Walleye Professional

[Rich S]

[QUOTE=Wall-i-Lama;1534942]GiddyGills, Thanks for jumping in. Sounds like you have spent some time on this. Can you share or point to your ideas on structure for Pros or walleye tourney rankings? Does it include guides and other walleye industry roles, or is it just tourney focused?

Thanks![/QUOTE]

He has done nothing to help to tournament industry. He, like many others knows the problems and has said on multiple occasions he knows EXACTLY how to fix them but to get those answers somebody has to pay him. He revels in this current situation for some odd reason and knocks those that actually stick their neck out and try something to keep the national level tournament scene alive.

Like I said earlier, there is nothing anyone can do. It is just sickening to me that people enjoy watching it fade away.

[Wall-i-Lama]

[QUOTE=Rich S;1535053]He has done nothing to help to tournament industry. He, like many others knows the problems and has said on multiple occasions he knows EXACTLY how to fix them but to get those answers somebody has to pay him. He revels in this current situation for some odd reason and knocks those that actually stick their neck out and try something to keep the national level tournament scene alive.

Like I said earlier, there is nothing anyone can do. It is just sickening to me that people enjoy watching it fade away.[/QUOTE]

Rich, I've fished as an amateur in PWT and AIM. I enjoyed the formats of both, but was especially fond of the AIM catch, record and release. I think that if more folks would fish on any of the tours as an amateur, they would be less critical of them and have a greater appreciation of the skill level of these pro anglers. Along with that, it takes a great deal of work to promote their tours and sponsors. I have nothing but respect for those that tackle the high level walleye tours.

Recently, my wife and I have started fishing in the Illinois Walleye Trail. We are are having a blast! I would guess since we have paid to enter tourneys and never won a dime, we would be semi-semi-semi pro. :)

Since fishing in the IWT, of noticed a lot of other local and regional tours across the midwest. It seems that these grass level groups are doing just fine. Perhaps the larger tours should be tapping into these local groups, to build the base for their future.

I hope that AIM recovers and that the new NWT does well this year.

[Rich S]

[QUOTE=Wall-i-Lama;1535083]Rich, I've fished as an amateur in PWT and AIM. I enjoyed the formats of both, but was especially fond of the AIM catch, record and release. I think that if more folks would fish on any of the tours as an amateur, they would be less critical of them and have a greater appreciation of the skill level of these pro anglers. Along with that, it takes a great deal of work to promote their tours and sponsors. I have nothing but respect for those that tackle the high level walleye tours.

Recently, my wife and I have started fishing in the Illinois Walleye Trail. We are are having a blast! I would guess since we have paid to enter tourneys and never won a dime, we would be semi-semi-semi pro. :)

Since fishing in the IWT, of noticed a lot of other local and regional tours across the midwest. It seems that these grass level groups are doing just fine. Perhaps the larger tours should be tapping into these local groups, to build the base for their future.

I hope that AIM recovers and that the new NWT does well this year.[/QUOTE]

That is awesome and the fact you are doing it with your wife makes it even better. I did a few with my wife and always had a great time.

I am not going to pretend to be smart enough to fix this problem. It all comes down to money and we all know that. If there is enough money the people will come. The problem is that there is not enough interest to get the big dollars here as there is not enough ROI. It is just not broad enough to get that kind of attention and I don't ever see that changing. Many of the "micro" species tournaments in comparison to bass are suffering the same fate.

I really feel for the guys that are trying to make this their full time job. Hopefully things turn around.

[GiddyGills]

[QUOTE=Rich S;1535053]He has done nothing to help to tournament industry. He, like many others knows the problems and has said on multiple occasions he knows EXACTLY how to fix them but to get those answers somebody has to pay him. He revels in this current situation for some odd reason and knocks those that actually stick their neck out and try something to keep the national level tournament scene alive.

Like I said earlier, there is nothing anyone can do. It is just sickening to me that people enjoy watching it fade away.[/QUOTE]


Rich, that is just plain ignorant. Let’s compare actions shall we…

I arranged the opportunity for AIM or the NPAA to take control of a boat marina, at no cost, in order to make a yearly income...they both turned the offer down. I offered to produce, print and distribute promotional posters for AIM in advance of each tournament, at no cost, in order to get the word out and promote the events...they turned it down. I started the Kids Fishing With The Pros, produced trading cards for anyone who wanted them, designed jerseys, aided Greg Karch in promoting his kids program and supplied fishing equipment to give away, supplied AIM a full page for the organization to promote itself at no cost, and promote pro anglers in every issue of the magazine. The problem you and some others have is I also have the backbone to call actions exactly as they are.

Okay Rich, now list your neck stretching on behalf of the sport.


Everyone just sits back expecting others to automatically spill the beans on a solution to someone else’s problem when those same solutions can be utilized by other entities who are willing to compensate for the resolution. Some people are too dense to understand there is no solution if you’re just going to ignore the problems in the first place.

Problems:

[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]1)[/FONT][/COLOR] Start acting like a business instead of a groupie club.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]2)[/FONT][/COLOR] Deflate your heads so you can deal with the realities.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]3)[/FONT][/COLOR] Stop the chest thumping and start paying attention to the audience...you may notice there isn’t one.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]4)[/FONT][/COLOR] Learn how to form and market a brand, or get someone who does.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]5)[/FONT][/COLOR] Act like a business and start making wise decisions based on goals, not personal animosities.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]6)[/FONT][/COLOR] If you don’t want public scrutiny then get out of the game, it comes with the territory.

Once you deal with the problems then you can advance forward to build a sustainable game, it is stupid to discuss the latter without dealing with the issues first.

[QUOTE=GiddyGills;1535144]Rich, that is just plain ignorant. Let’s compare actions shall we…

I arranged the opportunity for AIM or the NPAA to take control of a boat marina, at no cost, in order to make a yearly income...they both turned the offer down. I offered to produce, print and distribute promotional posters for AIM in advance of each tournament, at no cost, in order to get the word out and promote the events...they turned it down. I started the Kids Fishing With The Pros, produced trading cards for anyone who wanted them, designed jerseys, aided Greg Karch in promoting his kids program and supplied fishing equipment to give away, supplied AIM a full page for the organization to promote itself at no cost, and promote pro anglers in every issue of the magazine. The problem you and some others have is I also have the backbone to call actions exactly as they are.

Okay Rich, now list your neck stretching on behalf of the sport.


Everyone just sits back expecting others to automatically spill the beans on a solution to someone else’s problem when those same solutions can be utilized by other entities who are willing to compensate for the resolution. Some people are too dense to understand there is no solution if you’re just going to ignore the problems in the first place.

Problems:

[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]1)[/FONT][/COLOR] Start acting like a business instead of a groupie club.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]2)[/FONT][/COLOR] Deflate your heads so you can deal with the realities.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]3)[/FONT][/COLOR] Stop the chest thumping and start paying attention to the audience...you may notice there isn’t one.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]4)[/FONT][/COLOR] Learn how to form and market a brand, or get someone who does.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]5)[/FONT][/COLOR] Act like a business and start making wise decisions based on goals, not personal animosities.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]6)[/FONT][/COLOR] If you don’t want public scrutiny then get out of the game, it comes with the territory.

Once you deal with the problems then you can advance forward to build a sustainable game, it is stupid to discuss the latter without dealing with the issues first.[/QUOTE]

Some good points from both sides, but now it looks like advantage Giddy Gills! Next move?

[3M TA3]

[QUOTE=stevefellegy;1532642]Isn't this a very telling scenario, 28 years after the first national (so called professional) walleye circuit was formed and we still have to ask --" what makes a pro angler"?

With the buisness model that has been in place all those years, being a good marketing/promotions guy, not a great fisherman that gets paid to fish at the top level, is the key element to the answer to that question. Amazing...as we sit here 28 years later and nothing seems to change.[/QUOTE]

Sorry Steve, but this was only one guy asking a question.

[chainwall]

3M TA3, I understand your name. I always wanted that for a licence plate.

[Rich S]

[QUOTE=GiddyGills;1535144]Rich, that is just plain ignorant. Let’s compare actions shall we…

I arranged the opportunity for AIM or the NPAA to take control of a boat marina, at no cost, in order to make a yearly income...they both turned the offer down. I offered to produce, print and distribute promotional posters for AIM in advance of each tournament, at no cost, in order to get the word out and promote the events...they turned it down. I started the Kids Fishing With The Pros, produced trading cards for anyone who wanted them, designed jerseys, aided Greg Karch in promoting his kids program and supplied fishing equipment to give away, supplied AIM a full page for the organization to promote itself at no cost, and promote pro anglers in every issue of the magazine. The problem you and some others have is I also have the backbone to call actions exactly as they are.

Okay Rich, now list your neck stretching on behalf of the sport.


Everyone just sits back expecting others to automatically spill the beans on a solution to someone else’s problem when those same solutions can be utilized by other entities who are willing to compensate for the resolution. Some people are too dense to understand there is no solution if you’re just going to ignore the problems in the first place.

Problems:

[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]1)[/FONT][/COLOR] Start acting like a business instead of a groupie club.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]2)[/FONT][/COLOR] Deflate your heads so you can deal with the realities.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]3)[/FONT][/COLOR] Stop the chest thumping and start paying attention to the audience...you may notice there isn’t one.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]4)[/FONT][/COLOR] Learn how to form and market a brand, or get someone who does.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]5)[/FONT][/COLOR] Act like a business and start making wise decisions based on goals, not personal animosities.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Times New Roman]6)[/FONT][/COLOR] If you don’t want public scrutiny then get out of the game, it comes with the territory.

Once you deal with the problems then you can advance forward to build a sustainable game, it is stupid to discuss the latter without dealing with the issues first.[/QUOTE]

You still know how to crack me up. Chest thumping huh...:D Ever hear about the pot and the kettle. We have talked privately in the past and in order for this conversation to continue that is how it will have to be done unless the mods here want this to continue. The archive search here and over at the other site is your enemy. It won't take long for anyone to find out what you are all about. Have a great day!

[GiddyGills]

You are under the false impression there is an discomfort on my end in regards to previous statements. I encourage everyone to review past postings, and maybe some of the deleted commentary by others should also have another evaluation. Scoff all you want, for someone like yourself who is completely void of ideas and actions I am sure it is amusing. I have stated from the very beginning the whole sport has a lack of respect in the general public and the egos make the situation worse, and if attention was not focused on the public the house of cards would eventually fold...look where it’s at. Your problem is controlling the full body spasms resulting from anyone calling entities or individuals to the carpet...especially people you are associated with or have a man crush on.

Back door communication solves nothing, not when one of the issues is public support. To have a viable solution everyone needs to put on a pair of big boy pants and discuss the good, the bad, and the very ugly. The willingness to only view the good and mediocre is not going to cut it, there is a huge disparity between how the inside-the-industry sees tournaments and how the general public perceives them...and quite frankly the public immensely outnumbers the inside-the-industry folks. Where you and everyone else keeps going wrong is expecting the public to acclimate to the industry (as a sport) instead of the other way around.

If you want to have an intelligent discussion on a clear solution we can have that, but you better get rid of the parochial mindset and have the political capacity to pull it off. You can be walked through it and we can do it right here in the open, but you better have the motivation to complete it and the honesty answer the questions that need to be answered in order to tune the direction.

[Rich S]

You assume too much Steve. The pioneers made a mountain out of a mole hill and I have always given kudo's to those that actually stuck their neck out. They took a very uninteresting (from the public standpoint) "sport" and made it hugely successful for a fairly long period of time. You seem to think that because it is fading that there is something wrong and you also seem to think once again you have all the answers and that includes pointing out everyones so called flaws. The downfall of the national level tournament industry is out of our hands. Did the circuits do everythign perfect?? Absolutely not but they did the best they could and gave us a chance to compete and I for one appreciate that.

My advice to you (and I already know your reply) is that if you know it all and have all the answers, START YOUR OWN CIRCUIT! Be the guy the future generations write songs about and sing around the campfire. There could be statues of you at every boat launch and you will be imortalized forever.