Interest in a Michigan Crappie fishing series

I am currently in the “Gathering Interest” phase of finding out who would be interested to participate in a Michigan Crappie fishing series. The series would be called: The MICDC Challenge

The challenge would consist of FIVE qualifying events. Your top THREE scores will be used to determine qualifications for the fall classic. You do NOT need to fish all events to qualify as only your top three scores will count.

If there is enough interested participants, this is how it will work:

GENERAL INFORMATION:
You MUST be a member of Crappie Dot com in order to participate.

A boat captain will select his team name. The registration will be $25.00 per Captain (onetime fee). This money will be set aside as purse money for the “Fall Classic”. The tournament director must receive the Captain registration before their first intended event.

Boat Captains do NOT need to fish with the same partner. The boat Captain retains the points for the year. Boat Captains can fish out of any boat they desire however, two boat captains CANNOT fish out of the same boat at any one event.

Events will be held once per month at different locations throughout the State of Michigan. Events will start in April and run through August. The Fall Classic will be held at our fall camp in September.

Each event will be a one day event held either on a Saturday or Sunday unless voted upon by participants.

COST:
Boat captain registration will be $25.00. This money will be utilized as purse money in the “Fall Classic”.

Each event will cost $10.00 per participant. This money will be used as purse money, minus a percentage, paid out to first, second, and third place at that specific event. The percentage money will be carried over for “Team of the Year” honors.

Each event will consist of a side purse for big fish. You do NOT need to participate in the big fish side bet however, you will not be able to weight a big fish for purse money UNLESS you enter PRIOR to the start of the event. Side purse money will be determined by the group on tournament day.

RULES:
Teams can consist of as many as FOUR people per boat. Boat captains can pick and choose who they want to fish with at each event. ONLY the boat captain/team name gets points at the event.
Each team will be present and pay their $10.00 entry fee PRIOR to launching.

Each team will weigh their 7 biggest crappies

Launch times and weigh in times will be clearly identified.

You can utilize any legal form of catching crappies.

Live bait is allowed.

Rod limit is determined by state law.

You may possess your legal limit on board but only bring your 7 biggest fish to the scale

SCORING:
We will utilize the REVERSE scoring method. This means that the LOWEST points score wins.

Points are earned for each event.

The team captain’s lowest three scores will be utilized for “Team of the year” honors.

The SIX lowest teams will qualify for the “FALL CLASSIC”.

1st place: 0 Points
2nd place: 2 Points
3rd place: 3 points
4th place: 4 points
5th place: etc

Example:

Team Triton (Captain Morgan) sends his $25.00 to the tournament director and registers.

Event 1 April: Team Triton shows up with Captain Morgan and Private Parts. They pay $10.00 each to fish the event. They finish in 3rd place scoring 3 points.

Event 2 May: Team Triton is unable to show up (Captain Morgan couldn’t make it).

Event 3 June: This event coincides with the Spring Crappie camp. This will be a dual event. Everyone at the event that fishes the tournament will be eligible for the purse. Non registered teams will NOT compete for points. Team Triton with Captain Morgan, Private parts, and Mrs. Morgan pay $10.00 each. They finish 7th and collect 7 points.

Event 4 July: Team Triton with Captain Morgan and Mrs. Morgan pay $10.00 each and finish 1st. They collect Zero points.

Event 5 August: Team Triton with Captain Morgan, Private Parts, and Major Pain pay $10.00 each. They finish third and collect 3 points.

Their point totals are: 3, 7, 0, 3. We take their top three scores: 3, 0, 3

If they have the lowest point total, they will be crowned “Team of the year”. If they are in the top 6, they will automatically qualify for the “Fall Classic” held at the Fall Crappie Camp.

We will accept registration of teams UNTIL the Spring Crappie camp. Teams only need to fish three events to qualify so, in theory, they could fish the June, July, and August events if they desired.

One of my main reasons for trying to figure something like this out was to give everyone the chance to compete on a small scale with a group of individuals that we all know and like. I tried to set it up so that you don't have to make every event to still get something out of it.

If we get enough "Boat Captains/teams" that want to participate, I will begin to lay the groundwork for the locations were we will hold these events.

It is NOT my intent to have every event in lower Michigan. My intent is to be fair to everyone that wants to participate. Locations like Gull lake, Hardy, Lake Cadillac, are not out of the rhelm of possibility.

This also gives everyone the opportunity to compete. In most series, if your partner isn't there, you don't get points. If you miss an event, you miss the opportunity to make up the difference. This is designed so that you really only have to fish three events.

If Larry doesn't want to be a boat captain and commit to three events, it doesn't mean he cannot fish with someone. If we have an event at Cadillac and he wants to fish it, he simply contacts any of the guys involved and asks to be a member on their team for the day.

Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try and answer them. Also, if you would like to be a team captain. Please include it in this thread so I can get a good idea of the number of teams that would like to compete. I need a certain number to make it worth my time to put it all together.

Team “Haulin Ash” is in.
Just Steve as Captain.

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Team Get The Net is in
Skillett007 as captain


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Good idea Rich,sounds fun

Team: Fish on
Captain : jimmy

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by wicklundrh

GENERAL INFORMATION:
You MUST be a member of Crappie Dot com in order to participate.

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So if my wife wants to fish with me (or grandkids too) they would need to be a registered member of C.C correct?

I would say that the Boat Captain needs to be a member.

Example: Kevin tells one of his buddies about it (David) and he says "heck ya, that sounds like fun, I want to run my boat". Then he signs up as a CDC member and he is good.

Waiting for "Uncle Don", Gary and Tonda, Larry and Sandy, Aaron, Jerry, John and Wanda, and Vbottom to chime in.

It is a good way for MICDC members to get together once per month, talk a little trash, get out on the water, talk some more trash, cook some hot dogs, take someones money!!!

Maybe I can get Metamucil, Just for Men beard color, SPF 800, and Foo Foo coffee creamer to sponsor the events!

I think it's a great idea! I cannot commit to a team as I work retail and weekends are not easy to get off...29 yrs of mostly weekdays off to fish is great at the launch and traffic on the water, but not so great for events like this.. I hope I could fish a couple events in one of the captains boats or just enter my boat into a particular event when I can.

I'm in as a co-angler. Just need to know the schedule to ensure it doesn't conflict with my bass tournaments.

sounds like fun
I'm in
team name Moby dick
Captain Steelguy

I like the idea of getting together as a group and fishing new lakes. During the summer months I work a lot of weekends and I think I've mentioned my 7 sisters who like to plan family events so I would have a hard time committing to a series but, like vbottom, would like to fish as many as I can.

If I was to register as a captain and couldn't get a team together for an event, I would most likely be fishing the events with Jeff when he could make it, could I fish as a co-angler, lets say in Steve's boat, if my fish counted to his score, not mine?

Or would it be possible to show up for a single event and pay the entry fee for that event but not compete for the team of the year award? I, personally, don't care about winning any money or awards but would like the chance to get together with friends and learn new tactics and new bodies of water. And talk a little trash.

Jerry:

That is a great question.

The answer is.... YES

Any captain that wants to participate for "Team of the Year" will register and pay the $25.00. If someone simply wants to participate in single events (when they have time) they do NOT have to pay the $25.00 fee.

Prior to every event, there will be plenty of lead time for people to post about who will be coming. They will simply post that they are coming, show up to the event, pay the $10.00 per person event fee, and fish that event. They don't have to worry about the points!

Again, my whole goal in this is to get as many people as possible to participate and make it so that people have the "options" to participate if they have time.

Example: If Jerry decides at the beginning that he wants to compete for "Team of the year" he pays the $25.00 fee and goes fishing. As per the rules, two paid captains can not fish together.
If however Jerry simply wants to fish events when time allows, he can show up to an event either as a co angler or with his boat, pay the $10.00 event fee and fish. He can fish with Steve as a co angler and Steve gets the points, or he can bring his own boat, fish with Vbottom, and fish for the cash (no points awarded).

As I read through all this, I might be better off as a “Co Angler” and arrive by the seat of my pants.

My schedule is never fun to adjust, and some times require special alignments of Stars, Moons, and Planets.

Most all my fishing is done by an open opportunity.

Boat is ready, something happens, kids don’t need rides, wife’s getting hair cut, and I’m suddenly free, I take off and go.

Knowing my family, I can safely say I’m a “Co Angler” if my schedule free”s up.

OE


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I'm going down as a co-angler/ one event at a time angler.

Maybe we should have another side purse for largest 5 bluegills, it would be nice to see Jerry win some money.......


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:crazy::woohoo:fingerdance

Break out the Halis!!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Just Steve

Maybe we should have another side purse for largest 5 bluegills, it would be nice to see Jerry win some money.......


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Were gonna have a side purse for “Undesirables”,
I mean the nasty Gills, not Quatch..........


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I'm not undesirable, I'm deplorable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spartannation

I'm not undesirable, I'm deplorable.

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Was talking about the Gills, We know your not undesirable.....



Attachment 286482

Hint Hint.......

All I have to do is clean off my pillow and bed sheets and I have plenty of hair to tie my own jigs. Sasquatch rules!

And all the shesquatches dig a man in a hat, too.

So far, we have:
Steve
Kevin
Jimmy
John
Dale
Rich

We need a few more boats to commit to the series. Ask some of your friends if they might be interested.
Kevin: Derrick, David, Bugs, Uncle Jessie, they might be interested. As I said, just sign up on Crappie Dot com and they can be a captain. This helps bring MORE people in to our community! So, tell other people you know and see if they might be interested!

I will be working with a few of my sponsors to make it a little bit better than a simple fun get together. I have a few that are willing to kick in money to promote the series and sweeten the pot. I also have a few that are willing to donate different equipment to be used as prizes. I don't want to turn this in to some Giant series but would like to make it so that we have 8 or 10 teams that want to compete for end of the year honors!

REMEMBER: you only have to fish 3 events!!!! If you plan on fishing up at Houghton lake, you already have one covered!

If we do this, I will plan on polling the interested parties to get a feel for what lakes they would like to fish.

April is a tough month due to our varying ice conditions within the state.
JOHN, Jimmy, and Kevin: be prepared to come up with a lake idea for APRIL
For MAY I am thinking Lake Cadillac and Mitchell
June is Houghton Lake
We can come up with July
August Could be HARDY

for April, something southern , like the Coldwater chain , or ford/bellview over by ann arbor, am sure there are others

could even do the grand river someplace, or one of the southern rivers on the west side if they have bayous/dams etc

If it doesn't work out where you get enough boats for a series, I would still be interested in a once a month, pay as you go get together at different lakes around the state. Meet somewhere for breakfast and go over the rules and pay entry fees, launch as a group then meet for weigh in and dinner at the end of the day. Sounds like fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by steelguy

could even do the grand river someplace, or one of the southern rivers on the west side if they have bayous/dams etc

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How's the Crappie in Thornapple John?......it would be a nice lake for a group to get on, with a chance to catch a Musky!

I think a gull lake could be great for a event, maybe a state record


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Thornapple was one I thought of as well as Gull. I figured John would pick one and Kevin pick Gull. I was 50/50 on that

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Just Steve

How's the Crappie in Thornapple John?......it would be a nice lake for a group to get on, with a chance to catch a Musky!

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Thorn apple has lots of crappie
But most run around10-11
But it would be a fun lake
And there has to be some real good ones someplace in there!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by steelguy

Thorn apple has lots of crappie
But most run around10-11
But it would be a fun lake
And there has to be some real good ones someplace in there!


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Thornapple also has two access sites not free


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by steelguy

Thornapple also has two access sites not free


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Both ARE free
Fat fingers


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At Thornapple, that DNR launch on the south side isn't much, but the one on the North side is great, also has a place with picnic tables.

As it looks not many committed crappie fisherman :kewl, could always do a eye outing instead with the ones that signed up are and do Walleye fish , either way it sounds fun

I told a couple guys I know about this, however so far they haven’t joined.

We do have a fair amount of time yet.


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I got one more boat captain that will be signing up and going to be reaching out to a couple others


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