Thread: Ruling on FJ Championship

There has been a good bit of discussion going on about who is qualified and what is allowed for the Championship. Keep in mind that the whole purpose of the FJ series to encourage as many participants as possible and to have fun. We’re not out to make money or rip folks off. I hope you all know that. It’s about fun and bragging rights and that’s about it. The money is just to make things a little more interesting.
The rule states:
9) Championship qualification. To qualify for the championship, participants must fish at least 3 regular FJ tournaments. If a team places in a regular FJ tournament, their entry fee is waived for the championship. In the event a team disbands prior to the championship, that team must designate 1 person to receive the waiver of the championship entry fee.

Re-reading this now, it’s clear that it can be interpreted to mean several different things. I’ve talked with Wannabe and his intention and spirit of the rule was to qualify the boat or the boat owner. The point being that in doing so, a person could fish with more than one partner and allow the boat owner as much flexibility to have a partner at each tournament. The reason was to encourage as many boats at each FJ as possible. For the championship qualifying, the boat and boat owner is qualified and they are free to fish with who ever they want in their boat. If the boat owner or boat had placed during the year, the boat or boat owner’s championship entry fee is waived. The point of the wording about disbanding was in case a team had a falling out during the year. The team would then have to decide who gets to fish and who would get their fee waived. Only one would be allowed to fish and if they’d placed during the year then that remaining person on the team that fished the championship would have the entry fee waived.
This is the ruling we’re making: The boat or boat owner is qualified, not the necessarily the participants. For Example….Wannabe the following:
Washington with his brother
Grenada by himself
Enid with Gottabe
Sardis with Gonnabe and Gottabe
Under our ruling on rule 9 – Wannabe can fish the championship, but since he did not place in any of those tournaments, he will have to pay the entry fee of $40 + $10 for big fish. If we went with the participants having to qualify as well by also fishing 3 FJs, he would then be forced to fish by himself. That wouldn’t be fair to Wannabe and it would be contrary to the purpose of the FJ series. Yes, technically under the ruling, he could go out and hire a guide – say a Woods or a Driskoll or whoever, but that’s the only way we can remain flexible to encourage participation.
Another example would be me an Rusty. We’ve fish all of them together. What if I was to get sick? It wouldn’t be fair to force Rusty to fish by himself. On the other hand, if Rusty were to get sick, under the ruling, As long as I fished in Rusty’s boat, I could fish and I could pick a partner to go with me. While that is an extreme situation, to rule otherwise wouldn’t be fair in this example because I participated and contributed all year long. Yes, my new partner might not have fished any FJ up to that point, but I could just as easily partner up with a C.C regular.
Anyway, a ruling has to be made and this is the most fair we could come up with. We’re trying to include as many as possible in keeping with the purpose of the FJs.

Always stutt-tt-ttered