Dave,
Thanks for the humor...much needed...Drano does have more room than just the "toilet bowl" pictures but it does get crowded. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to do this tourney at a different location...but time constraints limited us...plus the Big C was closed. All other tourneys are slated for much bigger water!!

Jim

I think the tournament idea bites. Too many people fishing to begin with, throw in a little competition and you got yourself quite the cluster ****. No offense to any of you guys but the idea just plain sucks.

Bain, bad idea at these two places, why not on Cowlitz or somewhere else? I'm fishin these places
4-5 days a week and there a freekin mad house on the weekends, weekdays almost as bad. Instead of rushin this thing through, have a steelhead tourny. in june or july on the cowlitz or salmon fishing tourny. at Astoria in august.Just my 2cents.

I think it is a good idea at a place like bouy 10 or westport that have the facilities to handle something like this. I think it is not so good at a place like the wind or drano where it could become worse than it already is because of the money being thrown around.
Just my thoughts
Peace Superfly

As someone who has fished competitively for bass, I think this is a great idea. It will bring good publicity to the sport, if the tournement is managed well. It also could potentially attract advertisers and sponsors to the sport (which is needed to provide $$$ to the sport fishing cause).

Yeah, it may generate a little crowding, but that's what contests do. If you are a good fisherman, and plan to be there that day, fork out the money and show them what you can do. Remember, being in a tourney doesn't give you any special rights to first water, you still have to put together a winning combination and catch fish, regardless of the number of people fishing. This is what separates the men from the boys.

Imagine turning loose a 12 pound chinook because you are looking for a "kicker" fish that will win you a tourney. It's not like bass fishing where you have a livewell and can "cull" for larger fish. These are fish you are killing. The decision to tag and kill a fish is a final one. It will be an interesting contest. Myself, I hope it goes well. Sportfishing needs a positive image. If this goes well, and generates some money to sportfishing intrests, It would be a good thing.

If you don't like tourneys, put you $$$ where you're mouth is and out fish those guys and make a little dough. Otherwise deal with the crowds, or fish somewhere else. Or just take up bass fishing.........Nobody fishes them thing around here anyways;)

Aaron

75 more boats at wind or drano!!!!

Dam don't think thats a good idea..

JimB- do you think 75 more boats would even be possible over and above what a mad house it already is?

Bouy 10 is way better idea...

TM

Got a good look at what tournament fishing does yesterday on the Willamette. The Columbia was still closed so everybocy was fishing the Willamette. Hoglines, trollers, sight seers, but, hey, it was no problem for anybody when the Bass Tourney boys launched their rockets and came right on through doing well over 60mph throwing 100'long rooster tails.

Loved the matching helmets! Can't wait to see a herd of V8 jet sleds at full howl descending on my favorite spot. Especially when the majority of proceeds will line a private individual's pockets (and I am not referring to the winner).

I agree, Jim, people are way too easily offended and prone to public comment when their opinions are publicly mis-represented. They are just blind to all the great pubic opinion that will come from seriously competitive sport fishermen operating high powered boats on public waterways. I am certain that the majority of average people will see this as another way to protect and preserve the resource, especially the donation of the excess kill.

Anybody know where I can get a good used sprint boat with a trolling bracket?

Yes, Jim asked permission to place the post and I granted it. Doesn't mean I think that this is the best way to show NSIA how a tourney can help ...

Personally, I think some form of a fundraising tourney is a good idea. Check out the Kenai River Classic for a well-run event that raises almost a MILLION dollars in three days!

Jim B. You have more patience than I. First let me ask are you by chance not a regular on this board? I am willing to bet a couple of cold beers that you are not a part of the GROUP. I would be safe to assume, that if you were a sworn in, true full blooded board member your name would be all over the front page of the hypocrite gazzette, the news of choice it seems around here. I dont know you, but my impression is your a thief, con artist, tax evader, outlaw, all around jerk o--. Thats the way it seems you are being portrayed in some of the responses. I however, with my .02 worth think you are doing what most dont SOMETHING.. In 95' as VP local T.U. chapter we had no funding for our net pen project. In 4 weeks I by myself put together the first Seacrest silver salmon derby. Tickets were $10.00 If I remember correctly Aunty Ms significant other won $300.00 First place, Ernie Rogers dad took second $200.00. I had prizes of cash,cds, charters,gear,outdoor emporium gift certificats, concert tckts from KISW,etc etc. I did all the calls for sponsorship picked up all the prizes by myself, spent a fair amount of cash on phone bills, missed work, gas for my rig, over hundred hours of My time, I got no help from anyone and I first called the guys that *****ed the most about no local fish around as our pen project was delayed release chinook, and coho that returned to the net pen, area for local fisherman. After all was said and done, and all expenses were paid, none of my costs were included in that dollar amount. I was able to provide 1,200$ to pay all the feed costs, for the remaining time we held the fish. I walked away with $23.65 cents left over. A week or so later I was confronted by some of the bithchers and whiners asking what happend to the excess dollars as rumour was I pocketed 20$ dollars for a not for profit salmon derby.I got no recognition from local or national T.U. And never went to another meeting again. POINT BEING. Your in for a uphill battle and this board will lead the charge. You have your work cut out for you and dont excpect any pats on the back, instead look out for the stab in the back. If you think that this could be a help for the fish and sportfisherman, and the WDFW guys dont F with you to bad then go for it. Document evey exspense and make duplicates. If I can be of help to you then email me at livn4fishn@webtv.net. This is my .02 worth and not to point the finger at any one person but just the way i see things in my shallow little mind

Fishin,
No I am not a regular but have been here longer than most. I expected this type of response and for the most part it has been positive. The board response has been far more negative than the email response.

Bob, thanks for sharing the Kenai Classic information! That is a wealth of inormation and knowledge it will be a resource as we muddle through all of this.

Timber, so far everyone that I know of that has thrown there hat into the pool are Wind or Drano regulars...so in theory we haven't added any new boats.

Now, if this tournament doesn't happen I want to thank all of you that have critically responded it allows me to know certain areas to be concerned about and to watch out for and to get more information about.

Thanks All!

Jim

First let me say that I am a little confused regarding the following statements made by Jim Bain in this thread.

Jim says “NSIA will be getting half of the proceeds, since I have never done this before I have no idea what the expenses will be.”

Jim says "...Honestly, some of the proceeds from this tournament will go to NSIA but the bulk will be retained by myself as I will be doing all of the work and absorbing all of the costs."

Jim says “In no way is this intended to start an organization, it is intended to make a tourney happen before the next board meeting of NSIA. However, to be honest, if they don't go for it I may pursue it.”

Jim says “All of this happening while NSIA earns nearly $500,000.00 in the process. We as sportsman would then finally have our first well funded lobbying organization...can you feel the winds of change??

Now, with that being said here is what I think are some high level views of the pros and cons.

Pros:

1) A well managed series of tournaments put on by a legitimate organization with the intent to help raise some funding for both the advocacy of the resource and the sport fisherman could be a good idea.

2) Some local business’s could get a much needed boost of income and exposure.

Cons:

1) Further commercialization for profit of and already strained resource is a bad idea.

2) Bad choices on tournament locations could bring some very negative exposure to the sport.

3) A poorly managed series of tournaments could result in even more negative exposure and possibly even prompt some lawsuits giving all sportsmen a bad reputation.

4) High risk for the abuse of the resource.

I have known Jim Bain for a number of years now and without going into details, I would have to say that given the confusing messages in this thread and also my lack of trust in this particular individual I could not support this idea. In my opinion this sounds like it is motivated purely for profit. I am not against making a buck, but I do believe that this resource is already over commercialized for profit and the potential for further abuse of the resource is to high. I don’t believe that for the most part, this would be in the best interest of salmon and sturgeon anglers. Especially if it is not done with a very high degree of professionalism, integrity and concern for both the resource and anglers in general.

I also think that this model being proposed could eliminate many anglers from participating. $200 basic entry fee and $40 for big fish tickets per boat is in my opinion to much. At 75 boats Jim stands to make a guaranteed $6000 from the basic entry fee alone. %100 of the Big fish tickets and any entry fees over the 75 boats will also go to Jim. The way I see it is BIG BUCKS to a private individual for a public resource. Also, all this is at little or no risk to Jim because if at least 75 boats do not enter then the tournament is cancelled with only a few days notice.

I would rather see the entry fees reduced to a reasonable amount and the show must go on. Rather than having a fixed payout for tournament, the payout should be a percentage of the entry fees with a percentage also going to cover expenses for time and material to put on the tournament.

Those are my thoughts

Correction: After re-reading the entry from, it is not clear how much the big fish payout will be. So it is unclear how much profit if any will be made from the big fish tickets sales.