4 Seasons Catfish Tourney-Questions-Concerns

I have a few questions I need answered. I took 2nd place in the Flathead Division, I just received my payout. – a $35 Gift Certificate to 4 Seasons. It states in the tournament rules based on 100 anglers,(my estimate is 37 actually participated)($25 x 37 anglers = $925) The payouts would be:

Largest Flathead: 1st $500, 2nd $250, 3rd $100, 10th $50 Gift Certificate

Largest Channel : 1st $500, 2nd $250, 3rd $100, 10th $50 Gift Certificate

Largest Rough Fish (Carp or Buffalo) 1st 100 Gift Certificate, 2nd $50 Gift Certificate

Based on the lower number of participants them prize totals would be less than originally posted. But why would a second place winner only be given a $35 gift card when the 1st place person in the same division was given $150 CASH? I should have been given CASH!!!

Answer these questions.

1. How many participants?
2. How much was paid out in EACH catagory 1st 2nd 3rd places? etc.

We deserve to know!

What did 4 Seasons have to say about it?

Doesn’t sound like a tourny I’d want to participate in…
Take second and win your money back

No thanks

BAMBOOZLED.

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I have a few questions I need answered.

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I’m sure you called and asked them first…right?

Its the first year for this tourney and will have some bugs that need to get worked out.
Please let us know what becomes of your concerns.It might have a bearing on whether some of us fish it next year.
I guess I would not be happy with a gift certificate.Should be cash in cash out.

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I’m sure you called and asked them first…right?

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The kid behind the counter is not the person to talk to about this issue. The organizer is on this forum, this is where I found out about the tourney, this is where I will inquire about my concerns.

Everyone deserves to know the facts.

Looks like you should have taken first

Numbers look fine to me. i’ve run a few public events like this and some just don’t understand a sliding payout schedule.

I want to say that my dealing with Mr. Winchester have been responsive and respectful even when we’ve had our differences. Without 4Seasons corporate support, this event would never have happened. They contributed staff time, publicity and gift certificates. This corporate public relations at it’s highest level in my book.

Good luck resolving the concerns, Chris.

Your tournament looks like it was very well run.

All I know is I had a heck of a time and thank Chris for putting it on. I would risk my life again for this tournament.

Oh jeesh, settle down..

And BTW we had no differences, I had/have no problem with you.

I hope next year you eliminate the channel cat “division” and payout, that is kind of ridiculous. It should be the biggest catfish – whatever it is, wins, and then do payouts for 2nd and 3rd.

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BAMBOOZLED??? Mfreeman I thought we had settled our differences but I must have been fooled. Anyhow, there was absolutely no BAMBOOZLING going on. I am a stand up guy and all of you who have dealt with me over the years know I will do all I can to help, get you the best deal, etc. Using the word BAMBOOZLED makes me feel as though you think I was trying to screw some over which to me is considered a personal attack of my character.
I do not normally respond to these negative posts but this one got under my skin. MFREEMAN, my mother always said if you have nothing nice to say than dont say anything at all.

I have no problem with Dr Flathead posting his concerns and agree he deserves to know the facts. I just do not understand the negative responses prior to the facts being provided.

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Actually I take back what I said, Dr. Flathead WAS BAMBOOZLED! 1st place rough fish takes 75$ but the good Doctor wins 2nd place with a respectable fish and takes home a gift card? Lol…

[quote So here are the facts.
Total # of entrants= 19 ( I am not sure where 37 came from)

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I was told by Jakob -who ran the weigh-in over night that there were 19 BOATS registered. I know Brian Schmidt fished alone. Therefore, approx. 37 PEOPLE should have paid the $25. Are them numbers incorrect?

Numbers are right. The extra you payed for the tournament rights and employees was advertising, that is how the local tourneys are run too. how many guys stopped in and bought catfish equipment the day of the tourney? I’d bet you made your $60 back from the advertising.

As for the the gift card, I’d be a little upset too. Take in cash, but give out gift card… As a business owner it kind of strikes me wrong, because I know you are making extra off the mark-up when he uses the card. So you took in 475 and payed out 475 worth of prizes.. but made money by making the winners shop at your store with their winnings.

You should have done $125 1st and 60 for second… CASH.

Honestly, I wouldnt want to fish in a tournament where with 19 participants you have to place in 2nd to win your money back plus $15 and in a gift card.

So don’t fish it.

It’s unfortunate there weren’t more participants, but I have no problem when a business takes the time to put on a tourney it is in part self promotion.

Paying out GIFT CERTIFICATES out of the total accrued amount of entrance fees, is not a 100% payout.

It should have been a cash payout.

Ive made my point. We can agree to disagree as to how this should have been handled.

What happend to fishing for bragging rights??? A lot of tournaments winning is not even the biggest payout unless its a high entry fee tournament. I fish a lot of muskie and walleye tournaments and have done pretty good and I bet I’m still in the hole on just entry fees! Just enjoy people because it could always be worse!

Chris, thanks for being so open and honest in your efforts to promote the sport of cat fishing in our area.

I do hope you’ll run this again next year and possibly raise up the entry fee to draw from a larger crowd.

Dr. I would like to buy that gift card from you for $40.00. I want to frame it.

Have a great…cool 4th all!

Even if you frame it doesn’t mean that you won it. I’ll stop there, any more and it could get mean and I’m too nice for that.

Nah, I wasn’t thinking of framing it for the claim to whinning.

Seriously? Your bitching about 35 dollars??? Grow up!! The way i see it, you now have an excuse to spend $35 on more fishing stuff as opposed having cash which would probably go in the gas tank or even worse… to the wife. Your making yourselves look like [censored] whining about measly $35! Not to mention accusing chris of being a crook.

I can’t believe some of you guys are complaining. If I was to enter a tournament like this it would be all about comradery and braggging rights, not money.

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Chris, thanks for being so open and honest in your efforts to promote the sport of cat fishing in our area.

I do hope you’ll run this again next year and possibly raise up the entry fee to draw from a larger crowd.

Dr. I would like to buy that gift card from you for $40.00. I want to frame it.

Have a great…cool 4th all!

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I’ll give $45.00 for it just so BK doesn’t get it.

Iowa guys…with all the money. Too high for my blood.

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I can’t believe some of you guys are complaining. If I was to enter a tournament like this it would be all about comradery and braggging rights, not money.

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You are absolutely right. If the tournament directors just want to attract regular anglers that want to have fun, like yourself, then the payouts were probably okay. But there are a lot of guys out there that travel to fish tournaments every week, they dont do it for bragging rights. If you want to have a bigger following and attract some serious catfish tourney guys, you cant be giving out gift cards as prizes.

Apparently Dr Flathead does not understand what it takes to run any kind of tournament!!! It is Very common for any establishment that it running a tournament to have the prizes be awarded in gift certificates . Any way you should support your local bait shop or you could always drive the extra 50 miles (cuz gas is cheap now a days) and get your tackle somewhere else. 4 Seasons staff keep up the good work!!!!!!

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But there are a lot of guys out there that travel to fish tournaments every week, they dont do it for bragging rights.

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B BK, the aren’t going to travel very far for a max payout of $500. either.

Are you talking about the Elite catfisherman dudes and dudettes , Brian?

I would NEVER have gotten in this tournament if I knew ahead of time the second place payout was a $35 Gift Card to the bait shop! it cost $25 to get into for crying out loud! From my house to 4 Seasons is 100 miles, Oakdale/Lake Elmo border……after gas, the payout was pretty much zero. If I wanted to fish a “Tourney” for the fun of it, Id do it amongst friends…..like we do in August.

-Dr. Bamboozled

Who won the random drawings that were suppose to happen at the weigh in?