Handicapping fishing tourneys?

3Roosters

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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!
 


gonefshn

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Sounds like something a true liberal would propose. But why not go all the way instead of just being one on the "fence". Just split the winning purses amongst all participants with smaller or older boats. Afterall, if they can't afford a bigger or newer boat they apparently need the money more than those with bigger and newer ones. And participant trophies for EVERYONE!
 

Vollmer

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If I won a tournament by 1/2 a lb because I got a 1 lb bump, I wouldnt feel right about it.
 

3Roosters

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Sounds like something a true liberal would propose. But why not go all the way instead of just being one on the "fence". Just split the winning purses amongst all participants with smaller or older boats. Afterall, if they can't afford a bigger or newer boat they apparently need the money more than those with bigger and newer ones. And participant trophies for EVERYONE!

you got issues man
 

Davey Crockett

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I should have been in on this thinkabout with you guys, I have been thinking something along those lines but more of a "traditional" tournament without GPS or electronics, Flashers only. I still have my 1960s Ted Williams flasher and a newer 1970s Lawrance green box flasher. Pretty sure I could throw my fancy sonar unit in the lake and catch damn near as many fish with them and for some reason I think the fish would taste better too. I used to be able to out fish the best of them back in the day, Now it's a money game that I don't care to play.

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My fishing boat is a 1982 16' lund with a 50 HP and counsel. Outside has few scratches but the inside look like I just picked it up from the factory last year. Id be game to take you and your buddies on in fun match.
 


DirtyMike

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I think you'd be better off with separate divisions or even separate tournaments. An under/over 150hp tournament would kind of be cool to see what the top teams gets. I know where you are coming from though. I can't do the aim (minus the missouri) because I couldn't keep up with 99% of the field. Anything on the river is fair game though. You might get there quicker, but I won't drive by as many fish.
 

Vollmers

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In A DL tourney a guy running a smaller boat may actually have an "advantage". I know the water is lower now but sneaking into some of the areas, under bridges, bouncing off rocks etc would favor a little boat. Just my two cents.
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!
 

Davey Crockett

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separate divisions/classes sounds like a good solution, That's the way competition shooting is set up . You can show up with a cheap hunting rifle that shoots half decent and shoot in the hunting class and you can also enter that gun in the heavy BBL class.

I doubt most fishing tournaments would stoop to that level though.
 

H82bogey

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I think you'd be better off with separate divisions or even separate tournaments. An under/over 150hp tournament would kind of be cool to see what the top teams gets. I know where you are coming from though. I can't do the aim (minus the missouri) because I couldn't keep up with 99% of the field. Anything on the river is fair game though. You might get there quicker, but I won't drive by as many fish.

I think they have separate divisions already. Pro and Am.

But all sarcasm aside, separate divisions on larger bodies of water would make sense.
 


3Roosters

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I agree some bodies of water, rivers probably isn't much of advantage...yet...as the busch lights were going down it made more and more sense for DL and Sak. I don't tourney fish anymore..never really did a lot before so probably don't have a dog in this fight. But I have been to many many weigh ins at the Casino and Graham's Island. There have been more than a few times when contestants are interviewed on stage where they have said they either got them right away in the morning or got one or more JUST BEFORE they had to come back in to weigh..which got us man cave dwellers to thinking about it in the first place. Some guy running and gunning around with a 350hp probably has at least 1/2 hour more FISHING time each day than the guys running a 90hp, especially if they both were prefishing the same area and distance from tourney headquarters. And I think 1/2 more fishing may be conservative. That is a huge advantage, thus the beer logic of leveling the field somewhat.. I know I know..there may be quality quality spots near headquarters on any given body of water. I'm just saying if a boat can FISH 1/2 hour minimum more than others each day, it is an advantage..and thus the handicapping idea. Food for thought anyway.
 

SDMF

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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.
 

Duckslayer100

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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.

That's the best thing I ever heard. This could be the plot to a movie.
 

Davey Crockett

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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.

Haha, That must be where the backhoe idea came to play at a later date.

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That's the best thing I ever heard. This could be the plot to a movie.


Yup, Like that little kid that ran the Iditarod with a few dogs.
 

Enslow

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Fishing tournaments are basically boat races now. Also the cheating that goes on is terrible.
 


Pinecone

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wait, a 200 opti should get weight compared to a 300 or 350, Your system is titty sprinkling flawed
 

3Roosters

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Nothing is flawed when Busch light helps the thinking process my friend. haha#$%^&> Besides, it was just an example of possibly leveling the playing field.
 

wildeyes

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I fished many tournaments over the years and never in a fast boat, its not the boat that wins the tourney its the people in the boat.
 

sweeney

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don't they already have shore fishing tournaments for little kids at most big tournies
 

Davey Crockett

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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.
 


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