This subject always gets people going. As president of a club and vice president/tournament director for a state BASS Federation we always have to consider participation and growing membership. If co anglers get mad and decide as the person who started this thread that they will not fish with them any longer then you get boaters who get paired with another boater and have to split the boat half the day which puts you back in the original situation. Or you have to limit the field. either way you are it is doing an disservice to the federation and the state team. Maybe other state federations can afford to lose members, but we can't. IMO club and state tournaments should mimic the Divisionals and Nationals. Practice how you compete.
It just doesn't make sense to me to qualify 6 boaters and 6 non boaters for a divisional tournament and the non-boaters havn't had to run the front of the boat. If they as some would say luck into winning their state then they go to Nationals to represent your state and have not run the front of the boat. May be that is the idea of some, " don't let the co-anglers fish the front or find their own fish at the state level then at divisionals the boaters have an advantage over them for going to nationals."
I completely understand the other side of it as well. I pay for the 60k boat, 50k tow vehicle, maintenance, etc, etc. and turning that over to the coangler for half the day bugs me, but the club and federation level has and should remain as a stepping stone for new people to be able to learn and for people can't afford or don't have time to fish the Stren or the Opens.
My opinion over the years has come to this. If you are going to fish club and federation tournaments remember that you have to have co-anglers. If you don't like this format go fish the opens, stren, or a team series. I think Ky is making a mistake if they change it.
Just my $1.50.
Mike
