I agree with that to an extent but it's the tools of the trade that help them place. I'd guess 80% or more of the teams in the top ten in a walleye circuit probably wouldn't be in the top 10 if they fished out of a 16 foot lund with a Ted Williams flasher.
I agree with Sweeney. If you can't keep up than stay on the shore. So many people don't fish because they don't think they have enough boat. Sorry, if you really wanted to fish than get a bigger one.
I believe it was last year's either chamber or casino tourney was won by 2 young guys in a ~16' tiller boat w/40-50hp motor. They were able to float over 281 when the big boats couldn't and they got the big fish they needed to win.
Sooo..me and couple buddies were in the man cave drinking some tasty beverages recently. Solving all earthly problems- politics, dog tail docking, rocks on section lines, boat landing do's and don't's, yadda yadda yadda. We were pretty much solving everything as we had plenty of beverages in the fridge to thoroughly discuss each topic.
Anywayyyy..fishing tournaments came up...and the prospect of handicapping them. Heck..we handicap everything else..golf, horse racing, etc. So we can up with this utterly brilliant idea haha to handicap fishing tourneys to possibly to get more entrants, especially those with smaller rigs, and it would work like this...stay with me here. haha
For this example lets choose Devils Lake as the tourney..
Entrants with say..150HP motors and above would receive Zero additions to their bag limit weight at the end of each day.
Those running 125hp-149hp main motor rigs would earn an xtra 1/2 pound to their weight at the end of each day.
Those running 100-124 hp rigs would earn an xtra 3/4 pound to their weight at the end of each day.
Those running rigs under 100 would earn the maximum 1lb to their weight at the end of each day.
As the fridge was emptying we concluded this brilliant haha idea may generate more entrants that don't have speed merchant vessels yet want to compete. Of course playing my own devils advocate says..hey..if you want to get in a tourney..abide by the rules no matter what boat/motor you use.
Thoughts? Disclaimer... my rig would earn weight at the end of each day...hahhaa
Thanks for reading! Good fishing!
If you want to increase entry fee money and you think that the reason people don't enter is because their boat isn't big enough with enough horse power than you need to ask yourself, If people aren't entering tournaments because they don't have a big enough boat is it because they aren't serious enough to justify a big boat, or would they fish if the competition didn't have better equipment than them?sorry Sub but that just doesn't make sense and I don't see your logic. The issue isn't that someone doesn't think they have enough boat. Also..how is staying on shore helping gain entrants...and thus entry fees to pay out winners??? If I was a tourney fisherman and payouts were based on number of entrants I would want and welcome more numbers. Or to just go buy a bigger one??? really?
My only point is ...on SOME bodies of water, big rigs POSSIBLY get to FISH longer and just throwing out it there for discussion. It stands to reason that over time, someone who is fishing 7 hours a day catch more fish than someone fishing 6 hrs a day...for me personally, I could get outfished by someone fishing 3 hours to my 8 hrs! I am just stating for discussion purposes.
But to each his own opinion.
I think the AIM tournaments kind of level the playing field with their format. All fish have a predetermined weight that coincides with their length. I feel that might encourage more people to participate with a smaller rig.
If you want to increase entry fee money and you think that the reason people don't enter is because their boat isn't big enough with enough horse power than you need to ask yourself, If people aren't entering tournaments because they don't have a big enough boat is it because they aren't serious enough to justify a big boat, or would they fish if the competition didn't have better equipment than them?