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It's time for one Federation.
This is an open letter to the members of the Washington State Bass Federation, The BASS Federation Nation of Washington, and to all bass anglers in the state of Washington.
I am writing this letter because I feel it is way past the time for all of us to unite into one organization again. I believe that it is time that we started working together rather than working against each other. In my honest opinion, I feel like the worst thing that has ever happened to us was the break up of the Bass Federation into two factions.
As we have seen, there is room for more than one organization but at the same time it is also easy to see the State Federation was much stronger when we together as one. We had bigger turnouts at our qualifier tournaments. Our clubs were growing at a much more rapid and steady pace then. And we had more pull with WDFW too.
So to get to the point I believe that it is time to put an end to us vs. them. BASS verses TBF. We should all be working as one to better the sport of bass fishing in the state of Washington.
If we could make this happen this is how I envision things working:
1. We could elect one state president and then have a TBF Contact and a BASS Contact that would report to their respective national organizations and back to the Washington Federation President, the board of directors, and each club’s members.
2. All of the bass clubs would belong to one State Federation and the members could choose their affiliations. Each individual club member could be either BASS or TBF member or they could be members of both if they wanted to fish both qualifiers.
3. We could also combine our qualifier tournaments into one weekend with Saturday being for one and Sunday the other national organization. Each day would be run by whichever organization the participants are qualifying for. We could hold our tournaments at different lakes that are close to each other so that we would not be fishing the same body of water.
4. We could fish bodies of water like Lake Sammamish and Washington, Banks and Roosevelt, Tri-Cities and Boardman, Moses and Potholes. We could fish the same bodies of water every year and flip flop which organization fishes which lake. We could even do the same format with our youth championships.
5. This format would save our members gas expenses and it would give all of them more opportunities to qualify for regional and national events.
6. It could also increase the participation in both the BASS and TBF qualifiers because most anglers would fish both since they were there anyway.
In closing I will say that I feel that combining our efforts truly makes sense. It is time that we combined forces and focused our energies toward the betterment of the Federation angler by uniting under one organization with both affiliations instead of both competing for the same anglers.
Thanks for listening,
Gary Morris
WSBF President
Views: 158
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gary Morris on
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Dez,
As always, the final decision would be left up to the membership. As of right now this is just my idea. By our own by-law I can propose anything and shouldn't even be putting this out there. But something has to be done to bring everyone back together again. And when I was elected Federation President years ago I took an oath to work in the best interest of the members and bass anglers in Washington State. I have always tried to do that and live by the by-laws. But this time I am breaking our own by-laws to put this out there becasue I believe that it is in the best interest of everyone. Impeach me if you want to I don't care. Becasue I truly believe that this is something that is long overdue.
Yes, we all need is to talk about this, work out any bugs, and have someone propose it to the general board of both organizations. I presented this to Ken Day back in May and he told me he liked the idea so my guess is that it would just be a matter of them putting it to their board. If they are even open to the idea.
As far as how would it effect the state teams - It wouldn't at all. If we were having one day be for the TBF and the other for BASS then each day would be a seperate event on a seperate body of water and run under the rules of the governing organization running that days tourament. There are people that have qualified for both now so that wouldn't change a thing. The only issue would be if ther eis a conflict with either the divisional or national events. Then it would be up to the individual angler to determine which event he/she would fish.
Budgets - We would have to iorn this all out but my feeling is that the tournament entry fees would pay for the state team travel expenses. TBF for TBF and BASS for BASS. We would keep the entry fees seperate. If one side was bigger that the other then that side would recieve more money.
Again, this is just an idea that I have been working on for about a year. This year I decided to put it out there to see what the reation would be. I just believe that we would be a stronger organization if we were one group. It wouldn't change the dynamics of a club in any way so what differance would it make? If a club wants to be BASS or TBF then so be it. The club would be a member of the WSBF and it's members would choose who they wanted to affiliate with, BASS or TBF or both so they could fish both days.
I can't see the downside to this. We all fish the same water so why not fish it together as one undivided group. Especially when you could fish BASS on Saturday at Tri Cities and fish the TBF on Sunday at Boardman. So you wouldn't have to fish both but why wouldn't you? A person would already be there so what the heck, so why not fish them both. -
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Permalink Reply by BigBass Dez on
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Thanks Gary , Im excited about about the ideal and i hope both orangizations are able to come together and make it happen man !!
Washinton state is starting to get more and more exposure each year thanks too elite bass anglers in our community and that says alot because we repersent a small group in comparison to other states .
I personaly dont see any reason why this deal wouldn't make things easier for the anglers like myself and others that look forward to fishing the qualifiers each year .
Honestly i was torn earlier this year when the shedule first came out only too read that the dates conflicted with with both chapters and i basicly had to choose sides , well by the time that the conflict was resolved later down the road i had already budgeted and shedule time off to only fish TBF .
I look forward to the positive changes taking place in our community and hope that all parties involved continue to keep all anglers best interest in mind .. Thanks again Gary
Dez -
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Permalink Reply by NickBarrFishing.com on
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Great Idea Gary, in a time of need like this we need to unite, cut the factions, it will make us all stronger.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Jones on
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Gary,
This is a great idea. Thanks for having the guts to step forward and present this to all of us and I will see you today at the TBF meeting in Ellensburge. I look forward to the discussions in regards to this matter. -
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Permalink Reply by Bass Cat on
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Who could not like this idea. This would cut down on both federations tournament expenses and we can fish for two state teams on the same weekend. And it would bring the state back together again like it should be. And what a great weekend it would be to have all the guys back together again. I for one am all for it. And I heard that when Gary presented the idea at the TBF meeting everyone loved it. Hopefully this is something that the sides can get worked out and make happen for the 2012 season.
Okay BASS guys, the ball is in your court. What do you think?
It also proves once again that Gary is looking out for the best interests of the bass guys. This guys has been busting his ass all these years and I keep hearing all the crap that you guys have said about him. I can tell you that no one is perfect and at least he tries to make things happen. -
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Permalink Reply by Chris Lambert on
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I'm sure they will keep the format the same regarding equal time on the trolling motor. That's how the Divisional Tournaments run so the state federations pretty much follow the same format.
Craig Taylor said:Sounds good. Can the boaters keep the front of the boat all day in your format? I have no problem sharing spots with co-anglers 1/2 the day but giving up the pointy end of the boat and trolling motor 1/2 the day rubs me the wrong way. Your idea is in the right direction though and I like it. -
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Permalink Reply by Ben Holten on
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Can you guys explain this to me? I realize that the rules state that the non-boaters get to run the front of the boat, but do they actually do that? Why would anyone even want to be a boater in this situation when you encour most of the expenses, and the risk to your boat etc? Do most of the non-boaters prefish, or are you spending half the day on spot X that you know doesn't hold a lot of fish? Why would there be such a rule? I guess I would have a hard time wanting to be a boater in one of these tourneys, yet I would have a hard time wanting to be a non-boater because I would never ask for the front of the boat.
Chris Lambert said:I'm sure they will keep the format the same regarding equal time on the trolling motor. That's how the Divisional Tournaments run so the state federations pretty much follow the same format.
Craig Taylor said:Sounds good. Can the boaters keep the front of the boat all day in your format? I have no problem sharing spots with co-anglers 1/2 the day but giving up the pointy end of the boat and trolling motor 1/2 the day rubs me the wrong way. Your idea is in the right direction though and I like it. -
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Ben ,
Good questions bro , I have fished the quilifers as a non boater enough to know that Luck and good communication plays a hugh role in both cases .. My best example is when i fished the divisionals on yellowtail in MT this past spring .
I fished with 3 different boaters over the 3 day event all from which different states . Day one my boater tells me that he only has two spots that were holding some bedfish however he was afraid that another boat might be sitting on his areas before we could get there .
I told the gentleman not too worry because i also had plenty of water for us fish , He looked me dead in the eye and said "Im putting my outcome in your hands today, please dont steer us wrong today " ...lol (How is that for pressure from a boater )
The very first spot of mines we pulled up on i explained to him how we would attack the area for best results , My boater managed to boat his first keeper on his first cast that morning and also got a limit in the first hour , i also got by 5 and backseated my boater that day .
over the next 2 days , it was the same story pretty much , my boaters didnt have any water but yet i was able to put them on my fish and at the same time backseat the all in the process , and time on the TM really didnt come into play .. All 3 boaters caught there biggest bags when they drew me as there non boater that weekend and one gentleman even made it his point to thank me on the final day for keeping him in contention to make the national team
The point here is that it didnt matter who was on the TM as long as both anglers were able to catch fish on any giving spot , if niether angler has any good water it doesnt help anyone in the boat period !
I personaly have never looked at being in the backseat as a disadvantage unless it turns into a day of flipping and pitching for LMB .. As for expenses , everything is split down the middle , Gas , Oil , etc ..Keep in mine that if someone in the boat feels like they are being taking advantage of or treated unfair , that could result into a disqualification and who wants that ?
Hope this helps gives a little insight on the topic , I have been a very lucky angler that have been in the boat with some awsome sticks , I have learned a few news things and also have been benificial too others also , so in the end its a win ~ win for all who participated IMO.
Dez "The Rookie"
Ben Holten said:Can you guys explain this to me? I realize that the rules state that the non-boaters get to run the front of the boat, but do they actually do that? Why would anyone even want to be a boater in this situation when you encour most of the expenses, and the risk to your boat etc? Do most of the non-boaters prefish, or are you spending half the day on spot X that you know doesn't hold a lot of fish? Why would there be such a rule? I guess I would have a hard time wanting to be a boater in one of these tourneys, yet I would have a hard time wanting to be a non-boater because I would never ask for the front of the boat.
Chris Lambert said:I'm sure they will keep the format the same regarding equal time on the trolling motor. That's how the Divisional Tournaments run so the state federations pretty much follow the same format.
Craig Taylor said:Sounds good. Can the boaters keep the front of the boat all day in your format? I have no problem sharing spots with co-anglers 1/2 the day but giving up the pointy end of the boat and trolling motor 1/2 the day rubs me the wrong way. Your idea is in the right direction though and I like it. -
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I can only speak for myself. The top 10 anglers in my club have the opportunity to fish the TBF qualiifers the following year. I didn't finish in the top 5 so I went in as a non boater. I pre-fish and have my own game and boat. If I relied on my boaters to make the state team for me, that would be foolish. As a non boater your really hoping to get a good draw 1) good working boat 2) knowlege. The last couple years I've put most of my boaters on fish and I've had some boaters that put me on fish. I've been fortunate enough the last 2 years to be in the points running the last tourney and my boaters bent over backwards to get me on fish, weather their my spots or theirs. Awesome. As far as taking your turn on the trolling motor, your damn right I'm going too, especially if you need to get your fish. I learned a valuable lesson in Montana this year. My day 2 draw was a great stick from Idaho and I was some what intimadated to take charge of my half. Sucked up sloppy seconds and it really cost me. I was even warned by some veteran TBF anlers to take my half of the boat, besides it's expected. I guess I had to expieriene it first. What I do now is discuss it when we first meet. He knows where I stand. I know where he stands. No hard feelings. If somebody gets rubbed the wrong way is usually because their not getting fish.
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I've been fishing the qualifers/divisionals for a long time and I have never had an issue with a non-boater taking over. It's been my experience, especially in the qualifiers, that if you do your job as a boater and put the boat on fish then the non-boater doesn't really have a reason to want to take over the trolling motor. On the flip side, if the non-boater has done their homework and has fish to go after, then you would be crazy not to give it a shot....especially in a multi-day tournament where you can save your fish for day 2 or 3.
You have more non-boaters that want to take their time on the water during the divisional tournaments. That's because most "non-boaters" at the divisional level are typically boaters who may have just qualified in the bottom 6 so they are considered a non-boater at the divisional. They will normally bring their boat to the divisional and practice as if they will be a boater in the tournament. The first National Championship I qualified for was because my day 3 "non-boater" had pre fished and put me on them the final day.
I have found that it's really important to talk things over with your partner the day before. I've had guys tell me that they are on "big fish". After you dig a little deeper you might find out that they didn't prefish but they caught fish in a spot 3 years ago during a different season....classic!
BigBass Dez said:Ben ,
Good questions bro , I have fished the quilifers as a non boater enough to know that Luck and good communication plays a hugh role in both cases .. My best example is when i fished the divisionals on yellowtail in MT this past spring .
I fished with 3 different boaters over the 3 day event all from which different states . Day one my boater tells me that he only has two spots that were holding some bedfish however he was afraid that another boat might be sitting on his areas before we could get there .
I told the gentleman not too worry because i also had plenty of water for us fish , He looked me dead in the eye and said "Im putting my outcome in your hands today, please dont steer us wrong today " ...lol (How is that for pressure from a boater )
The very first spot of mines we pulled up on i explained to him how we would attack the area for best results , My boater managed to boat his first keeper on his first cast that morning and also got a limit in the first hour , i also got by 5 and backseated my boater that day .
over the next 2 days , it was the same story pretty much , my boaters didnt have any water but yet i was able to put them on my fish and at the same time backseat the all in the process , and time on the TM really didnt come into play .. All 3 boaters caught there biggest bags when they drew me as there non boater that weekend and one gentleman even made it his point to thank me on the final day for keeping him in contention to make the national team
The point here is that it didnt matter who was on the TM as long as both anglers were able to catch fish on any giving spot , if niether angler has any good water it doesnt help anyone in the boat period !
I personaly have never looked at being in the backseat as a disadvantage unless it turns into a day of flipping and pitching for LMB .. As for expenses , everything is split down the middle , Gas , Oil , etc ..Keep in mine that if someone in the boat feels like they are being taking advantage of or treated unfair , that could result into a disqualification and who wants that ?
Hope this helps gives a little insight on the topic , I have been a very lucky angler that have been in the boat with some awsome sticks , I have learned a few news things and also have been benificial too others also , so in the end its a win ~ win for all who participated IMO.
Dez "The Rookie"
Ben Holten said:Can you guys explain this to me? I realize that the rules state that the non-boaters get to run the front of the boat, but do they actually do that? Why would anyone even want to be a boater in this situation when you encour most of the expenses, and the risk to your boat etc? Do most of the non-boaters prefish, or are you spending half the day on spot X that you know doesn't hold a lot of fish? Why would there be such a rule? I guess I would have a hard time wanting to be a boater in one of these tourneys, yet I would have a hard time wanting to be a non-boater because I would never ask for the front of the boat.
Chris Lambert said:I'm sure they will keep the format the same regarding equal time on the trolling motor. That's how the Divisional Tournaments run so the state federations pretty much follow the same format.
Craig Taylor said:Sounds good. Can the boaters keep the front of the boat all day in your format? I have no problem sharing spots with co-anglers 1/2 the day but giving up the pointy end of the boat and trolling motor 1/2 the day rubs me the wrong way. Your idea is in the right direction though and I like it. -
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I am guessing that I would not be able to fish the TBF state qualifiers next year as I am not a member of a TBF club. Is this correct? Is it the same for BASS?
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Permalink Reply by Russ Baker on
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Craig,
I'm with you on this subject. Sorry Gary. But this is one of the many reasons I quit fishing the Federation qualifiers back in the mid to late 90's. Backseaters not paying there way, backseaters not paying for things on your boat that they break and not having a care in the world about your boat.
Dont get me wrong I loved the format and the overall experience of fishing these just got tired of paying for all the repairs on my own dime.
Craig Taylor said:What rubbed me the wrong way this year at Potholes was I let the co-angler have the front of the boat first thing in the morning day 1. The co proceeded to crack my trolling motor blade, (spent my own $ for a new one) rubbed a 8 inch diameter log up my gel coat which left a hefty scratch and that when I addressed it to him right after he did it he just replied "It's not that big of a scratch. Don't stress it bro" Also wrapped weeds around the trolling motor with out removing them or telling me about it, ran the trolling motor on 100 to move the boat around witch drained my batteries and I was trolling motor-less my half of the day in MY BOAT! (sorry bout the capps but it's getting me mad just remembering the event and there is more to tell) This co-angler will remain nameless because it is not my motive to throw him under the bus but when you are a co-angler you should step up your curticy and boat awareness when you take the front of the boat.
Usually things go smooth. That time it was far from smooth and made me question if I ever want to do a Fed Nation tournament again. When it's your boat being banged up by a co-angler you will feel the same I bet. And yes it rubbed me the wrong way while still getting 4 pounders froggin'
Larry Austin said:I can only speak for myself. The top 10 anglers in my club have the opportunity to fish the TBF qualiifers the following year. I didn't finish in the top 5 so I went in as a non boater. I pre-fish and have my own game and boat. If I relied on my boaters to make the state team for me, that would be foolish. As a non boater your really hoping to get a good draw 1) good working boat 2) knowlege. The last couple years I've put most of my boaters on fish and I've had some boaters that put me on fish. I've been fortunate enough the last 2 years to be in the points running the last tourney and my boaters bent over backwards to get me on fish, weather their my spots or theirs. Awesome. As far as taking your turn on the trolling motor, your damn right I'm going too, especially if you need to get your fish. I learned a valuable lesson in Montana this year. My day 2 draw was a great stick from Idaho and I was some what intimadated to take charge of my half. Sucked up sloppy seconds and it really cost me. I was even warned by some veteran TBF anlers to take my half of the boat, besides it's expected. I guess I had to expieriene it first. What I do now is discuss it when we first meet. He knows where I stand. I know where he stands. No hard feelings. If somebody gets rubbed the wrong way is usually because their not getting fish. -
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