Indiana Bass Federation Trail 2012

[hotrod]

Guys i want to invite everyone to fish the trail next season. New director Kenny Swint for 2012. Eric Hardesty done a great job for 2011 to get the trail moving in the right direction. Kenny will do a wonderful job also.
March 25, Patoka
May 13, Brookville
June 10, Rocky Point
July 15, Tanners Creek
August 19, Monroe
September 23, Patoka
Classic Oct. 6 & 7

[skeeter tom]

Not sure if you noticed but the classic is the same time as the BFL regional .

[hotrod]

I will be fishin LBL division. But good point

[dannyphil]

why no northern lakes?

[redrangerz21]

I think its the best trail in the state to fish.

[drewboy32]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by redrangerz21 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I think its the best trail in the state to fish. </td></tr></table>
Same here!!!

[guisertj]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by dannyphil &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">why no northern lakes?</td></tr></table>

agreed

[dannyphil]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by redrangerz21 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">I think its the best trail in the state to fish. </td></tr></table>


if you live south of indianapolis

[jlaw300]

They set in the meetings in Indianapolis and wonder why they can't get support for the trail from northern members. Based on the schedule year after year "northern" to them is Carmel, cause they sure don't venture north of there. I've heard a LOT about how well run it is and what a great trail is it to fish, but I can't see fishing in the southern Indiana guys back yard EVERY tournament. Bring a tournament or two north, you might be surprised by the turn out.

[ranger 519]

where can you have a large tournament turn out up north ? I can only think of one lake, and that boat ramp is a joke ????????? thank you northerns

[jlaw300]

There's Wawasee for one, plenty big enough and parking is not a problem with the school right there. We have 60 - 70 boat tournaments on the St Joe River a couple of times a year, without a problem. Maxi could easily host one, and if someone did a little homework they could make arraignments with the marina to use their facilities.

That's 3 right off the top of my head.

[cubswin]

would imagine salamonie and mississenwa wouldn't be a issue to have that many boats as well.

Tippecanoe as well

On the bright side I like they stay south because I don't fish tournaments.

[BassManGuy]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by ranger 519 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">where can you have a large tournament turn out up north ? I can only think of one lake, and that boat ramp is a joke ????????? thank you northerns</td></tr></table>

Are you kidding me?? That comment is a joke. Where do you think we go up here when we fish, sure as hell isn't 2 hours south everytime and believe it or not there is water north of Indy that plenty of clubs and other tournament trails use for their tournaments. C'mon, now there is a big pond up here called Lake Michigan. Is that lake too big for you or too far north? No disrespect, but being from up here and fishing many lakes, rivers here including Lake Michigan, I can assure you there is plenty of water for a large tournament to be held.

I would be very interested and willing to fish IBF, but for the very reason stated, I am not going to 2.5 hours south or to the other end of the state for every tournament. I know for sure if the trail was further north and included waters up here as well as south thereby evening out the playing field, many more guys would fish it. But, I'm not going to fish a trail and be confident of donating most of the time because 90% of the field know the water better than me because its in their backyard.

Up here there is Lake Michigan, St. Joe river, Wawasee, and Shafer to name a few of which I have fished tournaments at before. Maxinkuckee is another lake and I am assuming the lake your talking about having a terrible boat ramp. Couldn't agree more about that ramp, however, if this is the only lake you have fished "north", than you haven't gone north enough. IMHO, that lake is probably my least favorite lake to fish of lakes considered to be north. But, I have fished tournaments out there with 80+ tournament boats on the water meaning there are trails that do fish it. Parking is a whole other story too.

Not trying to stir the pot or step on anyone's toes, but there is water north of indy that has some great fishing as I am sure many who have or do fish north of indy can attest to. If one day the IBF extends their trail to include lakes up north, you betcha there will be plenty more anglers happy to join including myself.

[201pro]

Just as a matter of fact from past years. When they fished tourneys on the northern lakes, there has not been good a turn out.

As for the bad ramp, I would assume he is talking about Wawasee. Never have been able to run the tourney out of the Wawasee ramp and have to launch from the crappy ramp on Syracuse.

If you want it to fish up there, then volunteer to be the tournament director and try to schedule the lakes up there. I would bet the numbers would drop even farther than they have been for the last few years.

[jlaw300]

If the number of entrants for the trail are dropping, as you indicate, then expanding might be a better option than keeping it the same year after year and hoping for a different out come.

[hardestyeric]

First, thank you for the kind words Lincoln.

Second, Kenny tried to get a date on Wawasee this year. It did not work out. He was told when to fish it from the northern directors and it fell in the middle of the Top 8's.

Third, this schedule is different than past years. Kenny listened to the people and added Brookville and Tanner's Creek. Running this Trail isn't as easy as some of you might think. You aren't going to make everyone happy regardless of what you try.

I hope Kenny gets better support than I did. I know he is busting his tail trying to grow it back to what it used to be.
Thanks,
Eric H.

[hotrod]

I will be back and bring others also. Thanks to Eric and his team last year to change alot of peoples mind on the trail. The pay back is good and the fisherman are great come join the fun

[jlaw300]

I wish you well in running this trail, I hope it only gets better and better. My input was if you want more support you need to make this truly the INDIANA Bass Federation Trail and not the SOUTHERN Indiana Bass Federation Trail.

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by hardestyeric &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Second, Kenny tried to get a date on Wawasee this year. It did not work out. He was told when to fish it from the northern directors and it fell in the middle of the Top 8's. </td></tr></table>

Trying to get "a date on Wawasee" does not, in my opinion, constitute trying to include the northern members. Trying for "a date" on one lake during one month is more of an attempt to appease them, not include them. Make the schedule half and half then you might get people to travel.


<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by hardestyeric &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Third, this schedule is different than past years. Kenny listened to the people and added Brookville and Tanner's Creek. Running this Trail isn't as easy as some of you might think. You aren't going to make everyone happy regardless of what you try. </td></tr></table>

I re-read the thread and didn't see any indication of anyone suggesting or implying that running the trail is easy, so I'm not sure where that came from.

My input on this matter stems from sitting in the district meeting in Warsaw (which is this Saturday) and hearing that we should, as IBF members, support the trail. All I am saying and have said is if you, as director, what more support from the northern members you should include us, instead of excluding us, when doing the schedule.

My point is, a schedule like this is closer to being a true IBF Trail than having all the lakes being southern lakes.

Rocky Point
Patoka
Wawasee
Monroe
St. Joe River
Brookville

And I realize that you'll never make everyone happy, but if pleasing only a portion of the members is your goal that's as close as you'll ever get.

[ss]

I have been fishing the IBF tournament trail since 1995, and this argument over north vs south has been going on since before I started. The fact is, those of us in the south generally don't want to spend the money to travel to the northern end of the state to fish lakes we don't know, and in some cases, don't even like. At the same time, people in the north generally don't want to come down here and fish our nasty old river (that I do like). As far as the 2012 season is concerned, the schedule is basically set, and no amount of complaining on the internet is going to change a whole lot at this point. If there is truly an interest in having IBF-style tournaments in northern Indiana, my advice would be for those people to work toward starting a trail in that area for 2013. I would be totally in favor of northern and southern divisions of the IBF trail. They could operate as separate circuits, and have a common classic that would alternate from the north and south from year to year. That idea has been brought up before, and I really don't know why it hasn't gone anywhere. The fact is that many of us are fine with the fact that the IBF tournaments are in the south, and we have no reason to try to change that. It is up to the northern folks who want these tournaments closer to home to take the initiative and talk to the people who can make the changes they want.

[BassManGuy]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by ss &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">The fact is, those of us in the south generally don't want to spend the money to travel to the northern end of the state to fish lakes we don't know, and in some cases, don't even like. At the same time, people in the north generally don't want to come down here and fish our nasty old river (that I do like). As far as the 2012 season is concerned, the schedule is basically set, and no amount of complaining on the internet is going to change a whole lot at this point. If there is truly an interest in having IBF-style tournaments in northern Indiana, my advice would be for those people to work toward starting a trail in that area for 2013. I would be totally in favor of northern and southern divisions of the IBF trail. They could operate as separate circuits, and have a common classic that would alternate from the north and south from year to year. That idea has been brought up before, and I really don't know why it hasn't gone anywhere. The fact is that many of us are fine with the fact that the IBF tournaments are in the south, and we have no reason to try to change that. It is up to the northern folks who want these tournaments closer to home to take the initiative and talk to the people who can make the changes they want.

</td></tr></table>

Your first statement explains the very reason why there are no northern anglers who fist IBF, and the problem with IBF. The IBF shouldn't be set up to favor those from the southern part of Indiana because they don't like lakes in the northern part of the state, tough luck. If this was a club than thats one thing. This is supposed to be a statewide tournament trail, giving every angler from Indiana the equal opportunity to fish it. If you dont like a lake thats on the schedule or its too far away than don't go. That's what I would do and probably anyone else for that matter who fishes a tournament trail, otherwise, they suck it up and do it.

Its called Indiana Bass Federation, not Southern Indiana Bass Federation. Therefore, there should be no bias to people who fish southern lakes as opposed to those fish northern lakes. This trail should include all lakes north, south, east, or west give each individual who is interested in fishing the IBF an opportunity as an equal competitor. The reason many of you are fine with all the tournaments in the south is obvious, you all are from the south who fish the IBF because all the tournaments are held in southern indiana. If you have members who were from the north, I would bet that would change.

I here about membership dropping lower and lower. If you put more diversity in the schedule across the state, more people would fish. Plain and simple. The idea of having divisions would be practical, but it is up to the tournament committee who runs IBF to make that decision and change. To me it sounds like the IBF is ran more like a club rather than a real tournament trail. Fishing club tournaments is something I do too and it brings great friendships and camaraderie among everyone. But if the IBF wants to do it right, than they need to make a change which I think would only be for the better and bring more anglers. Making divisions might be the answer. I am confident guys would fish it from up north including myself, and I know many of them would make the travel down south to fish too which many already do for fun fishing and also tournaments.