WHATS HAPPENED TO OUR CLUB?

[TAGMAN]

 What is happening to our club. It doesn't matter where we hold our tourneys or the dates or the weather. The tournout is terrible. It's getting to the point of not being worth being a director For the amount of work we have to do .

[Joe Spinello]

Tracy, I'm thinking its probably a combination of a few things. The biggest problem in my opinion would be that there are too many tournaments? And the other being the fact that so many of those other trails already have lots of followers.

Basscasters club opens/sweetheart
Basscasters Mid week team/draws
NEBA Opens
TBF opens
Bass Nation opens
NH Last cast opens
NBS

That's on top of all the club tournaments and STQT's.  Maybe people are just stretched too thin?? That's my best guess anyway. But I know I speak for a lot of guys in saying that we appreciate all that you do. Thanks

[Henry E.]

Joe, I think what you posted is only partly accurate.  First off, we made a conscious decision to downsize, at least on the club side.  Then everyone had to be federated as well.  I know this pissed some people off.  The way I look at it, $80.00 a year to be federated is chump change to get to fish with all the guys on the club side.  I get much more than 80 bucks of enjoyment fishing with a great group of guys,  but that's a lot of money to some people.  Then, as far as Tracy is concerned and the Monday tournaments, he had to know when he was considering holding those tourneys that not everyone could get those days off.  He held 4 Monday tourneys this year of which I took vacation days to fish 2 of them.  Tracy, I appreciate the opportunity to fish the Monday tourneys when I can.  Yes, the turnout hasn't been great, but it's still fun to get out there and compete.  I hope you keep the Monday tourneys going.  As far as the team tourneys on Sundays, I don't have a steady fishing partner and I also work Saturday nights into Sunday mornings, but I'm open to taking off occasionally if someone is looking for a partner, but I have to plan ahead.  I'd love to give the team tourneys a try sometime though.  Tracy, don't get discouraged.  What you do is greatly appreciated.  Maybe we should reconsider some things at the next meeting.  Maybe things will be better next year.

[Joe Spinello]

Henry, Tracy is talking about his turnouts on the monday and team trail. The "downsizing" we did as a club in the NH Bass Hunters really has nothing to do with Tracy's tournaments.  With all the other tournaments and the fact that we are a new website are the big factors I think. Getting the word out there in the late fall/winter promoting tracy's opens may help. I know for me, I sit down in February or March and set my schedule for the year. Maybe guys have other dates circled on their calendars heading into the season. Just a thought.

[macdog2424]

i missed this team tournement sunday because i had my final championship game that night and needed to be fresh ( we won!) but other then that i been making all tournements on sunday and saturdays. the team has been a bad showing, we dont do any advertising besides on here, so how will people know besides maybe looking on the nh fish and game schedule. a easy way is to start posting the events on craigslist for the opens, and maybe this winter talk about spending money to get them into the local fishing papers,magazines.

mark c

[Henry E.]

Joe, if you believe what you posted I think you're fooling yourself.  I can name at least 3 guys that  used to fish with us on the club side with non-boaters that also fished the team trail with Tracy.  I've spoken to them personally and asked why we don't see them anymore.  It's always about feeling forced to pay the federation fee.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the way things are, but I was also happy the way things used to be.  I'm just posting what I know.  I'm as broke as the next guy, but 80 bucks isn't going to matter in the long run to me.  But I know it also rubbed some people the wrong way, so they just went to other clubs.  Just curious, but what are we averaging for boats on the club side, around 8 maybe?  Whatever it is, it's not near where we wanted to cap it.  You say the club side doesn't matter for the team side but, IMHO, I think it trickled down to Tracy's side.  Just my opinion.  I still love ya.

[TAGMAN]

I'm not so concerned with the mondays as with the sunday team. I knew going in the mondays were iffy and i'll probably keep them going at least one more year, but the team side is horrible. I do advertise on the new england sports web site. We should be able to pull at least 12 boats per tourney especially on Squam or Winni. We should pull 20 boats on those lakes. I appreciate your comments, thats whats needed to help things go. I noticed our site has gotten very quiet. I do think closing the sat tourneys hurt some also.

[bassnbeans]

hi guys, just my two cents, i think joe's 100 % right, just to many tournaments around, i know three or four years ago that they weren't as many as they are now. and lets face it from what i here there are a lot of guys out there that have a bad taste for the bubba trail. i'm not pointing fingers or saying they are right, but i think its to bad that it came to that. reggie told me that a least 60 guys fished the bubba trail before, well where are they. i know, fishing the other trails. i thing tracy has put in 120% of hard work, to run the opens he does, and i thank him for that and anybody that has helped him. i think that this winter the club should talk about what has happened, well just my two cents . bob beans

[ratherbfishin]

Hey Tracy,

I've only been able to make a couple of the team tourneys this year due to family commitments, work, and also conflicts with fishing NBS.  I plan on making a couple more before the season is out.  I think you run a good, fun tournament.  Even got to fish one of the team tourneys with my daughter this year which was fun beyond words!
I think Joe is correct in that there are a lot of tourneys to choose from/lots of tourneys going on.

I can tell you that some of the guys wish that the results were posted quicker.  I'm not complaining, but sharing what I've heard first hand.
People come and go in this sport. They always have, always will. It's not inexpensive to tournament fish by any stretch.  I haven't noticed big turnouts in many of the other trails either.  Even some of the bigger trails seem to have fewer participants this year.
Not sure how to improve the turnouts other than to spread the word to our fellow anglers that it's a fun way to spend a Sunday and you always have a chance to win a few bucks every time your line is in the water!!
-Andy Duffy

[macdog2424]

I agree with the posting results. Guys who have been doing it for yeas and years may Not care at all about results standings awards ect but maybe for new people it matters.this is my second year with team and first year with singles and I personly like seeing results and who did what and how. I know everyones got busy lives.  Hell I work 2 jobs 60 hours a week plus manange and play baseball team along with runing our league website on top of fishing both trails ( and yes I havnt got divorced yet lol) . But ill be willing to post stuff on cl for our team events. If I new how to use this site I'd be willing to jelp keep it updated. I think if we kept stories and posted pics with results after each tourney that would grab some attention 2.  I'm still new to bass fishing so I hope my opions matter.  I fished once with basscasters open when I first got my boat 3 years ago and last year I search around online at diffennt clubs amd there results there websites ect and gave bassbhunters a try and after fishing with these guys. And with tracey running the team events I chose to stay with this club and enjoy fishing with the guys on both sides. I don't wana see.It go down hill when it should be growing with the industry

[Chris Hoffman]

Just my .02 which is pretty much restating what many others are saying.... too many other club tourneys.  With that said, maybe we all do more to promote the Team & Monday events over the winter.  Draw up flyers and try to build up sponsors.  Maybe our sponsors will allow us to advertise in their locations, similar to how the Rockingham Expo does. 

We invest a little $$ and advertise.

Just some ideas. 

[Chris Hoffman]

Marc - The beauty of our club is that everyone matters!  Don't think your opinion doesn't matter, because it does!

[Ryan N.]

Hey guys here is my 2 pennies.   As a club we have averaged 10 boats a tournament, which personally I've had a blast this year and I am very happy with.  However the clubs turnouts really has no merit in response to this because we are completely separate.  I would hope that what we decided to do on the club side wouldn't make people dislike the Team Opens and Monday Opens that Tracy so graciously puts on.  Tracy does a great job and his events should not be influenced by what we decide to do as a club.  This is why originally we wanted to separate completely his events wouldn't be associated with us nor our events with his.  We ultimately decided to stay together as one club hosting the different events.  Which is fine and I truly have no problem with, until you start blaming our club decisions on the turnouts of Tracy's events.  Lets not forget we are separate that's where the people need to realize... we are run separately.  This umbrella way of doing things doesn't really hurt our closed club side we know our guys that are members and honestly the majority of our members have made all events.  Now the Team and Monday opens are what have not lived up to expectations.  That I am not sure of the cause.   Personally if I didn't work on Sundays and Mondays I would go to every one of them and I know some of us on the club side have made Tracy's events.  For me personally it just has to to do with life and how busy it is I can't do Mondays or even Sundays for that matter. I work 6 days a week to support my family (and my expensive hobby...) and Saturday is my only day off. If I could fish them I most certainly would. As far as the guys who belong to this club and are truly dedicated like myself I feel they would agree with me and if had a choice would fish Tracy's events.  Now as for the comment about the results being posted maybe Tracy and I can get together and try and get information up on the site quicker if this is the real reason why people are not showing up.  If anything a quick posting to the forums outlining the top 4 or 5 could be done with the final results coming in a few weeks later.  Also if anyone would like to volunteer to help out Tracy and I are always looking for help.  That's my 2 cents if anyone wishes to speak to me further about this please email me or if you would rather talk email me asking for my phone # or email me yours.

Thanks
~Ryan

[Ryan N.]

LOL 3 posting came in while I was typing my long winded babble, Chris I agree.... Mark shut about your postings not being of any significance you have made every event this year on the club side and we all appreciate your input...Thank You

[TAGMAN]

I think your right about the postings not going up quick enough and thats my fault. having my parents living with me and my wife
watching her mom and dad. her mom has alziemers and not long to live and her dad has lukimia. It's been pretty tough. I'm on vacation for the next 6 days so I will get everything to Ryan. He can only do it as fast as I get them to him.
I'll try to do a better job the rest of the year.