Can I get a West Coast Bass roll call?

[bassmonster]

Who is planning on fishing this circuit? I am seriously considering it but want to make sure others are too. Does anyone know if there is a championship yet?

[Sean Graf]

Too cold to fish, I'm out

[Gary Dobyns]

I plan on fishing. I know many "old timers" that are as well. Larry has a tough road to start up a circuit in "bad times". He is after a true "working man's" circuit with an off limits. He is doing a Thur-Fri prefish, Sat-Sunday event. Personally I think he ought to do a one day prefish. It makes it better for working guys and evens out the field a little. It would save expenses and vacation days. This circuit used to be "fun" with all the guys and wives. I'd encourage all to come out.

[Phil]

Too cold to fish, I'm out

too cold ???? or too old ???

We have it already set for host motel at Oakdale and Host Restrauant and Banquet room at Oakdale . All for the third stop, in the series of (5) at Lake Don Pedro in early June !! Also a Barbacue host at Lake Don Pedro after saturday first day weigh-in...
The more the merier................correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the last West Coast Pro-Am here at Don Pedro, Dobyns won it !!

Thank you

Jigs

[Brian Ruthman]

I plan on fishing this circuit , i like the idea of the offlimits the fish shouldnt get beat up as bad so everyone should bring in some good fish . I also agree with Gary about the one day of Pre-Fish , with the economic hard times like we are having not taking off a week to compete makes sense to me , finally a circuit for the working man .
I have always heard it was the best circuit back in the day when it was around , now it looks like im going to see first hand what it was like .
I also like the idea of a cash payout win the tourney you go home with your money and know exactly what you have won , and dont have the hassle of trying to sell a boat .

[Gary Dobyns]

Nope, it was a WON Bass. I don't like Pedro. I've always fished it decent but everytime we go there it's tough fishing. That June WON Bass tourney the wind blew like 30MPH. I'd would like to see WCB do well. The old events were a lot of fun. FLW gives us events to fish but they are completly different. Many guys simply do not fish FLW because of the exspense and amount of vacation time it requires. The "old" WCB events had many wives there and kids round. Everyone knew everyone, lots of trash talking among anglers, more sportsmanship, very different than todays tournaments. Maybe the "old" events are gone forever, I don't know.

WON bass give us 3 events and no TOC. They don't get many guys following all the events and guys do not make them a "priority", they fish them if it's home water, nothing else going on, or if they are catching them good there. WON did draw pretty decent last year in the North. I'm not saying don't fish WON at all, I'm saying with both WON and WCB we have a bunch of true "working men" events to fish. WON could make some changes to better things, but that is a whole nother thing.

[bassmonster]

Im looking forward to this circuit, the schedule is awesome! See you guys in Feb.

[Dewayne]

But their event dates fall in the pre-fish time I have for other events. I hope they do well and would love to fish more of their events, but it looks like I will only be able to make one.

[jletsinger]

I would love to fish it having heard only good things about WCB from an old school stick that happens to be my uncle, Larry Newby, whom has a few trophies on his walls from WCB. However, after crunching numbers (I'm a high school biology and anatomy/physiology teacher who also spent eight years in the Marine Corps, part of which guarding the president, I'm not bragging or complaining, just trying to send some validity my direction) it looks like based on a 150 boat field, WCB will take in a total of $22,500 in profit minus expences, pay out $9,000 for big fish and gain $3,000 for the mandatory fee. That seems like a little much to run a two day tournament. I don't know what it costs to run as two day tournament with air time, and I do believe in a profit, but I think WCB can do a little bit better than that with this economy for it to float. Correct me if I'm wrong?
I also agree that only the Friday before should be allowed for pre-fish. Being a teacher, I can't get a sub for a week, and I'm tired of getting my butt kicked in these pro-ams.

[Caudawg]

I plan to fish as many as I can but the need for another shoulder surgery will mean I'll miss at leat the first 2-3 events. I hope all the old gang and as well as new anglers come out and support this circuit. If you guys want a working man's type circuit...here's your chance.

[Ricky-S]

Too many conflicts or I would have liked to fish them all. I started fishing them as a co-angler and they put on a great event.

I'll fish them when they don't conflict with events.

[Phil]

I would love to fish it having heard only good things about WCB from an old school stick that happens to be my uncle, Larry Newby, whom has a few trophies on his walls from WCB. However, after crunching numbers (I'm a high school biology and anatomy/physiology teacher who also spent eight years in the Marine Corps, part of which guarding the president, I'm not bragging or complaining, just trying to send some validity my direction) it looks like based on a 150 boat field, WCB will take in a total of $22,500 in profit minus expences, pay out $9,000 for big fish and gain $3,000 for the mandatory fee. That seems like a little much to run a two day tournament. I don't know what it costs to run as two day tournament with air time, and I do believe in a profit, but I think WCB can do a little bit better than that with this economy for it to float. Correct me if I'm wrong?
I also agree that only the Friday before should be allowed for pre-fish. Being a teacher, I can't get a sub for a week, and I'm tired of getting my butt kicked in these pro-ams.

lets not forget all the $$$ that will goe towards a year end TOC, Angler of the years prizes etc etc etc .......yes it costs alot to make you guys happy does it not ??

[bassmonster]

The payout seems fine to me. I just hope they can get a championship together.

[littlebailey]

im doing all but one.

[Phil]

I SUGGEST TO ALL. FISH IT. I ALSO SUGGEST SEND WEST COAST BASS EMAILS LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE ONE DAY PRE FISH SHOW OF HANDS !!!
THE MANDATORY $ 10.00 ONE TIME MEMBERSHIP FEE IS SO LOW, I JUST CAN NOT BELIEVE IT.
I PAY $ 35.00 TO NOR-CAL BASS YEARLY FOR MEMBERSHIP......$ 30.00 FOR WON BASS SO ON SO ON SO ON........WEST COAST BASS HAS THE LOWEST MEMBERSHIP FEE I HAVE HEARD OF..

TRY IT YOU WILL LIKE IT

JIGS

[Brian Ruthman]

I like the idea of one day of Pre-Fish , i think KB even suggested just show up the day of the tourney and put the boats in the water and see who figures it out . I think it would work out good for alot of guys and then we wouldnt have to hear about them winning the Pre-Fish .
You know i keep hearing it is up to all us anglers to fish the FLW events and such so they stay here in California . I do think they run a great circuit , but i would like to see something good created in the west for the west and i think there is enough of us to make this circuit into something great , that is if we all pull togeather and fish West Coast Bass . If everyone is going different directions it wont be good for any of us , just like you have it now seems like the real big circuits already have their star players picked out and that is just the way it is , i think your kidding yourself if you think they are here to help you all out , they take care of #1 and that is their own , why do you all think they dont let you promote your sponsors when you make the final cut ?
I hope this doesnt upset any of you , im telling it the way i see it .
Take care , i hope to see you all at the West Coast Bass circuit in 2009 .

[Ricky-S]

I try to stay out of the politics…I’d fish them all if I could.

Just give me a circuit that has weekend derbies, no pre-practice or one day, $500-$600 bucks a pop, a good cash payback, a year end championship, and derbies that don’t conflict with all the other derbies going on.

I could careless who runs it, sponsors it, owns it, promotes it, or how much money they make running it.

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

It would really be nice if someone would promote a truly working mans Pro/Am shared weight circuit.

Any circuit that lets the fishermen fish during the week days prior to the tournament is not really a working mans circuit.

If I had people working for me who were taking Fridays off to go fishing. I would not keep them on the payroll. Many other small businesses feel the same way.

If you want a lot of participation, limit the prefish time to Saturday and Sundays for two weeks prior to the tournament.

That will make it even for everyone, with no practice advantage for the guys who are able to take working days off.

[Phil]

Who"s going to govern it Jim (the week of off limits on a lake way away from any tournament official)
I totally disagree with your comment !
You know what. most guys have vacation saved, and will use it as I did back in the 90's to prefish.
Also some business's would be glad not to have to pay that days wage .
There ya go.

Jigs

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

Jigs

There are many guys who would love to fish tournaments who dont get paid vacations. Some of them work for me and a whole lot of them work in the construction industry.

When I have a two man framing crew on a job, if one takes the day off they both have to take the day off. A guy can frame by himself but cant stand walls by him self. He cant plumb and line walls by himself he cant roll joist by himself, he cant roll trusses by himself and he cant pass the roof sheeting up to the roof by himself. if they take two days off I lose two days on my schedule. I often have a $500.00 or more burn rate on a construction job. So it could cost me a grand for that guy to take a day off. My subcontractors arrive to do there work on a very strict schedule to do their work. If I create a two day unexpected delay they will just go on to their next job and I might have to lose even more days geytting them back

Being able to take a couple of days off work for practice may work for some busineses but not for the majority of construction guys.

[Phil]

so what you are saying Jim, in you life style, , your the only one that can fish as a pro, and take the day off to pre-fish, correct. When I fished back in the 90's. I always found the time to take off thrusday or friday to pre fish. But then I was in the Heavy Equip Construction Busniess, guess thats different ? Oh well. Not to start anything, I just agree with making friday only a prefish day. Thats about it.

Thanks

Jigs

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I as the business owner cannot take the time off either. I need to be there to maintain the schedules ane solve problems as they occur.
I suspect that there are a loty of other small business owners who do not fish the so called working mens tournaments for the same reason that I dont.
I used to fish up to 18 tournaments a year, but too many costly bad decisions and mistakes were made by my employees while I was gone to allow me to continue with the tournaments.
I would go back to fishing those tournaments if the playing field was kept even by having a five day off limits prior to the tournament and truly believe that there are a lot of other fishermen who would be right there with me who are not currently entering.
You ask who would police a 5 day off limits? The answer is the same people who are policing a 4 day off limits.
By the way I have in the past contacted several of the tournament organizations in the to let them know that I would do a valid lie detector test at the end of each tournament for three contestants for a total of $100.00 per tournament. That offer is still open. So far there are no takers

[Phil]

Jim says: By the way I have in the past contacted several of the tournament organizations in the to let them know that I would do a valid lie detector test at the end of each tournament for three contestants for a total of $100.00 per tournament. That offer is still open. So far there are no takers

Jim if you are licensed, valid , I would contact HBC, maybe West Coast Bass, Maybe Mansor for his Big Bass Slug Fest ?? so on.
Have you tried them ??

Good luck.
As for the rest, in the 90's , seemed no problem on a off limit and pre fish days for the Pro ams then. no issues ? Lots of boats, fishermen, and business's seemed to run well ? So what you are saying, is the quality of employees is not as good as it was back then ?? Am I correct...??

Please clarify ??

Jigs

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

why is it difficult to understand that there is not much difference between having a five day off limits as apposed to a 4 day off limit, except that working that 5th day may be the difference in some people being to be able to afford the tournaments and some of them not.

There are expenses that the tournament orgs have to pay no matter if they have 25 boats or 250 boats. A larger number of participants would let them have higher paybacks.

I will buy the lie detector equipment and get certified if I can get commitments from the tournament Orgs. It is like any other business you need some assurance that you can sell your services before you start the business

[Obi-Hub]

Hey Jim,

You ever consider that some working stiffs may not be able to make two trips to the lake and Friday would be their only possible day of pre-fish and are willing to use a vacation/sick day or just go without pay in order to have some pre-fish time? You seem to be only seeing the off-limits from your perspective. Not everyone falls into yours or your employees situation.

Bottom line, no matter which way a organization chooses to go, it is a Damned if you do, Damned if you don't situation.

obi

[Phil]

God, I wish I were good with words. Maybe why I got only c's in english in High School

Thanks Obi

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I now think that it may not increase the percentages of participation as much as I might have thought. I guess that the tournament orgs will have to measure there own attitudes regarding the two opinions.

It would cost me a tank of gas to go to Shasta and back which is about $50 thats 25% of a days wages for a carpenter. I believe his wife would rather that he buy the gas for 2 round trips than to lose a full days wages. I know mine would.

The delta is the closest being only 35 miles which is almost not worth considering and Oroville and Clearlake are quite a bit closer than Shasta which is the worst case scenario for me.