Paddle-Fishing.com

Okay, there seems to be some interest. Maybe it was the format. Maybe it was the date. Maybe you don't want tournaments but would rather have Paddle-Ins. Maybe you want it to be a more serious tournament with a $150 buy in. Maybe you want an all ladyfish format.

You guys tell me what you want.....if you want it to go on.

I have been away from the club but I would like to fish in the tournaments the way they were when I first joined, that being you paid your entry fee the morning of and it was paid out to the top three winners with the slam. I realize that sponsor gear is hard to come by but it can just be about the comradre and winning the money for the biggest slam and the bragging rights
at the weigh in.

Olinfin

I'm probably the exception to the rule, but I typically won't know if I can make it until 2-3 days before and it's not until I'm actually in the truck that I know I'm going. So it's a booty call for me every time.

That said regarding the format, the prizes and money make the gig more competitive and enjoyable, but to me the picture and "bragging" rights are enough. Everything else is gravy.

Leveling the playing field with XYZ lure was important when I started out. I had no clue what I was doing and at least I felt I had some chance. It was a hook to get my interest (no pun intended). However, once I figured out what was going on the lures were more of a "Well that's nice." I was hungry to learn and the site provided a bunch of info, but like many other sites I think it's stagnated. Go to FL Sportsman and 50% is political crap or how Winston screwed up this time...If there isn't new relevant content there isn't much of a reason to visit the site. Everyone can socialize on Facebook and probably already are.

I think what's going on is that you're having a tough time getting fresh blood in the door and on the website. I believe that Facebook has taken a bite out of all forums and driving traffic. Seems that most of the threads are from "the regulars". I've even slowed my pace on reports mainly because in the summer it's stinkpot/tarpon time and in the fall it's Macdill time - I see a some guys posting on Macdill and although I did it originally I thought that it doesn't do a lot of good to post stuff where people cannot fish. Might even be rubbing it in. Editorial : I can say that there are plenty of places in the Bay that are just as good or better. Took about 2 years to figure that out.

To me the tournaments were a good excuse to get Wonderboy out of bed, moving, and out of the house. He still talks about the tournaments. Especially the Picnic Island trip - even though he won "newbie award", his memory is slogging it through the mud for 100 yards with his feet slipping out of his waders and my falling asleep on the way home. So it wasn't the destination, it was the journey. The daughter is having the same grind he has - 5:00am wake up everyday and mountains of homework at the IB program. I don't have the heart to yank her out of bed on Sat...yet. It's her first year in HS, so everything is new.

Bottom line (IMHO) to really keep the momentum going it's all about website traffic and/or publicity; otherwise you need some type of public hook to keep the momentum going. Frankly that's a bunch of work - unless retired who has the time. The fact that it's been going strong for so many years is really unbelievable and a testament to you and others' hard work in keeping it going.

As an example of the above - South Shore Anglers has very little new content on the website; like none. However, Steve Hoffman calls into the Reel Animals show every Saturday and Sunday at 6am; he makes umteen visits to sponsors (last I counted we were at 57 - each paying $150); he makes up flyers; distributes them; he sets up raffles; sells tickets; he lines up guides for monthly meetings - which are video'ed (on a separate note - just about every guide gets business out of the meetings; one even got sponsorship for ptts - forget what you think about the tournament - bottom line that's a bunch of money); he talks up the tournaments, and every tournament is for a charitable cause; kids always fish for free and they receive gifts; he drives all over town from St. Pete to Tampa to Ruskin; bottom line he eats breaths and sleeps SSA and it shows. To date I believe we're at over $110K put back into the community. So his hook is charitable tournaments, low entry fees ($25), good prizes (powerpoles, $8-10K golfcarts...), and local guides talking it up (Watts Brothers, CA Richardson....), but his commitment level is phenomenal. People are now showing up to see how he runs the club - so something must be right.

I suspect that if you did a one year blowout tournament instead of 6-8 you would get a better show up, but even that's a bunch of work.

To answer "You guys tell me what you want.....if you want it to go on."

Personally a once a year $25-$35 entry for a substantial prize would be really cool, but make it simple - largest two fish, largest redfish... I think slams and largest specie make it complicated for you guys. $50 to me is too much. All proceeds go to some local charity would make it even better. Other than that paddleins are fine.

Anyway...those are my [rambling] thoughts. More coffee for me.

There was a great show at the Coop pf-ts, shows that everyone comes out when it's supporting a good cause. Gaining some cash from placing? It's nice but shouldn't be the intention, there's other more expensive tournaments for that. Free stuff is cool but if no one has time to get prizes from sponsors, oh well, we could still have a good time swapping stories while throwing back cool ones while raising money with a 50/50.

I always liked the lure swap format, especially when a coin was flipped last minute to see if we were using the ones we brought or someone else's bag.

Raising awareness on FB would be my marketing suggestion, at the minimum an event page per tournament. That would allow for others to share and spread the word.


PS. Fly division would be tight.

I have to admit that I have been fairly busy and just plain remiss in checking in. I think I logged on to check on this the day before your announcement post, then not again until today. My bad, but it speaks to the state of my life right now. I like the forum but have a lot of internet things pulling in many directions.

Is there a way to have a sign up that would feed more directly to a medium that I am forced to use more daily, such as my email or FB that the announcements or tourney schedules could be fed to?

Just a thought.
1,2
red-blue

In order to get better turn out I think we need to revitalize the "community" that we used to have on PF. There has been a dramatic drop off in posts over the past year or so. I think this drop is directly related to the rise in popularity of other social media, mainly Facebook. All of the people that I am FB friends with that are also PF members have posted posted fishing stories on FB that they have not put on PF. I am guilty of this also. So for my part I am going to try and post more on PF. I think if everyone posted more we would in turn get more traffic to read the posts which would lead to more engaged members. More engaged members are more likely to attend an event.

As for the PFTS, it seemed that we had the best turnouts back when we ran straight slam tournaments. Prize money for the first three slam spots and then recognition for largest red, snook or trout. I also liked the concept of a season long "Angler of The Year" type format. That helped motivate some, me included, to make all the events.

I've been fairly detached over the last couple of years due to other pursuits, but I'm planning a little more fishing time for 2015.
Always enjoyed the PFTS series, although I much prefer the original slam format, with recognition for the largest of each species. Awards are secondary, bragging rights is where it's at!
I also prefer an early launch/early weigh-in. Maybe a 1:00 deadline instead of 2:30.
Whatever is decided, I'll always appreciate the behind-the-scenes time & effort that go into these things, as well as keeping the site up & running.

I would like to see them continue, I think the original slam format is the way to go with no live bait or gulp. As suggested before I believe an email reminder would be productive, so people don't have to remember to check the website.

I agree with the slam format. I think the idea of email reminders is good too. Having an angler of the year would add a fun competition from tournament to tournament. Maybe a tournament with other kayak groups in the area. Something where we all get together and fish one tournament together or even a tournament where PFTS vs. Xyz for bragging rights.
Just some quick random thoughts. I hope there is still life left in this group. It was a big motivator for me in getting into kayak fishing.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

I think if u set up email alerts for the PFTS it would help. I didn't even know about the last one because I don't check the forums a lot because it a slower moving forum.

I have really enjoyed the ones I've been able to participate in. Not that many but now that I have both shoulders and all my ribs where they belong, I was hoping to fish more of them. I like the "new" format, but I liked the old ones too. It's kinda cool to change it up like that.
I had planned of participating in #1, but I have learned that if I sign up, something will come up. So I wait till the day of. Is it better to sigh up and no show, that is what I was trying to avoid. Not sure if anyone else works it this way. I guess next one I will sign in as a maybe???
But keep them going please! I personally don't care about the prizes, just the good people and comradery. (well a little cash wouldn't hurt)