Kudos for FLW

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

First of all I doubt that you can ever satisfy any one individual 100 percent
That having been said,: Up until I fished the FLW tournament at Shasta I felt that the best run tournaments on the west Coast were the AC tournaments. Now I think the two are close to a tie. They could both learn a little from each other. These comments do not have anything to do with paybacks or personalities they are strictly operational.

Number one: I feel that it is vastly important to expidite the draw so that the pros and co anglers can be able to go on about their business, and get a good nights rest or work on their tackle or what ever else they would like to do.

If the Pros are truly pros they should read and know the rules. You the tournament director should not have to read the rules at the partners draw meeting. The few who dont know the rules are eating up the time of those who have taken the time to learn the rules on their own. On this point Anglers Choice far out weighs FLW

Its not Necessary to introduce all of the people who are working for FLW. No one was turning around to look at them anyway. If you waste 5 minutes on something like this, with 310 participants in a tournament you have just wated almost 26 man hours of time.

If you schedule the registration from 4 pm until 6:30 PM treat the late comer in the same manner that you would treat someone who checks in at the check in boat during the tournament. Tell them in advance and enforce the rule.

If you want to pray do it on your own time if I want to pray ipromise not to make you hang around waiting while I am doing it.

I recognize the need for sponsors and as a tournament fisherman I appreciate the need for us to support them where ever we can.
It would be pretty easy to pass out brochures and lists and email addresses in the packet that yoiu gave us, of all who help you to profitably hold the tournaments. I for one promise to do business with your sponsors whenever I have a need for their product.

I really like the way FLW did the pairings draw. They got 310 contestants drawn and together faster than any other org has put 100 contestants together in my experience. T^hey told everyone to shut up and not talk to each other during the draw and for those who were drawn to not talk to each other until they were out of the room. The fishermen stayed quiet and the draw went off in record time as far as I was concerned. The computerized system that they use is impeckable.

I do think that they could streamline the system by having the draw start no later than 15 minutes after the registration is done.

I think the blast off was handled better than any that I have been in prior to this tournament. they had a blast off boat with a sound system loud enough that even with my bad ears I could hear the numbers from 100 yards. They had three people in the blast off boat. one calling the numbers and the other two spotting the waved arms of the boater signifying that he had been called. Spotters waved them on. they had the blast off take place in an area of water big enough that the boats gid not have to crowd together to get past the blast off point. As a result they got the boats away in what I think of as record time

I think that the prayer and the national anthom prior to blast off was very appropriate.

I think that all of the other tournament directors in Calif should fish at least one FLW tournament or at the very least attend and observe the superlative manner that they run their tournaments.

I have to admit that I still like the shared weight format the best, but I want also to say that the three pros that I fished behind were great gentlemen who all did evertihing that they could to help me catch fish. All in all it was a great fun and fishing experience and I know that I have truly made two new friends.

Leroy Bertelero and I were already friends. Its the third time I have drawn him as a pro in a tournament.

[Ricky-S]

Great post Jim.

I agree that every director of a tournament organization could benefit from fishing a FLW as a nonboater.

I remember Mike K did it once or twice with BASS.

I think that the first meeting of the year is always longer than the others. I am pretty sure it went longer becasue some of the head FLW guys were in town.

Chris Jones is the best in the business. That guy remembers things about me that I don't even remember.

[clayton meyer]

Jim,

if you are in for all four you will find as Ricky has said... the draw will be much faster in following events.

Every first tournament meeting is longer with more to be said and much of it for the benefit of new anglers, but in other areas you will find they are more efficient than any other organization... so your man hours are returned with time to spare.

[Dewayne]

That we could watch the weight in from our computer with a leader board also on the screen. This is the first Stren I have not fished in a while and the online coverage of the event was awesome. I felt better informed setting in front of the computer than if I were fishing the event.

PS - We told you!

[Hollywood]

I too thought that was a neat option dewayne. I liked being able to watch it live, wish some of the fishing was aired throughout the day but maybe that will come next season...

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I had friends calling me in the evenings who knew more about the tournament standings than I did

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

And us old guys need our sleep. In addition to that During the night I had a dream about launching F4u's off the deck of te Valley Forge during the Korean war.
It seemed in the deram that one was getting launched about every 5 seconds. The F4U is prop drivin and very loud. After abourt 30 launchings I woke up and it was my room partner Jack Kemper snoring

[Hollywood]

Oh wow Jim, killer dream!

[sTony]

I read through your post and I found myself scratching my head a little bit. Here's why:

When something goes awry and you need to talk to tournament officials and you can't talk directly to Chris then it's rather important to know who else is working for the organization. I can't speak for FLW but there are some folks that don't get paid a red cent to help out at tournaments and acknowledging them in the meeting is appropriate, whether or not the anglers take the time to pay attention. And as far as the 26 man hours of time, Jim, it was only five minutes if that no matter how you look at it.

I've always thought one of the weak points of the some of the regional orgs check in meetings is that they don't give their sponsors their just due of acknowledgment. Without sponsors you either have no tour or much less of one.

Not reading rules is appropriate enough but I think you'll find you'll hear less of that if any at subsequent FLW check ins. I wasn't there so I don't know how long that went or what was covered but having run a check or two in my times there are times when you are going to have to cover rules items that are lake specific, where out of bounds areas are and the like. We've seen it at Shasta before as well as Oroville and many other areas we fish where there needs to be a quick chat about such stuff. To not do so and simply tell folks that if they have questions they should talk to you after the meeting is opening Pandora's Box for one angler hearing something that likely all anglers should have heard and I personally would rather communicate one time to the crowd and the 310 times to the individual.

The folks at FLW Outdoors do indeed pray before meetings, before eating and prior to just about anything they do. It's a part of their culture, corporate and personal. Personally I think it's a healthy thing regardless of religious beliefs, and most know I'm not religiously affiliated with any church. We've had tournaments in the past in this country and even this state where not all the participants made it back in at day's end. I admire and willingly participate anytime anyone wants to say a prayer, on my behalf and the on the behalf of my fellow competitors. Big Deal, so they took what was likely less then a minute or so to say a prayer.

From everything I've seen, heard and personally witnessed in dealing with FLW, they are head and shoulders above what you get from any regional tournament organization, which is at it should be and not taking anything away from what regional organizations offer. It's comparing apples to oranges at best.

sTony

[Mick Karshner]

I personally would rather compete in an organization that starts with Prayer over one that does not. I do the same thing when I am conducting my MonaVie meetings. I start with.....

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Then, I follow it up with Prayer.

This country could use a LOT more of that.

[Tom Sharp]

I don't post much, but will on this. I have fished 200+ events in California, team and Pro Am. never have I seen a better run event. Smooth, considerate, and professional FLW and it's staff are Top Notch. All three days went super smooth. if you are a Co-Am or someone without a boat this is a GREAT BANG for the BUCK. three to four days of fishing fun.....Alittle cold at times but what the hell it was Great. Jim I hope you enjoyed RC's Great grill

Tom

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I totally respect everyones right to have an opinion of their own, I respect their opinions even when they totally differ from my own. I do not disagree with the introduction of their people who are working for them but why not call them up to the front of the room and iroduce the group all together and then let us show our appreciation thru applause instead of one at a time when they are standing behind us and the applause gets very unenthusiastic as the introductions wear on.
They had prayer at the blast off I think that was adequate. I dont impose my religion on others and I would appreciate it if others did not impose theirs on me. We have freedom of religion so that constitutionally people are not are not supposed to impose their religion on others.
yes I agree that my example was only 5 minutes for me but the draw time was scheduled for 7:30 amd we did not get out of there until almost 9PM. It really makes you appreciate that Mark Mendez at Anglers Choice can accomplish the same thing in about 15 minutes he usually starts the draw at 6:30 and I cant remember a time when we were not done by 7.
There were several guys at the draw who had not yet had their dinner and others who wanted to go to Phils to pick up some baits at Phils.
I do every thing I can to support the sponsors of this forum and the various tournament orgs whose tournaments that I fish. I would certainly be much better able to remember who the sponsors of FLW are if in the packet that they gave to every fisherman they included a printout like you have hear on your home page and in other places.
All I was trying to do was to make them better than they already are. The truth is that they are very good but no one is percect......EVEN ME

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

And try to get one at Jacks steak house. The first time I ate at Jacks was in 1946 when i was 12

I agree that FLW puts on a great tournament but I think when you are that close to perfection it would only take a slight effort to make it perfect

[Hollywood]

1946? holy smokes Jim,

And try to get one at Jacks steak house. The first time I ate at Jacks was in 1946 when i was 12

I agree that FLW puts on a great tournament but I think when you are that close to perfection it would only take a slight effort to make it perfect

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*

[JH]

Ok so anglers choice starts at 630 and is done by 7, looking back on last years results the top draw only had 70 some odd boats compared to 155 boats. Little bit of difference there

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

The actual draw done by FLW was much faster than the draws by any of the local tourney orgs. Their Draw was impeccable.
The reason is that the banned any conversation between any of the fishermen during the Draw and the contestants got their paper work outside the room from seperate tournament officials and not at the podium. The paperwor that they gave you had your name on it your boaters name and cell phone number on it and his had the same for you. At the weighin you got your weight slip and all of the smae info on the weighin for the second day fisherman and the sams for your 3rd day pro at the second day weightin, Atotally great system.
The thing that took all of the Extra time was all of the anouncements, rules reading. introduction of all the helpers, prayer, commercials for all of their sponsors and I am probably missing a lot of stuff because I was fighting boredom induced sleep.