Possible Change for 2014 Schedule-Indian Lake

Some of you may have noticed that Indian Lake is not on the schedule for 2013. With the new lakes added, there just wasn't room, and the sponsorships were a little thin in 2012. However, I spoke with some new potential sponsors and they'd like the circuit to return. Based on their input, we're considering adding a tournament on October 26th, 2013, two weeks after the 2013 classic. I've gone over my logs for the past few years, and this can be an absolutely dynamite time to catch some big black crappie.

We could do it a couple of ways, but one thought is to make this the first tournament of the 2014 season, then go with our regular 7 tournaments plus classic schedule after the end of 2013. This would give us 8 regular tournaments for the 2014 season, plus the classic. Something else to think about; right now, if you fish all 7 regular season tournaments, you get to drop your lowest lake point total for purposes of determining the circuit points champion. If we add the 8th lake, we're thinking about letting you drop your two lowest lake totals. In other words, you count your best 6 finishes. You'd still get bonus points for fishing all 8 tournaments, which allows folks who fish all the tournaments to have some advantage.

Any thoughts, pros and cons, to doing this?

if you care... i like it... all but the bonus points... a lot can keep some from fish all...

"get bonus points for fishing all 8 tournaments, which allows folks who fish all the tournaments to have some advantage"

if you can fish 8 & drop 2... that is a advantage... why would you need advantage bonus points???

Not that it couldn't be changed for 2014 (2013 is set), but the bonus point structure has been in place for a couple years now. I wasn't there when the decision was made, but I think the intent was to encourage people to fish all 7 tournaments, rather than to stand pat at 6 tournaments. In 2013, it's 10 points extra if you fish 6 tournaments and 30 points extra if you fish 7 tournaments. Only your best 6 tournaments count for the points race. So if you fish all 7 tournaments, you get your top 6 scores plus 30 points. If you fish 6, all count and you get 10 extra points. Let's say you're sitting pretty in the top 2 with a 5 point differential; if you stand pat at 6 tournaments, you could find yourself blown out because the other teams fish the 7th tournament and get the bonus---you have to fish the 7th to stay in it. Now if you only fish 5, it doesn't matter one way or the other, because the other teams who fish 6 or 7 will be far ahead just with tournament points, regardless of bonus points.

The only downside I can see is for a team that only missed one or two tournaments. They might debate fishing the last one, because they can't get the bonus points and can't contend.

I looked at the standings for last year, and the bonus points only shifted the standings for one team in the top 10. But I'm also not sure how effective it was in getting folks to fish all the tournaments, because not that many did.

if you know at the start you cant fish all 8 then it a disadvantage and a reason not to fish more then 1 or 2 home lakes

You may be right. Something for the rules committee to think about for 2014.

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Originally Posted by fished-out

Not that it couldn't be changed for 2014 (2013 is set

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Sorry the way your post... Possible Change for 2014 Schedule reads...
i though you was just kicking this idea a round...

The Indian tournament will likely happen, but we have a choice about whether to treat it as an "open", stand alone tournament, or have it be the first tournament of 2014 that would count toward the point totals. We'd still have 7 more regular tournaments in the calendar year 2014, plus the classic.

What are the rules keeping some crappie for table fare in a cooler while fishing in tournament?

Not a problem and people do it all the time. However, you can't bring any more than 8 fish (and they all have to be of legal length with a minimum of 9" allowed) to the weigh-in line.

Also, after you've weighed, the fish do not have to be released. Just take 'em back to the cooler/livewell and enjoy later!

One other thing, alot of the guys give away their fish at the end of the tournament and someone always winds up with a bunch of fish to take home.

Thanks fished-out, never fished a tournament before and was just wondering. Hopefully my vacation request gets approved so I can enter some. Thanks again

These are pretty low pressure. Launch whenever and whereever you want, long as it's after 6:00AM, don't start fishing until 7:00AM, quit at 3:00PM, be in the weigh in line by 4:00PM with your 8 best fish. Follow the local and state laws, don't cheat, and respect the other users of the lake. Most of it's common sense.

There's some debate about whether you need to pre-fish the day before. The tournaments are all on Saturday, and some would say any fish you catch on Friday is one you won't catch on tournament day. Others would argue that fish move around alot and they may not be in the same place on tournament day as they were last weekend. My personal opinion is that it depends on how well you know the lake and how well you understand seasonal patterns for that lake. If you don't know it at all, prefish Friday. If you know it pretty well, probably don't have to.

If you can get 4 tournaments in, there's about a 95% chance you'll qualify for the classic and the prize money is higher there. B&M is a national sponsor and they're contributing $1000 to the classic pot again this year! Great bunch of folks and their rods are great!!

i agree with yates it is almost impossible to make all 8 while fishin eastfork league and indiana slabmasters when dates conflict or kids ..hopefully next year they will take ur best 6 finishes with no bonus points..no worries either way just food for thought

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Originally Posted by fished-out

These are pretty low pressure. Launch whenever and whereever you want, long as it's after 6:00AM, don't start fishing until 7:00AM, quit at 3:00PM, be in the weigh in line by 4:00PM with your 8 best fish. Follow the local and state laws, don't cheat, and respect the other users of the lake. Most of it's common sense.

There's some debate about whether you need to pre-fish the day before. The tournaments are all on Saturday, and some would say any fish you catch on Friday is one you won't catch on tournament day. Others would argue that fish move around alot and they may not be in the same place on tournament day as they were last weekend. My personal opinion is that it depends on how well you know the lake and how well you understand seasonal patterns for that lake. If you don't know it at all, prefish Friday. If you know it pretty well, probably don't have to.

If you can get 4 tournaments in, there's about a 95% chance you'll qualify for the classic and the prize money is higher there. B&M is a national sponsor and they're contributing $1000 to the classic pot again this year! Great bunch of folks and their rods are great!!

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I work weekends so my vacation days request is for weekend days, just wondering if you have to be at start time in morning with others or does it matter as long as you check in before I launch? My wife works 2nd shift sometimes and with little kids the ride to some lakes on the circuit may be tough to make at start time. Thanks again fished-out

With the new rules, you don't have to check-in or go through a livewell check on the morning of the tournament. Just come to the seminar the night before to find out where the weigh-in is going to be, any new information, etc. Also, since you're new to the circuit, it would be good for you to meet some of the folks and make sure you're familiar with what's going on. On tournament day, you can launch any time you want to, as long as it's after 6:00AM. Doesn't matter if it's 6:00, 7:00, or later, as long as you don't start fishing until 7:00AM and quit by 3:00PM.

Good questions! If you have them, chances are that some others are wondering the same thing.