Is it just me?

[flyphisher #]

I got a bad taste with club politics and such.....anyone else?

Tried to join the local bass club. Wanted in as a non-boater to start out, was told no. Then decided to join as a boater anyway. considering they were begging for boaters. Went to the meetings with a member then fished a tournament. Was told the next week that they have a rule where if one club member votes no on your membership, you dont get in and  one old man said he would vote for againest you, so dont come to another meeting. Went on to say it was "his club." He is a board member of both Fed. clubs here.

My buddy quit shortly after and told me the whole story.This man is hated by most people, even some of his family, and joined the club and started harrassing/badmouthing/aggravatingg the board members to get his way and make them quit...So he moved up to president because no one else wanted to do it.  

Also happens to be the grandfather of a distant teenage cousin that is a felon that ihave had problems with harassing me, threatening me, dont know how he would blame me for their behavior.....

Is this common with small town fishing clubs or just me????should they be reported to federation?

[Guest avid]

I think your situation is kind of unique, but that being said, politics in hunting/fishing clubs is the rule, not the exception.

Usually the group that started the club are the "insiders" and will shape everything to thier benefit.

I belonged to a hunting club for 2 years before I found out that there were several tracts of productive club property that I was not aware of even though I asked several times at meetings for locations of all of the clubs lands.

I have never joined a bass club, but I have spoken to many guys who have.  It seems pretty common that long term members have a different set of rules than "newbies"

[Sam]

Bass fishing clubs, like all other organizations, have their "cliques" and it is very difficult to break into them.

At most clubs the clique has private tournaments that you will be not invited to fish; they make large purchases of oil and baits and tell no one; they socialize with each other outside of the club and exclude others; and they do not share valuable fishing information with many of the members.

So should you be upset?  Nope. These guys are probably fantastic fishermen and you will learn a lot from them.  So just shrug it off and go fishing with as many of these guys you can; learn their secrets and places to fish; and have a good time.

As far as reporting them to your local Federation, may I suggest:

1

[Sam]

Continued...

1.  Do not put anything in writing.

2.  Call one of the Federation officers and make an appointment to visit with him, personally, to discuss your concerns.

3.  Be careful as the Federation people may know the guys in your club and you may shoot yourself in the foot if this is the case and make more enemies.

4.  If you get no relieif from the state Federation, try the B.A.S.S. or FLW, TBF, etc. and see what they have to say.

My suggestion is to speak with the old goat and see if you can join the club.  If not, then forget the guys and fish as you wish.

Remember, it is a private club and each state or jurisdiction has its own laws regarding membership so you may not have a legal leg to stand on.  Discrimination is against public policy in this country but private clubs can be protected under specific laws so you may want to check this out before you decide to bring a legal action agianst the club.

After what you said about the old goat and his family I cannot understand why you would want to be affiliated with him and his ilk in any manner?

You may be much better off just fishing for fun or starting your own club or private tournaments with friends.

Just be careful as you do not need any problems from the club or its members.

[flyphisher #]

Not really something that is bothering me, just wondering if others had experienced stuff like this with club angling. This was almost 2 years ago. I started fishing team tournies and pot deals instead of the club route..The club is basically bass and flw on the lake i live on. I would like to fish the Top 6 and federation stuff, but this crowd changes the rules as they go... They dont like younger blood at all. A couple young guys won almost every tournament out of a jon boat, it ticked the old farts off so they changed the rules. Somewhat comical...also funny how we are in the dead middle of Ga, and they had more tournaments in alabama the last two years than the home lake.

[cart7t]

I think you'll run into this more with clubs affiliated with Tourney organizations.  I once belonged to a club that was affiliated, those not caring to affiliate broke away from the tourney boys (they kept the name since the founders were not for any further affiliation), the club ran great for several years.  Then a new group started infilitrating the club.  They wanted the club to run our tournies as pre-fish events for a regional buddy bass series.  They had enough members to make vote "their" lakes in.  Friction between members started.  The club kinda fell apart, I quit, the founding members also quit.  A group tried to restart the club as a fish for fun deal a year or so later but it only lasted a year or so.  The club disolved after being around for around 11 - 12 years.  Sad.  

If you can find them, fish for fun clubs are the way to go.  Far less politics than the affiliateds.

[paleo]

i ve got same problem , when i ask about club specifics i get no response it is really annoying , i guees i wont join one >

[bassbob08]

I was in a bass club in Ma. with my brother as my team mate,and for three years we took first place,on the fourth yea about half way through we found out that the presidents dad who was his team mate had cancer,at that point ,we were in first place by a large margin,at that point our ruel was 90% Bass enrolment.The pres. calld a meeting with the board members and changed that rule to 100%,My brother was not enroled in Bass at the time and was then kicked out of the club,that took all of his points away and put the pres. and his Dad in first place.I ended up taking second place over all and at the end of the season I quit the club.I hate polaticks.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Club politics-YUK  the main reason I don't "compete"

I'll stay right here where our club has 10,000 members, no drama, and tons of help and sharing.

[HPBB]

HI I am a president of a local BASS club outside of Pittsburgh, several of my fellow club members are members of this site and our club is not run anything like you stated. yes some are, but some are not.

bassbob07: was this club a BASS affilated club? if so, it should have 100% Members of BASS to start with. BASS mandates this. your brother should have been given time to join BASS, not just thrown out. that was wrong

flyphisher: I know in my club also, one vote no, will stop one from joing, but we have never voted no. however: we always vote, never had a poss. member just not try because he heard someone was to vote no. I think someone played you.

There are good clubs out there. when I joined my club we had some politcs. and some members not doing the right things. It took a few  years, but other members started takeing leadership roles in the club and we weed out the bad seeds. Is my club perfect? no, but its pretty good. I have notice that when a club gets big is when the politcs start. we limit the club to 20 members this gets every member involved, everbody has a say.

[Guttboy]

I was in a GREAT club in Fort Walton Beach Florida....til 1998 when I got stationed overseas.  Well run...boaters/nonboaters...monthly fishing club tourneys...guys that would fish all the time!  ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!  Met some great folks, learned alot, caught a bunch of fish!

I am SOOO sorry you had that experience....I dont know of a club near me in San Antonio but I would hope that it is run like the club I was a member in 10 years ago!

One terrific note that LBH mentioned is that there is NO DRAMA here....I am soooo glad I found this site.  Emailed a member here (Rebasser) and he has provided me nothing but tips/advice/encouragement....so even if you did not get the support from that club see if the folks here might fish with ya!  If you are in San Antonio lemme know and we can fish!

[bassbob08]

Hpbb,It was a Bass aff,club and as a small boat club you can have less than 100% unless its voted to 100%..And you are right he should have been given time to join bass.But they wanted the Dad to win a 1st place before he died.

[HPBB]

sorry bassbob07, if it is a BASS affiliated club it has to be 100% BASS members. that is stated in the BASS chapter by-laws. These by-laws are given to ever club that is a BASS affiliated club. And under article VI affiliation. letter D states (100% BASS membership). It doesn't matter if its a big boat club, small boat club, or float tube club, or a club of all non-boaters, 100% BASS members. either way, he should have been give time to join.

The fact that they hurried up and made it 100% BASS members, kicking out non members, kinda shows that they found their mistake and tried to fix it fast, to cover their butts. they problabally wanted this guy to win, but they saw they were in volation of BASS rules also. and if they where sending any members to fish any federation tournaments or  they did, all would have been dissqualified

[bassbob08]

ok

[fish-fighting-illini]

Man some clubs sound like they are run by office women. Geez who's got the time and energy for all of the crap.

Sorry to hear about you plight Flyphish. If I were you I'd start up my own for the fun of it club. Sounds like with the other club's dropout rate you'd have plenty of people. If I ever started or had a club it would be a for fun only that's why we fish in the first place or so I thought.

Some of those clubs sound like a bunch of gossipy old women.