Grand Champion

I’ll start this over here based on an idea from Steve Cady over at FTL.

How ’bout crowning a Grand Champion angler from this board or FTL or both? This should be interesting for us multi-species anglers, the only problem will be deciding which species will constitute the champion.

On FTL we’re talking walleyes, largemouths, smallmouths, pike and muskies. Perhaps on FTR we could eliminate the muskies, or bring both boards together on this.

Simply measure and photograph your best of the year in each species, total up the inches, and crown a Grand Champion.

No entry, no money, no prizes. Just a little strutting is all that’s involved.

What do you guys think? We could run it til Labor Day if that’s late enough or longer if we wish.

Give us some feed back.

Beav

Great Idea Beav, Count me in…..B

I like the idea of a friendly competition. An idea maybe is have seperate categories for each species.

I LOVE this idea!

What if we had seperate categories for each species. Largemouth, smallmouth, walleye, sauger, pike, and muskie, etc. Since this little contest would be a “catch and release only” deal, those participating would submit photos of their entries along with the signature of at least ONE witness verifying the length. We keep a running record of who submitted what and the lengths in each category. Multiple entries would be welcomed. Determining category winners would be easy. The angler with the longest fish in that category walks off with the category honors. If there is a tie, the angler with the longest “second entry” in that given category would break the tie.

To determine Grand Champion we would award points for each category based on where that angler placed in each respective category. 1st place = 1 pt. 2 nd place = 2 pts. and so on. The angler with the lowest combined point total from 4 of the 6 possible categories is the winner. The actual number of total categories and the number of categories used to determine the winner is still up in the air of course. That 4 out of 6 example was that, only an example.

Going this route would allow those that don’t have access to a particular species the ability to participate and it would greatly reward those of us that are well rounded multi-species anglers.

EFN would certainly be able to dig up some dandy prizes from our growing list of awesome sponsors. That would keep the contest free, and most of all, a heck of a lot of fun!

Thoughts on this anyone?

I think it would be a great idea!!! Since the FTR get together is around the end of Aug, we could crown (and toast) the winner then.? Also making it a ” multiple” species contest would get some of us that just fish for 1 or 2 species, some incentive to break our habits and try some ” other types of fishing!!!

SWANY

Great idea on the points system James. I think there might be some ties with only single point system. How about going by a .5 format. This might help because a 28″ walleye in the spring can look alot different than in the summer. Pictures are only as good as the operator. Just a thought. ec

I think some great ideas have come up in this thread. This sounds like a fun deal for everyone. Crowning the champ at the ftr get together sounds like the icing on the cake. Count me in!!!!

~~~~~~alkfish

I think there should be a catfish catagory, seein’ how there’s a catfish forum here and maybe a start date of……………..? The inland waters opener to keep availability and participation as equal as possible comes to mind. Any thoughts? Then place the cut off 1 week before the Get Together. That’d allow close to a 4 month window of opportunity!

I think it should run for the full calender year since some of us do alot of fall fishing. If we do it this year and total up at the get-together, then it should run from get-together to get-together after that. Ending it in August is too early.

Beav

Good idea on running from get-together to get-together. I plan on making this next one.Looking forward to putting faces and personalities to keyboards.

Can’t forget, Trout are located in Rivers as well????

Yup… yup. Trout and cats would have their category. I’ve already been intouch with sponsors for their input on this idea. I think for this year we’ll open the contest on the inland opener and run it until the 2002 get-together. Then NEXT year’s contest would run from the day after the 2002 Get-Together to the 2003 Get-Together.

Exxxxcellent! That sounds like a solid way to go. So James, would this fall onto you and Steve’s laps or do you think you should farm the results out to “an honorary official” of sorts? I know all the photo submissions will come to EFN, but will you guys have the time to keep the records or would some help be beneficial?

Jame’s since trout fishing opened on Jan. 1st,( This is the winter “Catch and release only” barbless hooks only, on quite a few streams in the whitewater watershead, and many others in southeastern mn.) Iowa’s trout season doesn’t close, and on the O’l mississippi you can catch any spieces,(Other than sturgen, paddle fish and maybe some I’m forgetting.) Can we not open the contest sooner. that will give everyone some more time to catch “the big one that didn’t get away.”If we (you) come up with the guide lines, point system ect. What do you think?

I’d be more than happy to help if I can!!

SWANY

It has been pointed out to me that this is going to take alot more work than what my Polish brain figured it would. So, if there’s any way that I can help, let me know. In the meantime, I will donate 5 of my ho-made “Beavertails” to the winner of the muskie division and I’ll supply 2 dozen of my hairjigs to the winner of the walleye division.

Beav

OK, now if I don’t bring this up for consideration I know that Dodge Boy, (who say’s he unofficially has the record for the Wisconsin state fish, the Dog fish) and Carp chaser who have not seen for a long time will be disappointed.

What will all the fish categories be? Will Carp, Dogfish, and all the other “rough fish” count as well? I guess I would like to see it cause first of all they happen to all of us even though we may not be trying for them. Also a little diversity is supposed to be good for us. ;o)

Sounds fun. Are we talking fish caught only on the Mississippi, only within the USA, any river or stream??? For example, I’m planning a trip to the Red in Manitoba for some channel cats this spring. Thats almost cheating!!

Anyone, anywhere… any body of water.

Running out to the Red won’t win you the “Big Cheese” award because you’ll be forced to finish high in a high percentage of the categories that we choose to fish for with this. This will be won be a skilled mulit-species angler…. a “one trick pony” won’t do well at all. And yes, we can have a carp category but we’ll be forced to limit ourselves a bit. We can’t add seperate categories for every species that swims. But I do see the interest in adding carp. That one will be there for sure.

And this will be a heck of a lot of work so please, don’t be impatient. We’ve got a couple projects ahead of this one already but when we roll it out, it will be a dandy.

I’ll keep everyone updated.

You would cheat anyway’s Dirk…….. I think that this will be fun/….. I will have to learn how to catch “[censored]” fish like muskie/crappie/trout/…..

I’ll donate a Slim Whitman album & case of Schlitz to the winner of the Bullhead Category…….B

LOL! That does it………………….I’M IN!!!!! :O)

Is it Schlitz malt, you know the 16oz ones.LOL Steve

Awww Geez Beav,

You brought it to all the river guys….Now I have to fish moving water! Oh well! Any Skies in those pool thingys you guys fish?

Seriously I hope this can get done it would be a fun and challenging experience.

Steve

So James…..what if we fish alone and do CPR on a big fish. Is a picture showing the ruler laid on the fish as good as a witness signature? I like to return the big ones as quickly as possible, especially in hot weather. What’dya think?

Steve, this is where that “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” comes from. If you haven’t fished much moving water before, you will be fishing it this spring. Probably sooner than you expect.

Beav

Beaver did you get a new picture under your name or is it just me?????/

I thought Harvey Kietel just registered when I saw your new pic…

leinieman, I can’t take time to think about ounces right now , I’m busy searching the net for a Slim Whitman album. But don’t worry, It will be there for the get together. LOL!! …..B

Excellent idea,great ideas come from true fishermen.Yoy guys are running a great ship.Keep up the good work,and have a happy new year.

Excellent idea,great ideas come from true fishermenYOU.guys are running a great ship.Keep up the good work,and have a happy new year.