Cabela's Tourney/Entry/Location

[Todd_NE]

Number one, I'm posting this here because I have not gotten a return email from Chris Bahl - I did try. If for some reason my email didn't get through or Chris is gone I'm sorry but I did not get an undeliverable message and the address I have has worked in the recent past.

Like some of you, I was fortunate enough to make the Cabela's NTC but I have not seen a location announced yet and our entries are due at the end of January. My work situation is very difficult this year (we are recruiting a general surgeon to a small clinic after losing ours and a lot of recruitment occurs on weekends) and I'm trying to figure out what tourneys or circuits I can do to boot. I'm sure a lot of people are in this same sitation. It may not seem that way to everyone, but an extra day or two of travel on each end can make a huge difference in whether your work is ok or whether you can do certain tourneys, family events, etc.

I've asked Chris/Cabela's to extend the "entry due date" to one month PAST when the location is announced. This seems fair to me but perhaps I ask too much. I hope this gets to Chris or Chuck through this forum.

This isn't a complaint, just a thoughtful wish.

Todd
Oh yeah... I stuck her good... Feel that head shake...

Walleye boats don't qualify as dinghy's in Cabo

No... I meant to leave the back straps on. I wanted to see if the boat would float the trailer.

[Shep]

Hope this helps, Todd.

http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/board/thread-view.asp?threadid=2035&posts=1

Tight Lines All,

Shep

[Jim Carroll]

Here's the copy:

ESCANABA, Mich. (AP) — The Bays de Noc are being considered as possible host of the Cabela's National Team Championship walleye tournament.

Scouts from the tournament are expected to visit the area Jan. 18-20 to size up the waters and the community.

The tournament, which is televised by Fox and Outdoor Life Network, is scheduled for June 11-13.

It will feature 250 of the best fishing teams in the nation, each attending by invitation only. The A-list includes people from 28 states and two provinces, including Glenn and Carol Chenier of Escanaba.

Though they acknowledge they might have a small advantage since they often fish locally, Glenn Chenier said it would be anyone's tournament to win.

Other teams would arrive a week or two in advance and would know the ins and outs of the bays by the time the tournament starts, Carol Chenier told the Daily Press of Escanaba for a story Tuesday.

"Little Bay de Noc has a lot of different techniques in fishing opportunities," Glenn Chenier said. "There's not one way to catch."

The cleanliness of the water and the quality of the fish are excellent, he said. "This is one of the places where we go to where we can actually eat the fish."

Saginaw Bay also is a finalist to host the Cabela's championship.

[Fishing Insider]

Ooooooops, cat's outta the bag.

[JLDII]

Seems like the scouting of locations should have been completed before now. I'm not in the tournament, and really don't care, but for those who are qualified, they were expecting an announcement by now, and I imagine are getting a little preturbed about the whole thing. I would be.

Both LBDN and Saginaw Bay are great fisheries, but I question them as locations for this paticular tournament. Those are some BIG waters, and there are a number of teams that are going to show up in some boats that might not be a wise choice to put out on those waters if the wind kicks up. Naturally, disgression is a must, but with the chance to be "National" champion on the line, some of those smaller boats might throw caution to the wind and venture out into some waters their rigs can not handle. I witnessed some small (14-16') rigs in the original NTC on Mille Lacs, that had a hard time with a moderate 2-3' chop. Many of these contestants will be in for a suprise when they see the difference in a 15mph. breeze there as opposed to their home waters, which most likely would be much smaller

[Kdog]

Todd,
I agree with you about extending the tournament fee due date a month from whatever time this tournaments location is announced.On the invite that we received they want the entry fee in by Feb 1,thats 2 weeks away and they still dont know where this thing is going to be!!!!.Guys from our club have been told that a location is already in place but they need the motels to commit to 500 rooms in the area before the location is announced.Now i see this where there going to Escanaba to check out the facilities etc,,,,,,.In my honest opinion i dont know what the big secret is,i dont know why they cant tell us who the finalist are so at least we have some idea where were going.I know alot of people are looking forward to this me included but i do wish we wouldnt be kept in the dark about the details etc.Just venting,Kdog(KeithWalters)

[Eyez]

Were I in your position I'd be asking the same thing Todd. A person can't be expected to make a commitment to fish a tournament without knowing where it is.


Eyez

[WILLOW- CREEKER]

Over the past month or so I to have been waiting to see what the final choice for the ntc will be, and have noticed a similar pattern as last year.
It appears that patience is wearing very thin, and people are trying to influence the decision process in the meantime.

Last years choice was an excellent one, it was in my mind a well thought out and well scouted out location for such an event. Every angler was able to fish their own style, in any size boat, anywhere in the lake.
In making this kind of decision there were a lot of factors that had to be considered as far as the fisherman goes, and I am sure that this is done by now.
I would imagine that they probably allready know where they would like to have it, and a couple back up choices as well as far as quality of fish catching pottential for the tournament.
This only leaves two issues left, the buisness side of this ($$$$)and playing possum to the people trying to guess where it will be held.
Last year every body was trying to guess where it was to be held, and I believe it came as a complete supprise when Millford was the location.
The same concerns where talked about last year about the size of boats and big water, I myself was a little concerned.
I think or would at least hope that Cabelas is smart enough to remember what they are dealing with, a weekend fishermans championship, not a pwt, rcl, or mwc, and even though we are all capable of producing fish in big water (since we all qualified for the championship), we don't all necessarily drive 21ft boats.

One day while gasing up our boat last year at milford, a vehicle pulled up to do the same, I looked over and saw they were from Ohio and towing a SMALL 14ft aluminum with a 9.9 (i believe)for there main motor, THAT IS WHAT THE TOURNAMENT IS ABOUT,and Cabelas should remember that.
If I remember correctly cabelas didn't announce till Jan 15 at 1 pm est last year. I to haven't sent my form in yet, and am not aware of the fee that was mentioned, guess I had better look at it again, wasn't expecting to have to pay anything, didn't last year.


TOM MEANS

[wallytap]

Tom, I agree 100%. Cabela's better use alittle common sense here. I'm not a business major but let's think about reality.There are tens of thousands of us "little fish" with smaller boats.We are "joe average" that buys products from Cabela's that generates huge revenue,which enables companies to sponsor a handful of pros.Now where does any company make most of their profits? From the general population.Not the very few that can afford 40-60K boats.Include everyone and people will support you with their hard earned money.

[Not there problem]

So what if you have a small boat, how many places out there can hold 250 boats? Remember they have to launch all those boats plu have a place fore everyone to stay. They have to hold it on a larger body of water,your just gonna have to stay closer to the launch than others!

[WILLOW- CREEKER]

Not there problem, I believe it is there problem.
If you wanted to open a marina, you wouldn't do it in the middle of the dessert, you would do it in an area that would target the customers that you are trying to market your product to.

Cabelas has used this tournament to help market there products, and in doing so they have created another market,LOCAL WEEKEND TOURNAMENT FISHERMAN, and they new from there research, and communication to local club directors that the average WEEKEND TOURNAMENT FISHERMAN, does not, and can not afford the big pro boats.

Over the past three years I have noticed the upgraded equipment of our local anglers, but you are not talking about 21ft boats, but 16-18ft boats with maybe a 100 hp motor, and a good locator/gps unit, and better tackle, most of which is ordered through cabelas.

This was there goal, and has became a successful marketing tool, congrads to cabelas for seeing a opportunity to market there product.
I could continue on, but I hope you see the point I was trying to make with this, TOM MEANS.

[Not there problem]

If you cant play then dont go! No said you had to go nor did they say you had to take to the bigger waters if you dont feel safe in your craft. I'm still wondering where you think they should go that can handle the # of boats that they will have? I think that you can fish almost any lake safely out of a 18' boat! Its up to the owner to know his or her limits of there equipment! YOU still dont have to go, no one is forcing you! Lots of guys would love to fish big water like Erie or Sag but feel they cant because of the boats they own. Cabela's is a huge dealer that caters to a wide varitey of consumers, they are also in the tour game as a major sponsor to the MWC.Studies show that guys fishing these team formats spend alot of time and hard earned dollars. I'm quite sure Cabela's is well aware who to target for customers and makes every effort to do so.

YOU cannot Please everyone out there, so you have to find a happy medium I feel that is what Cabeals has done from the start! I have be in this event and you really only had a handful of these small boats. IF YOURS ISNT BIG ENOUGH, borrow one or deal with the waters the best and safest way you can.

[Jigging 5]

What do you think of a regional format. Say you qualify for the regional championship through you local club or association. Ok, now say there are 10-20 regions with a championship. The winners of the regional championship would qualify for the national championship.That would narrow the field to 10-20 boats. You won't have to worry about the size of your boat because you will be fishing the championship out of the Cabela's sponsored boat. A Ranger. This is not my idea, I was told this by a Cabela's rep. He told me Cabela's has thrown this idea around. What do you think? Don't take this as gospel. I think it is just an idea for the future.

[Todd_NE]

HEY

This was a post about where the darn tourney is and extending the entry time so entrants can make a more informed decision about whether to participate.

BUT

You fish at your own risk on your own or a tourney. NO ONE can expect tourney organizers to try to accomodate everyone's boat size through some water selection process. I say this as a guy who has the 21' boat we're talking about but I also was a guy in the 16' tiller not all that long ago.

A 1 mile long lake CAN be treacherous for any boat. It's the conditions and the common sense captains use for gosh sakes. Like others have said, it's probably more important to worry about adequate lodging, ramps, and other facilities and PRAY for good weather.

Todd
Oh yeah... I stuck her good... Feel that head shake...

Walleye boats don't qualify as dinghy's in Cabo

No... I meant to leave the back straps on. I wanted to see if the boat would float the trailer.

[Jigging 5]

Sorry to get off your original subject.. I guess you will have to wait just like the rest of us that have simular situations like yours.