and not because they love it. Example is a handful of catfish league guys will not fish the river again now that the tournaments are over for the year." I don't discount what Brad has said but I think in order to consistently be successful a person needs to continue to study and learn catfishing. My guess is these people that just show up to a tournament hoping to win money, aren't very successful.
This was the third year I've competed in this event...I've yet to cash a check. At that rate, would we continue to come back if it was for the money?? It's a lot of money out our pockets to drive that far and compete. I fish tournaments because I love catfishing...and I love competition. I like to put my skills to the test against 149 other teams in hopes of being the best that weekend. That's why I'd also like to see guys like Brad, Kent, and Ed Carlson fish this thing...to see the best competition in action. It's also nice to hang out with guys that enjoy the sport. It's also a great opportunity to learn from other catfisherman.
To further exemplify Brady's point and the money issue and getting cheap...there's a couple minor things I would suggest looking into. The "goody" bags they hand out each year to every team keep getting worse. What use to be a little fishing gear and a free meal at the booths is now brochures and the same cabelas magazine I get in the mail every week. Again, nothing major but just a small non-verbal token of "thanks for coming." The second thing is their T-shirts. I would love to have a "year" specific shirt as memorabilia. "2009 Cats Incredible." But I've seen the same shirts every year I've been there. I know it's cheaper to buy in bulk but sales would probably improve with different apparel. Just little stuff they should take into consideration. With $12,000+ in money to work with, I wouldn't think money should be an issue...
No matter what
it's good to see your positive support for catfishing.
