If there is one thing that is very important to you about a float tube club what would it be?

Rich
SCBBBC.COM

For me it's having fun and learning new stuff.sharing info and techniques and in genreal the camradere?(sp)The reason I don't do the boat tournies(other than my livewell not workinglol)is that it's just too competative and seems like that would suck the fun factor out of it for me.:o I can't tell ya how many times I('ve been in a tourney and maybe not doing too good when I start talking with someone else on the water and they have given me baits or told me some other info(thanks a ton,ya'll know who you are) :7 that enabled me to at least get on 1 or 2 fish and a couple times a decent limit! Just like my buds I'm willing to share info and stuff on and off the water.After all it's not like I'm fishing the calssic or anything like that. :7
Swampy

I want to be able to fish with a couple of buddies and NOT have to be a part of B.A.S.S. But I guess Ill have to fish with them outside the club.

Thanks for a fun time guys....maybe Ill see you on the water sometime.

I would have to say the main reason I joined the club back in "42" was to learn new techniques and different lakes.I didnt know a single person in the club when I joined but since then have made many friends and learned a heck of alot about bass fishing.I think having meetings is important because thats where you can ask ? and talk fishing,this is where I think alot about bass fishing is learned.I also remember times on smaller lakes during tournies where I would just watch some of the consistant guys back then like Jimmy Reese,Jeff Hampton,Duane Rhoads and of course my buddy Benno.I learned so much just being on the water at the same time and watching these guys fish,from technigues to lure selections,things I would never think that would work in certain situations working in front of my very eyes.Theres a wealth of knowledge in these clubs of ours,be observant and ask ?.So to sum it up I would say gaining some fishing buddies and sharing and getting more knowledge about bass fishing is what I would want out of a club.

I have to agree that fishing with and meeting new buddies along with gaining knowledge are definitely some attractions to the club, but I'm all about the competition. I like the fact that although we're a kickboat/tube club, we are still competitive as hell, and the competitive format the club is based on fuels us to become better anglers. I get fired up during invitationals and opens, cause the more people that show up, the better I have to be in order to do well. I've been in the club for 2 years, and although I was sold on the premise that our club is a bunch of guys getting together to fish and have fun, I learned quick that you got to be competitive to hang. I love it, competition fuels the flames man...

Dave.

What Deacon said!

We're a grass roots club. Let's keep it that way and oust BASS.

You'll see me on the water, bro. As soon as I buy my fishin' license.
(insert embarassed emoticon here)

\m/ }( \m/
Chris

Hey Rich great question. When I joined BnT, it was because I was talked into trying out tourney fishing in the old round tube :+ I liked it and the rest is history. What I have gained from joining the club since then goes way beyond being my competitive self and fishing tourneys. I have learned more about bass fishing in the last four years from all you guys than I learned in all the 30+ years I have been bass fishing before. More importantly, I have made a bunch of cool new friends along the way. To answer your question the things that are most important to me are friends, learning & sharing of info, and having fun.
The laid-back style of competition in float tube tourneys suites me just fine too. See ya on the water }(

MT

I too like to fish the club tourneys because they are laid back and although we all want to do good, I'd say 95% of the time we are pretty civil towards one another even though were fishing for each others money. I'd say another big reason I fish out kickboat tourney's for my club fishing experience is the price it costs to compete in tournaments. These are the cheapest tourney's around and yet people continue to show up month after month so it obviously is not for the bottom line, cause even doing extremely well in a kickboat tourney depending on the location you can barely break even. It's about the people and learning about fishing, creating that base of knowledge of what works and what does not.

When I want real fierce competition and the chance at actually making some money, then I'll step up to the plate and fish from the pointy end of a glitter rocket, until then though, I'm content fishing tube events with friends and fishing out of the back seat.

I think a big reason why I have stayed with BNT over the last few years is there is so many choices of places to go fish, with the different regions it really broadens the options and I have learned a lot about bass by fishing at these different locations even if the first time i see the lake is when the fog lifts after blast off on touney day:7

“What do you want out of a float tube club?”

“If there is one thing that is very important to you about a float tube club what would it be?

Rich SCBBBC.COM”

Hey Rich, great question, I agree! Also congrads on the Prez position! Looking forward to getting on the water with you!

To answer I have to also tell you why I joined the SCBBBC. If there were just “one” thing it would be more benefits to the membership! What do you want out of a float tube club?

I joined the SCBBBC January 2005 because of Dave Sternitzke (blanket party at his site at the next camp out). Dave and I would semi-annually hang out at various functions (ok – parties) and often he would pat me on the back and say, hey John, you need to get out there and try fishing with me some time.

The other reason I joined the SCBBBC is that I work too many hours a week and don’t reward/allow myself with enough time for myself and just myself. I needed to find something to relax and most importantly to stay sane. My 2005 New Years resolution was just that. I resolved to find a monthly-organized activity that I would like. I choose the club! (Thanks to Dave’s multi-years pats on the back) There were just two things that were a must. 1. Have to be comfortable 2. Have to catch fish.

To join the club the web page gave me all the details (good job Mike). I would also need the gear, BASS GEAR. What is BASS GEAR? Oh yea, a kick boat might help too. Hummm????

I thought at that time “BASS” gear was all the stuff I have or have had in the garage and have or had inherited for 42 years of fishing fresh and salt water! But nope, gotta get all new stuff (I love that commercial that relates a rod to a golf club – the right tool for the right job). So I got what I thought I needed – basics but good and no bubbles coming from the pontoons so I thought that to be positive!

I used to live in the neighborhood behind Spring Lake for years and fished and fished it and hated fishing it because of the weeds and being a bankee. But that is where I first launched my Kick Boat 12/04, so cool! I was comfortable and I caught fish! Both resolutions met!

So, I looked up the www.scbbbc.com web site and showed up at the January 2005 meeting, not knowing what to expect but to pay some dues and see what was next. Then February meeting and off fishing I was!

What I want out of a float tube club is to show up at a scheduled event learn and fish successfully. I want to make friends and acquaintances. I want it to be organized, all the details taken care of, I want people to be friendly, I want to help others, as I would hope they would me if needed, and because there is money involved I want the biggest sack! So far, when I show up that is what happens (no not me with the biggest sack, I was lucky to weight in anything in 2005) and I’m personally jazzed Dave patted me on the back enough to finally listen to him and joined!

As I learn more about competitive BASS Fishing I am learning that I would like to see more benefits to the members of the SCBBBC like the other bigger organizations and the same thing for other tube clubs and organizations around the world (See Italy we got you covered) like us! Things like Custom Club Patches when you sign up, prizes from sponsor/s along with the already cool trophies and cash at each and every tournament. Down the road a real Boat would be nice! I would like to see the club help in some form of stocking and conservation measures for the waters we fish so hard, so we and everyone can continue fishing them as hard as we do.

Some year I would love to be the AOY or in the TOC or even TOC Winner but I know I need the time on the water and lots lots lots and again lots more learning before that could ever become a reality. But for now I like showing up, “easy” launching, fishing hopefully learning something each time and donating my money to the more experienced anglers (they know who they are), hoping like in Vegas, that just maybe, I will have the biggest bag or biggest fish next time!

John

PS: You know winning the 1997 Adv. Div. World YO-YO Championship was a big deal in it’s time, top of the ladder, TV, Magazines, Movies. But, Been There Done That (BTDT)! Now I’m fishing, near home with my desire to strive to do the best I can do. That is all anyone can do, is the best they can do! Oh yea I’m also having fun doing it! See everyone on the water soon!

I like the fact that we're all stuck in a certain area of the lake (NO RUNNING) and we need to figure out how to put all the pieces together for the win. It forces me to slow down and fish more thoroughly. If I don't figure it out that day, the guys that did will tell everyone how they did it, so that we all become better anglers.

It has to be fun.
It has to be competitive.
It has to have good honest members who share information.

Terrific topic and I hope now that x-mas is over I'll have more of a chance to participate on this board again!

It really is what most are saying, making new friends, learning new techniques and a little competition never hurts!

I enjoy hearing about how anglers on big lakes win it at either a spot where we launch or running way down to another part of the lake I've never heard about (in my earlier years!). All these experiences make us/me a better angler and in spite of my not being able to fish much (not to mention how half the tournies I went to I was going on 0-2 hours of sleep!) this past year, I was still competitive!

Just want to give a huge shout out to Yotopia for not only coming to SCBBBC this year but also how he stepped it up by making it happen on the donation front for the Invite! You showed me how far I have to go!

Thanks also to all the SCBBBC officers and members this past year in making it happen at our events.

William, not sure if you're reading this but for those who talk to him on a regular basis (don't have his phone number right now), please let him know I really appreciated him working hard on the club even though he was not fishing much of our events. Some don't know how much work he was still putting in.

Sorry for the long message but I've been missing all the action here due to work and family.

See some of you on Sunday at Berry!

Todd
http://www.bassanglerprofiles.com/toddiwamoto.htm