Thread: Great Job Jim

This much I do know, back in the late early 80’s, I was asked or become Publicity Dir. of Indiana Bass Fed. With my contacts in the fishing and boating industry, we took their tourney trail from a 1 boat giveaway to a 3 boat giveaway that was given to us by Ranger and Skeeter. Increased tournament participation from 125-150 to over 250 boats with Indiana DNR capping it at 250 ( I think it’s more regulated now but not sure) boats and limited lake usage during the summer restricting to where we could hold the tourneys and forcing us to use the Ohio River as sites in the summer months. Increased the clubs in the state also. We started the Riley Children’s Benefit tourney and the Leukemia Tourney of which Skeeter gave us a fully rigged boat to give away and started the Leukemia Telethon (I even set and ran the telethon) on channel 6 in Indy with donations Last I heard maybe now topping a maybe million? I would send out a press release to all outdoor writers in their organization getting us publicity also. We didn’t have the internet or forums then. We competed against Red Man and Blugrass Tourney trails holding our own against them. We did work the Sports Shows in having a booth. All of this worked, and couldn’t have been accomplished without getting the word out as to what we represented. It wasn’t that much of a effort on my part to do this for the 3-4 yrs I worked it. So what do I know?

Originally Posted by cevans

This much I do know, back in the late early 80’s, I was asked or become Publicity Dir. of Indiana Bass Fed. With my contacts in the fishing and boating industry, we took their tourney trail from a 1 boat giveaway to a 3 boat giveaway that was given to us by Ranger and Skeeter. Increased tournament participation from 125-150 to over 250 boats with Indiana DNR capping it at 250 ( I think it’s more regulated now but not sure) boats and limited lake usage during the summer restricting to where we could hold the tourneys and forcing us to use the Ohio River as sites in the summer months. Increased the clubs in the state also. We started the Riley Children’s Benefit tourney and the Leukemia Tourney of which Skeeter gave us a fully rigged boat to give away and started the Leukemia Telethon (I even set and ran the telethon) on channel 6 in Indy with donations Last I heard maybe now topping a maybe million? I would send out a press release to all outdoor writers in their organization getting us publicity also. We didn’t have the internet or forums then. We competed against Red Man and Blugrass Tourney trails holding our own against them. We did work the Sports Shows in having a booth. All of this worked, and couldn’t have been accomplished without getting the word out as to what we represented. It wasn’t that much of a effort on my part to do this for the 3-4 yrs I worked it. So what do I know?

Well our club/guys, do seminars, have for years at bass pro, cabelas, West side bait and tackle, Johnson county fairgrounds fishing show, one around Kokomo, and other places. Several of us from the club take out, Outdoor writers. Not to mention the guys the run the club and write the articles, all have families, work full time, and keep things going with the few of them there are. It's ran very nicely, and is like a big family.
Take this into,consideration. Have you fished any tournaments in our club? Been to the weigh ins? Know all the guys? This club is more about the passion for crappie fishing. Mr. Yates and his partner have traveled from Ohio for 6 years now to EVERY tournament, hats off to them. So many of us has benefited tremendously from this club and can now compete at a higher level at CUSA, Crappie MASTERS AND A.C.T.
I would say unless you have been there and try it, I wouldn't be setting behind your keyboard bashing anyone.
Thank you Sir!