Any advice on starting a new club

[IloveSpam]

any advice would be great. i belong to a federation club now and looking to start a small club not with the federation...yet..maybe in the future just wanna get started....Thanks

[nwgabassmaster]

Try to get the word out as much as you can, try to generate as much interest as you can, and do all of that before the thoughts of creating one enters your mind.

It is not as easy as it seems, unless you are near a metropolis of some sort.

With the price of gas seemingly going up with Katrina destroying parts of LA and MS, anglers are going to want to fish waters that are close to home, and that won't need to consume large amounts of gas while on the lake.

Another thing is that you might want to create a club that does not have a high membership fee, nor a huge entrance fee.  

The club that I am trying to put together will have a $20 membership fee, that is a yearly fee, and will have a $15 entrance fee with a $5 Big Fish fee, if they want to put that money in the pot.  

[IloveSpam]

Thanks..I have 10 guy already to go...i dont want more than 12 ,,7 boaters...we have a tournamet once a week already and have all the lake picked out.. i guess im looking for someone who has run a private club ..as i said im already involved in a BASS federation club and its awesome.. That club is $15 per month and i dont find that too much for the information i recive fishing with vetrans and guys who have already achieved so much ,,  is priceless.....its a great club .. anyone currently run a small club maybe even in the new england area ? any ideas on using the club to help educate our anglers .i have already started a kids program and contacted local fisheries to help maintain our waterways... we need a pro angler to come in and give us some tips ..that would be cool ....

[tritonman]

wickedbass, are you looking at a team tournament or individual tournament club?

[BClay]

I just found this site.  I am from Arizona and I just a new club started.  We are a chapter of BASS.  When we started our club we didnt want to be part of BASS but our state has insurance requirements to hold a tournament.  You might want to check into your state laws reguarding insurance to hold a tournament.  I dont mean to be the negitave response but accidents do happen.  Good Luck to you and your club.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I fish in a "league" that we call "the clearwater challenge".  We are primarily made up of people who became uninterested in the politics associated with club fishing.  Some guys are retired club fisherman who may not want to fish a whole scheduled season,etc but anyway, this is hop it works.

The organizer (Bill) has a list of 17 , 2man teams.  He makes the call on wed night to each team captain and announces the time , price and place for saturday morning.  Entry is never less than $100/person and never more than $250.  $200 is taken off the top of the pot for the bbq or breakfast after weigh in.  The rest is divided for $200 big bass, and 1-4 place payouts.  Now 34 guys x 250 minus bbq and big bass, leaves one heck of a payout.

Here's the catch.

It's alot like this forum and it's creator.  This is Bills game, and Bill makes the rules.  These guys, regardless of the money, are here for the comeraderie, the great fishing, and for recreation.  Many guys are retired and they see it as a day on the golf course or a friendly fishing tournament, either way, they are going to spend the $150 for the day and don't care if it's here or at the casino as long as they have a good time.  There are no fights, quarrels etc.  What Bill says goes and if that's a problem, you're not invited back.  Real simple.  This was our 2nd year and not one incident in both seasons.  Great guys, great times, and opportunities to fish other new england lakes and even make some money.  The clearwater part is because Bill only pics high quality, clear water impoundments.

[cart7t]

I've been a member of clubs affliated with different tourney organizations and then a member of a non affiliated just-for-fun club. Believe me when I say the the Picnic club (as we were called)  ;D  was a lot more fun to be in.  It was about sharing info, having some not so serious tourney's and fellowship, both at the lake and at our once a month meetings.

Keep it cheap.  Make dues enough to cover a small newsletter and maybe some small Angler of the year trophies.  Another thing,  watch your new membership and their affiliations. Have tourney fee's cheap enough and a payout low enough so as not to attract regular tourney guys wanting to skim the pot, so to speak.  Allowing new anglers into a club is great but if that angler turns out to be a tourney angler he's going to want the club to fish tourneys that coincide with affiliation tourneys he's fishing.  If he brings more members into the club like minded with him the next thing ya know he's got a voting block and your club tourneys are taking a back seat to some Buddy or affiliated tourney's schedule.  Been there, done that.