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Thread: About fishing Crappie USA tournaments

  1. #1
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    Default About fishing Crappie USA tournaments


    In response to some of the threads about fishing tournaments and CrappieUSA. I have never fished in the CrappieUSA tournaments, but I have attended the seminars and some of the tournament weigh-ins. Crappie USA seems to be a very good bunch of guys. They have stopped and talked to my dad and I on many ocassions. My Dad and I are going to fish the Indiana tournaments this year at Salamonie and Patoka for the first time. We have pleasure fished for many years together and this will be our first tournaments together. I am looking forward to it.
    The kids rodeo is something we should all be a part of as responsible anglers. If you're not fishing in the tournament maybe you can bring your kids out or find a kid that is less fortunate and bring him/her out to the rodeo. You wouldn't be turned away if the kids wanted to fish. Maybe you could just volunteer some help for an hour or two. You could be teaching a kid something that will last them a lifetime.
    As for the payouts, it would be nice to cover some of the expenses but I don't live in fantasy world thinking I am going to catch the 7 biggest fish out of all the boats. I do think we can be competitive and have fun though. Any pay-out would be something special. We would fish some of the other tournaments but expenses get too high with out of state licenses, gas, lodging, and tournament entries. I haven't the slightest idea on how to get sponsors, so this all comes out of our pockets. I do wish some of the other tournament trails, CAST, Crappie Masters, etc... would give Indiana a try for some of their tournaments. We have some very good Crappie lakes in the state. Patoka, Monroe, Salamonie/Mississinewa, Cagles Mill just to name a few.
    My point to this thread was......these organizations that promote fishing should not be bad mouthed, nor should they be criticized for their pay-outs. When something is rewarding it is much more important than being paid. My father and I are as excited about our 1st tournaments together as we could be. The time we have already spent discussing different strategies and techniques is more rewarding than any prize money.
    So take your family out to some of the local Crappie USA weigh-ins. Take a kid to the Kids rodeo. Prize Money will soon be spent and the money will be gone. But when something is rewarding it lasts a lifetime.
    Caught so many fish today my thumb is sore from clicking the counter.

  2. #2
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    CUSA is a great bunch of guys they treat everyone the same no matter what your name is are who you are. They really enjoy seeing kids get involved in fishing.
    Take a kid fishing

  3. #3
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    I fished cusa 3 year and enjoyed the fellowship and learned alot, qualified for 3 regionals and 1 classic but always felt I was just donating. But its is fun if your have competive nature.

  4. #4
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    Yeah, the tournaments are fun, but the payout are kinda small, especially for local events. We finished 6th back in the fall, and didn't win a dime. If I were just fishing for the fun of it, I wouldn't pay them 150 bucks to weigh my fish.... I'll continue to fish them, maybe I'll win one one day, and make some of my entry fee's back...:D

  5. #5
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    I have also qualified for a Classic, so let me tell you. If your an experienced crappie angler and know how to put them in the boat, you can place high in a tourny if you put the work in. Practice the lake before the tourny and have several hot spots ready to hit first thing in the morning. My experience shows that more often than not the tourny is won in the first hour in the morning by those who did their homework. Once the sun gets up in the sky the crappies often get lockjaw from the sun and the increased activity on the lake on tourny day.

    Use nets to land your fish. One good fish dropped back in the lake by accident can make all the difference, especially with big fish. We had a bad day in one tourny and we thought we didn't stand a chance, but everyone else had a bad day as well and we took 7th. I fished with my mom that year and the last fish she caught before the end of the day turned out to be the big fish pot winner, so we ended up doing really well that day despite the conditions. Remember this and never ever quit fishing till you have to.

    Every year I participated in tourny fishing I payed my whole years fishing expenses with the proceeds. Don't go into it thinking you don't have a chance because you do. Work hard , fish hard and think, and you'll have a chance at placing, maybe even highly.

    Good luck
    Good things come to those who bait.


  6. #6
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    Default Crappie USA

    I think someone would do better off by fishing the local area tournaments. The amount of money you will spend fishing CUSA, Out of state License, gas, motel, food could be getting close to $500 to $800 for your fun experiance.

    I don't know what kind of income yall have, but that's alot of money to me to
    be donating to CUSA for weekend fishing experiance's. For that amount of money I could hire Capps and Coleman for two weekends on Reelfoot to teach me to fish there way and that would be a experiance on a life time to me anyway.

    crappie cowboy

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    Quote Originally Posted by crappie cowboy View Post
    I think someone would do better off by fishing the local area tournaments. The amount of money you will spend fishing CUSA, Out of state License, gas, motel, food could be getting close to $500 to $800 for your fun experiance.

    I don't know what kind of income yall have, but that's alot of money to me to
    be donating to CUSA for weekend fishing experiance's. For that amount of money I could hire Capps and Coleman for two weekends on Reelfoot to teach me to fish there way and that would be a experiance on a life time to me anyway.

    crappie cowboy
    Good point. I like to spend my monies on me. I ain't good enough to beat anybody anyhow.
    Member BS Pro-Staff and Billbob Pro-Staff
    Proud Member of Team Geezer... authorized by: billbob and "G"

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    You compete cuz you like to compete. Very few guys make any real money fishing the crappie circuits.

    Fishin' the CUSA tourneys gets me excited like I used to get before a football game or a wrestling match. As you get older, you lose that flavor.
    I'm not good enough to win, but I'm getting better every year. If you have a chance to fish on of their local tournament, I say get in and have some fun.

    I'll continue to support Darrell and his organization as long as they maintain the quality and good will given to the crappie community.

    I almost forgot. My name is Greg Hunt. If you see me at a CUSA tournament, stop me so we can visit and talk about our love for this leisure.

    G.
    Last edited by Kit Papermouth; 03-09-2008 at 09:47 PM.
    Standing in the Gap

  9. #9
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    Default CUSA Tournaments

    Quote Originally Posted by Kit Papermouth View Post
    You compete cuz you like to compete. Very few guys make any real money fishing the crappie circuits.

    Fishin' the CUSA tourneys gets me excited like I used to get before a football game or a wrestling match. As you get older, you lose that flavor.
    I'm not good enough to win, but I'm getting better every year. If you have a chance to fish on of their local tournament, I say get in and have some fun.

    I'll continue to support Darrell and his organization as long as they maintain the quality and good will given to the crappie community.

    I almost forgot. My name is Greg Hunt. If you see me at a CUSA tournament, stop me so we can visit and talk about our love for this leisure.

    G.

    Greg, At my age I get excited every time I can wake up every morning, but I really get excited when I get in my boat to fish.
    Not knocking you, but fishing has always been exciting for me and I don't need to spend money in tournaments to get that feeling.
    I don't care for football, but I might like to wrestle some pretty girls, that might give that ole feeling your talking about....haw, ain't nothing like crappie fishing, Vienna sausage, and a honey bun.
    Go Fishing...........crappie cowboy

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by crappie cowboy View Post
    Greg, At my age I get excited every time I can wake up every morning, but I really get excited when I get in my boat to fish.
    Not knocking you, but fishing has always been exciting for me and I don't need to spend money in tournaments to get that feeling.
    I don't care for football, but I might like to wrestle some pretty girls, that might give that ole feeling your talking about....haw, ain't nothing like crappie fishing, Vienna sausage, and a honey bun.
    Go Fishing...........crappie cowboy
    I get excited to just getting in the boat just to fish too.
    Exercising your right to not participate sits very well with me.

    I forgot the other thing I like about the tourneys is the travel to other lakes I've never fished before. As you go from lake to lake, you find that every lake has its own nuance. Catching crappie is different in Clear Deepwater lakes than they are in shallow mudholes. Figuring that pattern that's working at that moment in time on the new lake is exciting as well.
    It's vacation for me. I get to see other parts of the country I would have never seen before.
    Standing in the Gap

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