Thread: Crappie Clubs

It's not even east/west on the posting. It's SW Ohio and everybody else. Maybe a lotta folks lurk and don't post, but most of the posts I see are SW Ohio oriented. Also, the new club out of Central Ohio looks to only be doing 8-10 boats per tourney. Indiana Slabs is doing ok, but I've noticed a decline there as well. Buckeye Crappie challenge ran 10-20 boats last year, probably averaged about 15. Not enough in my opinion given the effort to put on a tourney and run a circuit, so I said no mas....lots of guys talk a good fight, but never show up when the chips are down, the weather's bad or whatever. Wish I had a better answer for you, but I've come to believe that while there are a lot of crappie fishermen, most of them don't care to compete on a regular basis.

I agree with the fair weather angler scenario. And some that can't the heat so they get out of the kitchen. But I do the thing to learn from one another and comradity. Maybe next year it will be better, I'm a Browns fan, I say that a lot!!

First I'd like to thank and recognize the time and efforts of Tim and Frank. That said, this is a tough problem to solve. I think entry fees are a part of it. For example, let's have a 200 entry fee tourney, same 10-14 boats will show. Can't advertise, no budget, that would come from higher fees! Lower fees and you cant pay out anything or provide/do anything for the teams. I just read a post by robin about time constraints, this, like entry fees are also a factor. I think the answer is not about the 10-14 teams, but all the other teams. Sponsor giveaways are nice, good payouts and more places paid also nice. But much of this depends on entry fees, go back to square one! Comerodery seems to be key at EF, but they only get the usual 10-14. How do we get next gen involed? (see netman in training post) If we are ever to solve this, this forum is a good place to solicite ideas and hash them out. I'm in for whatever. Here are my ideas :
- get sponsor money get free entry.
- volunteer get free entry
- create org. So volunteers can write off fuel & time
- give aways & hot dogs after weight in
- pay big to win, then stretch money to pay further down
- 4 mega tourneys, one in each quadrant of state, no classic
- teams given flyers to distribute or post
- get news print involved, it's free advertisement
- don't let Larry fish em, he wins too much.....just kiddin

easy there Mike, that's alot of thought for that head injury!!!! LOL

Y-SLABS

give Jim Raymer (ISM) a call, maybe he has a idea or to...
not sure what he is doing but he is doing it rigth...
his members are fishing lakes 4 to 9 feet over pool...
heavy rain, high winds & muddy water no decline there...
don't want to call, come fish 1 or 2 & see for your self...

this year 1st tournament 39 teams... 2nd-24... 3rd-39...
4th-33... 5th-37... 6th-35...

he has made it about the fishing...
not the turn out or the cash...
Fun Competition a Club Environment...


pic said it all...

Originally Posted by Harrys Partner

First I'd like to thank and recognize the time and efforts of Tim and Frank. That said, this is a tough problem to solve. I think entry fees are a part of it. For example, let's have a 200 entry fee tourney, same 10-14 boats will show. Can't advertise, no budget, that would come from higher fees! Lower fees and you cant pay out anything or provide/do anything for the teams. I just read a post by robin about time constraints, this, like entry fees are also a factor. I think the answer is not about the 10-14 teams, but all the other teams. Sponsor giveaways are nice, good payouts and more places paid also nice. But much of this depends on entry fees, go back to square one! Comerodery seems to be key at EF, but they only get the usual 10-14. How do we get next gen involed? (see netman in training post) If we are ever to solve this, this forum is a good place to solicite ideas and hash them out. I'm in for whatever. Here are my ideas :
- get sponsor money get free entry.
- volunteer get free entry
- create org. So volunteers can write off fuel & time
- give aways & hot dogs after weight in
- pay big to win, then stretch money to pay further down
- 4 mega tourneys, one in each quadrant of state, no classic
- teams given flyers to distribute or post
- get news print involved, it's free advertisement
- don't let Larry fish em, he wins too much.....just kiddin

I know the time constraint is my problem for sure....... I personally find it hard to believe that the entry fees are what is keeping people out.... If entry fees get lowered in the end the purse will also. That's the reason I only fish winter and early spring tournaments is because I along with several of my fishing buddies have jobs that take a huge amount of commitment and time............. The EF tourneys are awesome...... Even if u get dead last you get to listen to tbone and chicken legs bicker back and forth and it is a bucket full of hillarity!!!!! I love the EF crowd. Great group of guys and wish I could be there for every tournament.......... I wish I had the magic answer........

My dad just had a tournament up on Loramie this past weekend where it could be father/son or grandfather/grandson. They had 24 boats. Had hotdogs, tackle give away etc. It sounds like they had a great time. Tourney was from 7-1pm.

As far as ISM goes, Larry has said it more than once, it's not about the money. I think fishing the same body of water or even a few different bodies will become stagnant, quick. ISM tries to have events all across the state in order to try to at least have an event or two close to each members home. Our numbers did drop a bit last year, so this past winter we hit as many sport related shows, as well as, holding our own Crappie Day seminar. New recruitment is paramount to your success. Some members get in and do this for a year or two and never to be seen again. Hobbies and interest change for many people, all you can do is provide a place for them when they do show up. We did hit our sponsors up even harder this year to try and have a big payout for the Classic. We felt like we all fish all year long and should at least have a nice bounty for our biggest event. Since a member is required to fish 4 events to qualify, it's a reward for those members who actually make up the base for the club. Now in our fourth season, we still run across plenty of crappie fisherman that have never heard about us. That's where you have to get innovative and make sure your name is seen. Send your schedule to all the local bait shops and see if they will hang one for you. Use things like the Bass Pro Shops Spring Classic or Crappie Madness to set up a booth. Also, try to make it a point to have some sort of non-tournament event. Our banquet the night before the Classic is one of my favorite times to just sit back and talk to fellow club members. We're also having a kids fishing day with a cookout in a couple weeks....all things that promote a club, rather than a tournament circuit. To reiterate, it's not about the money.....so much so, that we continue to send it back to Ohio each week!