View Full Version : RCL Withdrawing from Devils Lake
Rick R.
11-28-2001, 07:19 PM
I heard the RCL has withdrawn the tournament it had scheduled at Devils Lake in 2002. Just wondering if this is true, and if anyone knows which body of water they will move this tourney to?
Thanks.
Chairman
11-28-2001, 07:54 PM
Yes, it is changed to the same time at Hoyle's Marina in Saginaw Bay.
There are several changes and the new aplications will be out soon.
Chairman
NPAA #6
Jim Carroll
11-28-2001, 08:25 PM
Has anyone heard why this is so? Wasn't DL their largest tournament field this year?
Whats the deal? They put out a schedule and guys make plans then they change everything.
Why even release a schedule if it's gonna change. Has there been any explanation. I'm sure the great people of Devils Lake will be thrilled with this loss in economy.
Fish-on
11-29-2001, 09:05 AM
I do not know if this is the reason, but there is a lot of friction between the town and the Indian reservation/Casino, and there are a lot of businesses in town that were upset that it was to be held at the casino instead of the town of Devil's Lake. I do NOT know if that had anything to do with the change or not. I would have liked to see them hold it at Graham's Island as it was supposed to be last year. One thing is for sure, the RCL leadership has shown an ability to handle adversity well, and I trust them to do a great job wherever they go.
I fished the Devils Lake RCL. Stayed at the casino , had a slip at the marina. It was one of the best tournaments I've been to. Food was great, accommedations were fine, the folks were wonderful. Didn't do to well fishing and the ride was fairly long from Chicago but I'd go back. Never been to Grahams Island but the Casino site was an excellent choice. Don't forget this was a last minute choice because of the high water. Not bad for a last minute site switch.
Fish-on
11-29-2001, 12:40 PM
I agree that the site worked out fine, but you have to consider that you can't pull off a first class event if the local businesses aren't behind you. It was probably the right move due to the road construction last year. I heard a lot of grumbling at that tournament by locals and I'm just speculating that it might have flared up. Just a guess. There are a lot of raw nerves about that Casino being there among the locals.
Devils Lake local
11-29-2001, 01:26 PM
The reason for the RCL withdrawing is simple. There is a little bit of annimosity in the town of Devils Lake. The Casino spent a lot of money and resources to get the RCL to come back to Devils Lake. The Chamber of Commerce was also heavily involved because the tournament of this magnitude is such a boost to our economy. Believe me, we all really appreciatte you guys coming here. What happened was the last day of the tournament fell on the same day as a local chamber tournament. Nobody wanted the tournaments to overlap. Since the RCL all ready had their schedule done, it was proposed that the local tournament be held a week end earlier. That would have been the logical thing to do. Clint Devier from Eds Bait Shop along with several member of the Lake Region Anglers #####. screamed bloody murder about a proposed date change for the tournament. These people than screamed and threatened to boycott RCL sponsors, calling Lund, Chrestliner, etc. Doesn't make much sense. A few people in the town ruined it for everybody and cost this community a lot of money. Just because of their dislike for the casino. The casino hosts many big tournaments and many of the participants stay in town, the town wins by having a casino that is working with sportsman and aggressivley pursuing tournaments.
What a shame, now Clint can have his tournament on the weekend he wants.
Funny you mentioned Ed's Bait Shop. I stayed at the Casino one week and thats the bait shop I frequented for odds and ends. Probably dropped $150.00 during this time.
I guess I owe the RCL an apology for my earlier post. Leave it to Norht Dakota to scare off extra revenue. Maybe a boycott of the Chamber tournament would be alright. It just amazes me that ND works so hard to get people spending time in our wonderful state and then we pull stunts like this. Not such a wonderfull day to be a North Dakotan.
I heard that the Game and Fish didn't want that many major tournament on the water in a short time period. Crazy - what difference does it make for the fish population? All of the tournaments are catch and release besides the poorly run Chamber Tournament. Leave it to some selfish, uneducated individuals to ruin one of the finest fishing shows around . . . Open up your eyes ND Game and Fish, and Devils Lake. Come on now!!
There you go>> now the all the locals who oppose the casino can have their "little" tournment and can support the local businesses themselves, which would have done well with a tournment like the RCL in town. What a shame, cause the casino is not going way.
hammertime
11-29-2001, 02:42 PM
i dont know about what the indians are doing out there, but in mi here they are now trying to get the rights to go anywere they want to hunt and fish, regardless of who owns the land. they use casino money to fund there causes and i belive its time to cut off the hand that feeds them, if less people would spend there money there they would have less money to take away the fishing and hunting that we have. its time they get it together and just be americans like the rest of us. they want american money to support them and help them but want all the extra rights that thay say we owe them. the war if over !! all im saying is dont feed them indian casino,s any money if you can help it and we would see less of them if they didnt have the money to fight us with. i dont have anything against indians that are americans and go by our laws, but i dont want to give them a free hand at taking our rights away either. just my opion.
Hammertime-
You had better brush up on your history!! It's ignorant people like you that cause division in America, because with a view point such as yours you sound like a KKK member and NOT an American. How more American can you be than to be an AMERICAN INDIAN?? Where do your relatives come from? and I'll bet not from America.
Jim Carroll
11-29-2001, 03:06 PM
OK if what is written above is true...Ben is "DEAD ON"
Yup- The poorly run local DL Chamber tournament (100+ boats) that is CATCH AND KILL!!! which I cant figure out for the life of me, some jazz about wanting to keep it accessable to all, regardless of equipment, yeah right how many boats in that tourney don't have livewells? - sinks the RCL?
Which tournament do you think would have a greater economic impact on DL? Which one exposes the resource to a national audience (THINK $$$$ DL) while the other merely depletes it. Unbelievable.....
Its time we ND's get the last <major> ND tournament stuck in the past into the 21st century with the rest. How about CATCH AND RELEASE as many fish as possible, for starters...
I'll fish the Casino's tournament again next year. And everyone should boycott the DL Chamber's tournament until they get the rules changed.
Rick R.
11-29-2001, 03:52 PM
Thank You for all your answers and comments. Just think of all the fishing licenses the Game and Fish could have sold for this tournament and in years to come when the out of state people realize what North DAkota has to offer. Not to mention all the lost revenue for the city of Devils Lake. If it wasn't for the Lake near Devils Lake the city would no doubt be a ghost town. Don't the local people of Devils Lake realize what a resource they have. I see and hear advertisments promoting Devils Lake and they always are directed towards the hunting and Fishing in the area, now they have an opportunity to get people from all over visiting the area to spend money and fish, and just possibly be back in the Fall to Hunt, be back in the Winter to Ice fish and on and on on. Devils Lake You Blew it. Shame on You.
Ya it is too bad they changed it, and that the change is Saginaw. Now the RCL tournaments are basically all near Michigan...Erie, Detroit R., Saginaw, and then Winnebago in Wisconsin... Too bad they didn't pick a site elsewhere. Out of all the bodies of water, why do the RCL and PWT duplicate so many of the locations?
Rick R.
11-29-2001, 04:12 PM
By the way, why all the friction between the Casino and Devils Lake? The way I see it the Casino has done alot of great things for the City. I've been to the Casino many times. It is first class. I can't think of many places in North Dakota or in the Country that are better to hold a Fishing Tournament, I can see why the RCL wanted to go back there. If the business people of Devils Lake were smart, they would work with the Casino not against it. The Casino is helping you more than it is hurting you in my opinion.
If anyone with the RCL reads this, don't let this one incident spoil any future plans for a return trip to ND. We'd love to have you. Thank You.
Well put Rick!!!
It's people like Hammertime that spread the rumors and ruin it for the rest of us. It's people like you that can see the benefits.
skeeter185@home.com
11-29-2001, 04:29 PM
Hammertime may not have said it right. I am sure he didn't mean to step on anyones toes. All he is talking about is and is against is all the hunting and fishing rights that are taken advantage of. No need to start anything as it was not his intension.
Not trying to start anything, just trying to put an end to the BS that has no place on this board. Nobody brought up anything about Indians except for Hammmertime, and this board is about fishing. Why defend someone who starts sh_t about another race, it's like me saying things about jews,polish,blacks, or any race for that matter.
Raybob
11-29-2001, 05:10 PM
Thanks Mt-1 .. It needed said & I'm only 1/8th True American :-)
hammertime
11-29-2001, 07:12 PM
i didnt say that all indians were bad and probably most feel like the rest of us on all thats going on these days with the treatys. all i was refering to is the money from the casino,s is were they get the money they use in court to fight . sorry if some people took it wrong and thats all i can say about this and your right, this is a fishing web sight so i,ll keep it that way. was just letting ya know that this is how they get there money they use to take our fishing rights from us. enough said from me and if ya feel im picking on somboby, im not. i think that all fisherman should go by the rules from each state on equal terms. im not against anyone or race, just equal rights.
eye_guide
11-29-2001, 07:34 PM
Jim,
Another one of the Chambers biggest excuses is that it would cost too much money to set up a catch and release system because its so 'complicated' and involves so much material. Thats one of the main reasons I've never fished it.
Maybe before you start pointing fingers>> prove that "some Indians" are using casino money to "take away" your fishing and hunting rights. Enough said>>fish on!!!
hammertime
11-30-2001, 02:55 AM
just for the record, look at the tribes that have gaming casino,s, the first link, then look at the tribes that have filed in court on fishing rights, the 2nd link and you should start getting the pic. thats were they get the millions of dollars to do it. if ya want to put out a fire, ya dont put fuel on it.
http://www.michigangaming.com/castribe.html
http://www.state.mi.us/migov/gov/pressreleases/199909/01_tribalfishingproposals.shtm
Just Kiddin'
11-30-2001, 07:01 AM
Where the ##### is North Dakota anyway? ;)
You just made my point>>your making an assumption!!So for a fact you know the tribes with casinos provide money to gain fishing rights in court?? Wow you must some powerful almighty person..
In the 2nd article it sounds to me like it's a negotiation (to settle a business transaction, treaty, etc.) and not a court battle. Why don't you drag out your history book and read the treaties that your forefathers made on your behalf.
risor39
11-30-2001, 02:26 PM
Hey Mt 1/8 does not make an Indian as far as Im concerned.Oops I mean Native American.And they all were not peacable people either.Tribe taking other tribes land and whatever else I would imagine.Native Americans were and are not any wiser than the rest of us another hollywood myth.All hammer was saying is everyone should be treated equal not special rules for one race.EVERYONE EQUAL and as for my forefathers they were a bunch of ignorant SOB's and I feel no reason I should appologize for them.If the shoe were on the other foot I wonder what would have happened.Can't we all just get along and stop using race as an excuse to fight with one another.Now lets go fishing.You people that live in Devil's Lake have one awesome fishery.
1st - what in h_ell are you talking about 1/8th??? 2nd- who said anything about anybody being peacable or non-peacable??? 3rd- who said anything about who's more wiser than who??? 4th- why would you stick up for hammer, he's the one who brought up the bashing of another race. I agree with you, this isn't the place for race bashing and let's go fishing!!
easymoney
11-30-2001, 05:48 PM
This is a really bad deal for the community of DL.I fished the RCL last year and had a great time,nice people and a nice fishery.I guess I can't see what a big deal it would have been for the Chamber tourney to be a week sooner or later.When the PWT goes to Leech Lake in MN. the Chamber tourney moves to acommodate them and they still fill the chamber tourney.It seems to work out fine,and everybody WINS,the Community and the fisherman.Just seems like somebody dropped the ball,Big Time.Just my opinion.
Another Devils Lake local
11-30-2001, 07:28 PM
For all of you who have to get the rumors going about this group or that group chasing the RCL away you should get your facts straight. I talked to the RCL people today and they told me that they just decided the didn't want to overlap their last day onto the first day of the Chamber tourney. It wasn't a big controversial issue the way I was told and I heard it right from the top. I was also told they will be back in 2003.
Very good move to Saginaw, Unfortunate for the Tourism of Devils Lake,
but a large contingency of RCL owner Pros and CoAnglers do fish the Michigan walleye Trail and there is a scheduled date at Augre that weekend following, so if the final 5 are not MWT teams they can go right to Augre from Linwood. Good decision and good choice to accomidate a ckt. They can do a two in one trip, and not worry about the long haul to ND. Signup for this one it will be a good one and you wont have to worry about fishing the trees. PWT will be there a month latter.
Very good move to Saginaw, Unfortunate for the Tourism of Devils Lake,
but a large contingency of RCL owner Pros and CoAnglers do fish the Michigan walleye Trail and there is a scheduled date at Augre that weekend following, so if the final 5 are not MWT teams they can go right to Augre from Linwood. Good decision and good choice to accomidate a ckt. They can do a two in one trip, and not worry about the long haul to ND. Signup for this one it will be a good one and you wont have to worry about fishing the trees. PWT will be there a month latter.
Jim Carroll
12-01-2001, 04:23 PM
Quotes From this month's Dakota Country Magazine (Dec. 2001 Issue)
"Let me lay the cards on the table. There's no region in the state that has worked harder at developing our tourism industry than the Lake Region (Devils Lake), and our greatest concentration has been in the areas of hunting and fishing."
"Why does the community of Devils Lake promote hunting and fishing? Because we need the economic infusion of dollars tourism brings to the region."
"Most of the metro resident hunters and fisherman do not stay in our local motels, buy their hunting and fishing gear from our local merchants or visit us for any reason different than the nonresident hunters. They come to Devils Lake for the hunting and fishing. The major difference is that they just do not spend the same amount of money (in our city) as nonresident hunters spend while visiting."
From a Guest Editorial by
RANDY FROST
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
DEVILS LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Well, I guess the chamber of commerce didn't care enough about the $150,000 or so the RCL would have brought into DL enough to reschedule the annual fish kill, (oops, I meant Chamber Tournament), or care enough about the resource to invest in some C&R equipment. Whoever is running that tournament needs to get their act together. A BOYCOTT is in order until the rules are changed. We should not be holding a 100+ boat fish kill tournament at DL. Between this tournament and the crap that goes on in channel A in the spring, the resource is being abused. I hope the ND Game and Fish Dept. will do something about it soon.
As for the RCL, hopefully they will return in 2003.
Ristorapper
12-02-2001, 05:58 AM
Doggone it!! Looks like I can save another weeks vacation thanks to the RCL. I had plans of fishing that one as a co-angler and prefishing it with a good buddie from wyoming. Oh! well, the PWT will have to fulfill my Devils Lake trip then.
Bad break for ND and DL. Seems with the nonresident antis (hunting) in this state we just as well put up a fence. I live in ND and am ashamed that I have never fished DL but next year it is in the plans be it PWT or 2003 RCL. The fishing is just too good down my way to travel that far to lose all those jigs in the trees! And I'm sure a lot of DL anglers like hearing what I just said.
Some people in the Bismarck/Mandan area dread seeing the PWT come here every year for the Championship, and those some people are anglers and are afraid this tourney will raid our resources. It's a catch and release tourney and the economy is greatly boosted by these tourneys. I prefished with one of the pros for the championship this year and every day he was putting gas in the boat/truck, lodging, buying oil for the boat, meals and on and on. How can you pass this up DL?
Devils Lake has made a mistake by missing this one and just maybe with the PWT coming there too the community or just a few thought two big time tourneys was too much.
I hear so many compliments about Devils Lake from other people on this site that I'm gonna have to get there some day. Just wish it would have been next year pre-fishing and fishing the RCL as a co-angler.
As far as a catch and kill tourney sponsored by the Chamber Wow!! BOYCOTT is my only answer.
bw(ND)
"chatgal"
12-03-2001, 11:12 AM
It is definitely unfortunate for the community of Devils Lake that the RCL is not returning in 2002. Some locals just "don't get it", this is the type of event our tourism and chamber dollars go toward trying to bring into the community. If it were not for the lake, Devils Lake, would be a "ghost town",( but at least they'll have their little local chamber fish & kill tournament to look forward to!BOYCOTT!!)
Clint
12-03-2001, 12:10 PM
Hey DL Local, until you know the "whole" story, you should keep your mouth shut. It's quite clear you don't know what you're talking about!!! I noticed you didn't use your real name. Too chicken #!$#! or what?
scheduling is reason
12-03-2001, 01:55 PM
2 major walleye tournaments on the same body of water within a couple weeks of each other is to much of a conflict for most of us and the others. From Winnebago than to Devls lake from 26-29 and than back again in early July. This way some can fish east or west PWT and all RCL.
Hawgeye
12-03-2001, 02:21 PM
I don't care where anyone's ancestors came from. I am 100% American, was born and raised here, therefore I should have the same rights as EVERY American. Don't tell me about what the white man did, it is a history lesson, not an event to paint every future ancestor that lives after the fact. We need to learn from these experiences so the bad things don't repeat themselves.
NUFF SAID!