AC TOC Option payout

[BASSK9]

I called Brian Roland to congratulate him on his $3800.00 check for first place option and Brian corrected me. He said he received $2800.00 and two boxes marked $500 value. The boxes contained mostly Robo Worms. Nothing Brian would choose to buy or use and he expected cash not tackle. I also heard of others who received $500 boxes and one of those boxes had only Robo worms and the contents would have priced out at $270.00 full retail.
Fraud? No class? A Scam? Falls right in line with peoples suspicions when tournament directors refuse to publish an accounting of option money received and paidout.
I am not singling out AC here. Several Northern California trails refuse to account for option money received or distributed. Why would they choose to act in a way that cast doubts upon the integrity of the organization when it would be so beneficial to publish an accounting.
AC set a new low by giving tackle instead of cash as a part of an option payback. Can you pay option entries with tackle? The assumption and the history (excepting AC) has been options paid in cash (however another angler once told me he got a gift certificate insead of cash at an AC tournament a few years ago). I guess it is a time tested and proven tactic for AC.
I stopped fishing AC tournaments when I asked to see an option accounting and my request was refused. Over the past few days a bunch of anglers have informed me that they will not fish AC tournaments. I also made the decision to never fish any tournament with options unless an option accounting is published.
Mark owns a lot of real estate. I wonder if he accepts tackle boxes as part of a rent or lease payment? Does he pay his PG&E bill with tackle?
Had I received a tackle box as part of my payback Mark would have been summoned to small claims court the very next day. I can't imagine why any participant would tolerate such a scam.
Of course this is all my opinion and based on what I heard from participating anglers. If my allegations are untrue I hope Mark will inform me and all of you and I will stand corrected.

[Mike]

-------------------------Ten Foot Pole!!------------------------

[Brian]

Don, why do you even have an opinion if you dont fish A/C?

[BigBassWorks]

Don, why do you even have an opinion if you dont fish A/C?

would you want a $500.00 box of crap ?

[basswest]

Boy oh Boy, you have hit a new low Don Davis, Nobody was paid in product instead of cash. Brian Roland and many other top finishers were given boxes of product donated by Robo Worm. These products were given on top of the option money they won. Brian or no angler was given one cent of product in lieu of cash and Brian was given this breakdown. How many spots that were being paid and how many got in the options were annouced at the event and are public knowledge. Since you have chosen to be Brian's spokesman and all else, my request is for you Don or any interested party, to come down to Anglers Choice office and look at the TOC entry's and verify them and then look at the payout and get back on the Forum and then tell all the anglers that in fact 100% of the entrys were paid out to the penny. Now that would require you to apologize and probably will not happen. It was a good gracious giving of product from the sponsor and should be welcomed by anybody, not trashed.

Mark Mendez
Anglers Choice
800 360 7112

[Brian]

Don, why do you even have an opinion if you dont fish A/C?

would you want a $500.00 box of crap ?

And yet another who should not have an opinion on the subject. Where is Brian Roland to give his opinion?

[Ron T.]

What Mark mentioned above is exactly the way I understood the the tackle payouts at the award banquet . It was clear to me the Robo Worm packadge was a donation given by Mike Brakebil and Robo and was added along with the cash payout to some of the top finishers, not as a substitute for part of the total value .

[Teresa]

Don,

I would like to take this oppertunity to respond to your accusations of my character. Let me break it down for you. I anounced at the TOC award exactly how many people were in the $100., $75., and the $25. options. With that said it is hard to keep it a secret when you publically announce it. Since you are so interested in the pay back to Mr. Roland his team was awarded $2,800. for their first place win in the options, $1,000.00 in cash and prizes for their 1st place AOY win, and $100.00 for a big fish option payout. The AOY cash and prizes is outlined in the rules of Anglers Choice. These rules are on the web site and are public knowledge. This again is hard to be a secret when it is in writing to the public. The generousity of Mr. Brakebill to donate $500.00 in product as an additional prize was happily accepted by myself. I hope in the future that other sponsors will not take such negative responses as an indicator that all participants are not greatful for their giving natures. It is a shame that what is given freely is received with such ungratefulness. All I am able to say personally is that I lead my life with integrety and hope that I am able to leave this earth knowing that I have done everything I possibily can to be honest and forthright. It is aweful that people are not able to extend the courtesy that is diserved. I hope that all that read this response take it to heart and relize that things are not always what they seem and a public accusation is not the way to get the truth.
Oh, just for you are aware I did have a personal conversation with Mr. Roland and outlined all of this. He responded with acknowledgement of understanding and thanked me for calling him.

Teresa Deshler

[Ron T.]

Teresa , I thought you did a great job. That was the most organized blast off I have taken a part in . Very organized and the weigh in went perfect as well. Just wish the bull horn had been knocked in the water instead of the speaker
Thanks for the good time .

[Brian]

Teresa , I thought you did a great job. That was the most organized blast off I have taken a part in . Very organized and the weigh in went perfect as well. Just wish the bull horn had been knocked in the water instead of the speaker
Thanks for the good time .

I have to 2nd what Ron said, Very organized blast off for that many boats. Very well ran T.O.C. Good job A/C and all those that helped put it together.
Brian

[doug77]

For somebody whom wasnt even in the tournament to make a comment like this is total crap.Robo GAVE quite a bit of product on their own as an added incenitive because they are good guys with an excellent product.You have the nerve to crticize this without even having the balls to fish the tournament.What a loser/
Doug Chessmore

[BASSK9]

How did i damage your character? I never mentioned your name. Perhaps we should get Brian on a conference call because he just told me on the phone "I do not understand why I received 500 in cash and 500 in tackle for the AOY award. The website states the AOY award is $1000. It does not state half cash and half tackle". As far as he knew the other box was a part of the TOC payout. You listed the payout for Brian at $3800 and that is untrue. He was paid $2800 for his option payback and as far as he knows it is the lowest ever paid to a first place option in the history of AC TOC's. Brian did not receive 3800 from that TOC! He received 2800 form the TOC and to list it as 3800 is misleading, possibly fraudulent, and leaves bystanders with a false impression. An additional column showing the AOY portion on the posted spreadsheet would have been a more honest presentation.

Should you wish to arrange a conference call my number is 510 673 1389. I do not know you and I have never spoken your name and could you please explain how I damaged your character?

I can tell you this about the Character of a Business. Businesses in general issue cash receipts for all cash transactions. They also issue and get signed cash disbursement receipts. It is a generally accepted accounting practice and accepted by courts of law. Whenever a Business does not issue cash receipts that are dated numbered and signed or obtain receipts for cash disbursements the accounting practice is at best questionable. It would not stand the scruntity of a public audit and be approved by shareholders of a public corporation. The first red flag of doubt arises when business is transacted in cash with no receipts.

AC claims a 75% payback. Mark Mendez said these words to me a few years ago " Every tournament circuit that does not publish option paybacks is a cheating. AC posts them and we don't cheat". Yet for example tournament results are posted on the AC website showing only place finished and cash awarded. Nowhere can it be found on the AC website how much the angler won for the tournament and how much was option payback and a list of anglers paying the option with a total of option money received. In today's world of laptop computers such and accounting could be accomplished and published with ease. Can you understand how this encourages doubt about the integrity of the organization?
Fly the flag of ethics and talk the talk. Talk is real cheap and AC has yet to justify the talk. I have been businessman most of my life and every time some one wanted spoken agreements, no receipts, no disbursement reports and trust, the deal was sour. Option monies are a spoken agreement, cash only, no receipts,no cash disbursement report and based on anglers trusting Anglers Choice.
If you were on the angler side why would you trust them?

[BASSK9]

According to Brian he was paid $500 and $500 in product for his AOY award (that is $500 in product in lieu of cash). Am I wrong in my interpretation? He expected $1000 in cash or check as would anyone who reads about your AOY awards on your website.
I am not Brians spokesman. I speak my own mind and my words reflect my opinion about a given issue. I am not afraid to express my opinion and I express my opinion so that the party referred to is aware of my opinion. I do not speak behind your back or others back. It is out there for you and the world to see and it gives you the opportunity to correct me. I am glad to learn that you paid back 100% of the options at the TOC and I applaud you for doing so. I misunderstood the payback because your posted results indicated Brian received 3800 in TOC disbursement when in fact his TOC disbursement was 2800.

Misunderstandings are less likley to occur if standard accounting practices are followed. Some AC Pro Team events do not publish or post public option money received and disbursed. This can lead to misunderstandings when a 30 team AC event winner receives more money that a winner of a 38 team AC event. Following generally accepted accounting practices would explain such disparities and get you more business. I am not the only angler who questions such disparity. As far as I know I am the only one to bring the question to a forum where it could be explained by you.

Can you explain why some directors refuse to publish the option details (receipts and disbursements, listing names and amounts received form each option participant) at the tournaments or afterward? From an angler perspective it cast doubt on the payout.

This is an apology for misunderstanding the 100% payback at the TOC. Thank you for correcting me on that. I still do not understand why awards were posted the way they were. They did not reflect the AOY portion of the award in Brians case. It was misleading and led me a misunderstanding.

Lastly I do not understand why some AC directors do not follow generally accepted accounting practices and yield credibility to 100% option payback assumptions and claims. You are a good busnessman and I seriously doubt that you accept such an accounting practice (without a shadow of doubt) when you acquire another business. Why would you allow anglers to doubt AC because of the accounting practices of some of your directors?

For your information I have the same doubts about 100%, some WON trails, Future Pro, some American Bass trails, WON Pro Am's and others. I have illustrated those doubts in previous posts. One I do not doubt is Hook tournaments. Based on 60 boats he pays back 77% plus hot dogs and merchandise. Hook tournaments have no smoke and mirror (sp) option stuff and never have. By the way I am not Gene's spokesman and I assure you that he and Brian would both disclaim me as thier spokesman.

[smittyfish]

Hey BassK9

You are still trying to stir up some crap. You seem to be beating a very dead horse. You should worry more about the tournaments that you fish, not the ones that you don't.

AC ran an excellent tournament. Everything was very organized. Thanks Mike Brakebill for your generous donations. Don't let clowns like this stop your generosity in the future. You have an awesome product that works great.

Hey I didn't win anything at the tournament. Maybe I should cry like a baby too. At least I fished it and could have an opinion. Oh wait I gave my opinion in the last paragraph.

Give it a rest BassK9.

Thanks again AC. I had a great time and met some very cool people.

[lippa rippa]

Ok one more shot across the bow. My name is Troy Bellah and I am the tournament director for the AC Clearlake pro-team series. My books, records, and payout schedule is available to anyone at anytime. This is a fixed system that must balance to the penny, and it does. No information will ever be held from my anglers. If anyone is courious how this system works, just show up at my next tournament and I will be more than happy to show you the whole breakdown.

Tight Lines, Troy

[RMANZO]

my partner and i won the anglers of the year motherlode.....we thought we won free entries into next season, but when we got to the t.o.c we were told we had to finish in the top "3" angler of the year teams in the t.o.c.... (there were "9" angler of the year teams at the t.o.c)....true,,,, us not knowing this is our fault because we never read the rules.......but then, we get 15th place out of 133 teams, and get 3rd in the angler of the year bracket.....and "all we win is $775.00.... and that was because we paid $175.00 in options....we didn't recieve $$$$ for our finish nor get anything from sponsors for getting angler of the year or finishing in the top "3" angler of the years @ t.o.c......not to mention, we paid full entries all year and we had to fish against guys @ the t.o.c that didn't even pay a full anglers choice entry....i believe the bait barn series was $200 w/big fish...... i wish i was brian, and i least one some cash for my efforts all year....... oh ya,,,,, and if we didn't get in options or get in the top "3" angler of the year bracket @ t.o.c we would have got a plaque and "only a plaque" for fishing hard all year to win angler of the year........"NOTHING ELSE"!!!!!!

[sTony]

According to you Don, you have a problem with AC, ABA, 100%, WON, and the Future Pro Tour. Doesn't leave many left, ya think?

Guys it is what it is. No one's ripping anybody off. These folks all work hard to put on these events and the compensation sucks. No one's getting rich doing it.

Don, argue or not you do come off like Brian Roland's online mouthpiece.

My advice is to let Brian speak for himself, which he obviously chooses not to do here, and go on fishing those FLW events and best of luck to you doing so.

sTony

[RMANZO]

stony.....i did admit i didn't read the rules....as i said,"i found out @ the meeting what the cituation was.....so obviuosly i did listen..... since you seem to miss the point, it was that that was alot of work to do "all year" and i feel we weren't awarded properly..... that's all..... and yes, i am a director myself, i guess i just take for granted the way we do the a.b.a.........

[mike at robo]

I do not know Mr.Roland but i am pretty sure that receiving a box of ours or anybody elses product that was 90 percent pro staff only and developemental would make most people happy, if not he may call me at the shop 805-498-2332 and i will exchange them for anything we make of his choice.

[smittyfish]

Mike,

That is a very stand up offer from a very stand up guy.

I don't know you personally, but I have donated to you on many occasions. I see you at the so cal tourneys and seem to really enjoy life. It is people like you that give us all a good name.

Thanks again for your generosity.

Ron

[sker13]

I know a motherload/central valley team that would love to get them. R&D at Millerton/Pine Flat. If you can catch em' here you'll catch em' anywhere...... it's up to you Mr. Roooooooboooo woooooorrrrrrrrmmmm!

[TWinger]

I agree, Very stand up. WOW Pro Staff Only. What a gift . For someone to look this gift horse in the mouth say' s more about them the the provider. I can only imagine they looked at the product and said, This is not my colors or choice, rather then even realizing what gold they had been given. Thanks Again Mike and Robo Worms.

As for Mark and his group, Especially Teresa, I have always been treated with respect and courtesy in person or on the phone. I could not disagree more with some of the comments and complaints.

[DL]

If anyone is fortunate enough to get their hands on the "unavailable" colors, they are very fortunate. Those colors flat out catch fish, and only a select few have them. Down here in the south, every now and then Robo gives some of them out after the weigh-ins...and guys are tripping over themselves to get them like they are giving away free gold.

[Ron T.]

Hay Mike , I dident see any peoples worms in my box from Casitas nights , Can you hook me up with some of that ! Just kidding bro , but since your offering thought I would give it a shot........
Ron T.