Thread: A real fruit jar general discussion.

Well said rees. X 2

Rees, you got a seat in my boat ANY TIME Bro and we're gonna get up and learn ya abit about pulling them there cranks

Overall, I think this was a jam up discussion with some good, well thought out responses.....I mean...other than Minner.

Anyway, here's what I'm thinking.....but ya'll know I don't dictate nothing, but here's the direction I'd like to see things go.

1) Membership - No.

2) Committee - Think we need to add one more face so we have 5 total to avoid ties in any decisions. I also think at the end of this year, the existing committee should change any rules that need be, have a fund raiser to purchase the scales for whatever Sat has in them so the FJ then owns them. Next, all of us would resign and elect a new committee for a 2 year term....not that any of us could not be re-nominated or re-elected. I think that would be fine, but I think it'd be better to have a vote up or down on everybody. Once a new committee was elected, all these polls and wishy washyness needs to go away. The committee should talk amongst themselves and do what they think is best without a pole on every stinking little detail. If we don't like it, we'll let 'em know.

3) Tournaments - I think it should be expanded to 8 plus a championship with the exact same lakes, except we should do Sardis twice and Ross Barnett Twice. Sardis twice has not come up in the discussion so far, but it's by far the biggest crowd pleaser due to the fish and the proximity to most everyone. Ross Barnett twice would give the Jackon clan an additional home weekend. I think we should still keep the qualification at 3 with this lake schedule though. Personally, I'd rather see it be 50% of the FJs or 4, but without giving up one of the other lakes and doing Ross Barnett 3 times, I don't see a better way. Also, with the expanded schedule we're either gonna have to start earlier and finish later or pick some good months and double up. Either way would be fine.

4) Championships - 3 to qualify with 8 regular FJs + a championship.

5) Camps - I think we need to disconnect the FJs and the camps and make the camps nothing but pure fun. My thought on a team deal would still provide a little bragging rights competition for those (like me) that enjoy that and at the same time increase the help and information flow amongst everyone. One big hitch is going to be timing with the expanded schedule - when are we going to fit 2 camps in with the long schedule and one or more FJs per month? Have 'em back to back weekends and I'll end up having to choose between the two. Have them before and after the schedule and the weather would be awful. Double up the FJs in the best months and a camp would be almost impossible to squeeze in. Dunno...something to think about.

6) Competing trails/schedules...I think the new lakemaster should take into account the CUSA, CM and MCC schedules, but not necessarily defer our weekends to them. For example, I sure wouldn't want to fish the same lake at the same time as any one of them, but if the timing makes since, I think fishing Enid when CM is on Grenada would be fine. My one caveat is MCC. The FJs don't compete with CUSA of CM for the most part, but MCC is different and we owe them some professional courtesy I think and should not set our schedule in direct competition with them if at all possible and where possible should complement each other. Now, I don't want to give up the best lake in the best month for us to accomplish that, but I think we need to be mindful of what we're trying to do and what they're trying to do.

7) Saturdays - I know Duckhunter in particular has a real problem fishing with us, but if we try and do one or more on Sunday, I see a bunch more that just couldn't fish. Hate it for him, but I think the vast majority would prefer Saturdays.

8) Entry Fees - Keep 'em the same $40 + $10 big fish with $5 each boat going to championship and any boats odd over the 5, 10, 15, 20 etc - All $40 goes to the championship.

9) General - I think our niche is going to be a blend of competition and fun at a low cost and I think we need to keep that in mind. I also think that where the two blend, you will find some turbulence, so this probably won't be our last set of rapids to run. I would just like avoid dumping anyone our of the boat as we float along. I've toyed with the idea of growing this thing up to 100 boats at every one, but considering our niche, I don't think we'll get there under the general outlines we currently have. But I'm OK with that. If you want more competition, money, prestige etc....you've got MCC, CM and CUSA....if you want more fun....grab a bucket of minnows, a cane pole and find a creek. We could attempt under our design to grow the payouts through sponsorships, but I'm not much of a salesman at all and I don't think I'm the man for that job. We could do all sorts of fund raisers - they've all been done, but honestly, I'm not interested in ram-rodding something like that either and there's a whole new set of "rapids to run" that come with something like that. In short, I'm fairly happy with where we're at. Sure, I'd like to see 30 to 40 boats at every tournament and I'd sure like to see 10 or 20 kids at every one, but with the economy...maybe it's going to take a long while to get there.

Anyway, that's just my take on the 150 posts and the direction I'd like to move in. Maybe we'll do all of it, some of it, or none of it, but from what I've read, I think there's a fair amount of consensus + enough "whatever, just tell me when and where and I'll be there's" to form a majority.

Wannabe...

Not bad ideas but to be honest and the more and more I think about it. We are thinking WAY to much on all this. We in this for fun, right? Really doesn't sound like fun any more when we're talking about changing things from what was working. Sounds more and more like we're trying to have a tourney curcuit like MCC, Cm and CUSA. Whatever everyone decides but this is all about fun for me. If I win something, HEY GREAT, if not, I'm going to have fun fishing no matter what

Sounds good. Put me in that "whatever" group.

Sounds like it might keep going. Consider one thing-- a floating tournament such as Sardis back in Feburary. Every year that I can remember, there has been a lake that catches on fire. With the floating tournament, it could be held the next week-end. Chotard and Barnett are prime examples. If we are in it for the fun and catching fish, be flexable.

That ain't a bad idea Holic....maybe instead of 2 at Sardis, just schedule the date and we poll on Wednesday for whatever is hotest at that moment in time. Might be a Chotard or Might be a Butla.....should of been a Sardis this year.

Wannabe...

Not enough time for motel reservations, etc.