Big Fish Jack Pots, Where does the cash go?

[theangler]

Hello Guys,

I recently was talking with a couple friends about Big Fish (Biggest Fish not BigFishTackle.Com) Jack Pots. Everyone seemed to have a different opinion of what to do when you win a Big Fish Jack Pot on the boats.

Some say, give it to the crew, some say split it 50%-50% with the crew, some said keep it all, some said 60%-40% with the crew, some said pay your gally bill and any additional charges and give the rest to the crew.

Well, just curious, what do you say?
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[JapanRon]

Hey there theangler,

Watcha tryin' to do burn up the California board with a hot topic like this?!! ha ha ha

Having been a pinhead, deckhand, and now a weekly regular on the local 3/4 day boats as well as a charter master, I have had lots of experiences and I can tell you everyone has a position on this one. Here's mine. I believe that the crew gets the cash from the jackpot and I get a pass signed by the skipper that I can take up to the landing office and get a spot on the rail/boat in the future. It gets a little sticky at times because sometimes the jackpot is not big and money is lost by the boat in a way). On the other hand, sometimes there is a big fat juicy jackpot and if you only get one pass you somehow feel shorted. Ya just can't win! ha ha

Whatever the case, As I go out so often, I don't like being suspected of being a don't-pay-jack-deadhead so I make sure I pay cash money in the office for my ticket/rail spot (or an earned pass) and food and beverage(he he slurp slurp). Interestingly, some captians hate the idea of giving you a pass instead of cash and some actually refuse to do so. I think that's a sign that there may be some politics involved between the boat/captian and the landing.

I always pay my galley tab and wouldn't want to mix that money with the fish cleaning or the jackpot I get. I tip the galley but as I don't usually keep fish, I don't normally pay a fish cleaning fee. By the way, I think the fish cleaning fee is getting a little out of hand. Deckie friends don't get in an uproar please! I think the reason for the raise in cleaning fee is that passengers don't give the crew tips like they used to do. These guys gotta make ends meet somehow!

On the crews side, they only have so many days to make the rent. No matter how much you say 'Well, they chose the job' they still have to make so much period! It's feast or famine and the feasts ain't that long.

The problem of jackpots is based on if you are one of the following:
1) A tourist who comes once a year and fishes.
For this person, I guess it's take the cash. I believe that 20% of the jackpot is reasonable. 50-50 is outrageous! I have know some deckies try to pull that and I know of some being fired too! No kidding.

2) A guy who fishes 3 or 4 times a year.
This person may not come out again for the rest of the year or the season may be near it's end and the boat may go somewhere else for the next fishing season! Oh ya, I got tickets for boats I'll never drive 100 miles to get too! I think that as long as the pass was not dated, the individual really ought to take the pass but this one is a hard call. ha ha

3) I hope no one out there thinks they so good that the 3 or 5 bucks you pay for a claim to a chance for the jackpot is in investment. Once you pays yer moneys you takes yer chances. Make sure you know the rules and ask some regulars what the usual break on the jackpot is if you have to ask.

If I'm on a new boat, I make it a point to indicate that if I win the jackpot, it'll be the crews. I'm always suprised (ya right) at how the deck perks up a bit. That's not kissing anybodies anything it's just good policy if indeed that's what you're going to do.

I've seen lots of stupid stuff (fights, clogging heads, breaking stuff) go on because of people not being informed enough about the jackpot. I think the jackpot is just a part of the fishing experience and adds to the comradire of most GOOD SPORTS.

JapanRon
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[theangler]

Hello Jr,

Just curious buddy.

Does this mean your taking the 5th?? (LOL)
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[DH_tubinjoe]

GIVE IT TO THE CREW!!!!! we work our butts off out there trying to make everybody else happy. sure, 80 bucks sounds good, but wouldn't you like to tip that deckhand or pinhead who gaffed that fish for you?? or how about the crewmember that took care of you for the whole day? fish cleaning??? I had this happen to me today. so this is all fresh in my memory. there was this group of guys on the boat who did not know much about fishing barracuda and sand bass. I set them up with hooks, weights, and I gaffed every one of their fish. I must have tied on atleast 12-15 hooks for a group of 4 guys. they caught fish and eventually took the jackpot with about a 9 pound cuda! guess who gaffed that fish?? guess who tied that hook?? what about that person who was right there by his side guiding him through and showing him the ropes of barracuda fishing??? wow!!! not a penny from those guys! nothing! and the guy kept the jackpot!!! when the guy takes the jackpot for himself, he is taking away from the money that I feel that we earned. I feel that giving the JP money to the crew is the thing to be done. I dont care if you have $.01 in your bank account. I may come off kind of harsh in this post, but wouldn't you be pissed?!?![mad]




joe
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[theangler]

Hello TubinJoe,

I would tend to agree, I also see the side of the guys who say, I would pay my gally and fish cleaning and the balance goes to the crew. I think thats reasonable. There definetly is a number of ways to go on this, none of which should be stiffing the guys that are helping you get on the fish!

I found this a pretty intresting topic in that very few people have the same take on it.
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[gvanzant]

Can I express an opinion? First, I never keep a Jackpot, not that I have won a lot of them but those that have blessed me go directly to the skipper. Actually, I don't frequent the sportboats often but when I do I have the following attitude. The "help" deserves tipping as any waitress or server or carwash guy or valet parkers or you name it. The public always tips these people, how much depends on the type of service they have rendered. In my experience 90% of the deckhands that I have been associated with deserved full percentage tips. They are super. Not only do they deserve the "pot" they should be tipped accordingly. It's too bad that people don't recognize their help. It would help though if there was tipping can somewhere for all to see and use and maybe a big sign saying (WE ACCEPT TIPS!)
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[theangler]

Hello George,

I agree. Regardless of jack pot, the crew should be tipped by everyone on the boat.

Jr, we didn't get into quite so many scenarios but you seem to have all the bases covered and some real circumstances that are bound to come up, great reading!
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[DH_tubinjoe]

WOW!! came off kind of harsh there, and I am surprised that you feel that way. Why would the owner of the boat get any of the money? it is the freakin jackpot that the winner gives to the CREW, if he or she decides to.

What you said about teaching the people how to fishing, I felt that that statement was directed towards me. well....I do teach people how to fish. how do you think they caught the fish pal??? I am a very friendly person, but when somebody shows their ignorance quite like you just did, I get quite uh... pissed! you have no clue what goes on behind the counter of the galley, nor what us crew members talk about in the wheelhouse. So I really dont think that you should be saying all of the $#!+ that you just said. did you notice the part in my first post that said,"showing them the ropes of barracuda fishing"?????

now about that incident with the phoney pass, well.... I cant help you on that one. all of our passes at 22nd street landing are legit. I am thinking that maybe the person taking the tickets wasn't aware of what was going on.



joe
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[JapanRon]

Hi there Regular Angler,

Welcome to our board and look forward to your future contributions. When it comes to the absolute bottom line on the rights of the winner to decide how his winnings are handled, I undersand and agree with your position as a point of principle.

Your comment on the 20% off the top seems plausable just as the casinos expect to get a piece of ya for going to their establishment and using their facilities whether you win big or not. If one gambles, one pays no matter what! Duh! ha ha

It is unfortunate that you got zapped by the people in the office BUT ..... did you try to use the pass with another guy behind the counter? Let me tell you, some guys DO NOT REPRESENT the policies of the landing sometimes and do just what they feel like. I personnaly have experienced some real pieces of work working the office playing god at 5am in the morning with no one there but them! ha ha

As a regular angler on the 1/2 and 3/4 day boats we both know that policies between the office and the boat's owners change with the tides. Different guys running the boat may even complicate things more. As a point of principle I would go back to the boat and find out what can be done to make you, the passenger, the recipent of a pass that will pass muster.

Personnel and policies change like the tides. Give it another shot and consider it just part of a business deal they need to perform on.

I consider those passes legal tender to be honored by either the landing or a pass that has been converted to be accepted by the office. Good luck.

JapanRon
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[IceFishingGod]

The winner decides where the cash goes. Here's the way I do it. If I'm on a boat that the crew recieves a 20% handling fee for the jackpot, they get nothing more from the jackpot. I give them the usual 20% tip in addition to the jackpot fee. If the entire jackpot goes to the angler, I pay for my trip first, then split the rest among the deck hands, in addition to the normal tip. If I'm on a trip that the cost is more than the jackpot, I split the jackpot half and half between the galley bill and the deckhands. I still tip the deckhands what I normally would. Whatever the winner decides to do with the money, it's their right. Afterall, they won it.
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[aquaman]

i say give it all to the crew and pay your fishing cleaning bill also even if they offer to clean them for free the crews work thier butts of for peanuts and its a great way to make friends that are in a position to help you and make future trips more enjoyable like maybe a free trip or finding you a nice brown bait for that big calico i know some what of what i speak having been a deckhand for 7 years

chris
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[DH_tubinjoe]

I am just going to stop posting on this topic. this is really making me mad. Ya know what.... I would like to apologize for some things also. first, I had no clue what you had done in your past. that whole ignorant thing was not neccesary. So I am sorry for that.

one thing that struck me funny was that one of my friends works on the native sun. haha... he is always saying that the crew, captain, and boats at 22nd street are crappy. I myself have never been on the Native sun, but now I guess I am glad I had not gone on it. I work on the Pursuit out of 22nd street. come down and visit us sometime. sorry about anything "harsh" said.



joe
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[JapanRon]

Hi there Regular Angler,

Glad to hear all is well and the owner was willing to believe you. I certianly did. If he hadn't, you wouldn't have got anything! ha ha

I had one captian use a very detailed hand embossing machine with his name on it to validate his passes so that he had absolute control of issuing passes.

It is also interesting that at some landings they have a sign at the counter that says passes by the boat will not be honored or no longer honored, etc. Actually, according to my experience nearly every week is that that is not quite true. What that really means is they have the right to refuse to accept a pass, for whatever reason.

Interesting to say the least. I hope you do use that pass as 1) that boat has been getting some good counts recently, 2) I'm stingy and would't want you to not get what you earned and 3) On the general principle that I wouldn't let the actions of one person (hopefully they'll be on the boat) keep you from going anywhere you MIGHT feel like fishing.

Looking forward to your reports and comments.

JapanRon
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[DH_tubinjoe]

cough...go on the PURSUIT...cough[laugh][laugh][laugh]




joe
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[dh_tubinaaron]

The Pursuit carrying the most Passangers?!!!! hahahahahaha thats pretty funny considering that on any day during the summer we on the VICTORY have at least 40 and almost always have 90 people (which I don't exactly like but the owner George Xenios must love it) on satrudays and sundays.

The issue of the Jackpot, you have to think about the crew, there are some bad ones and there are some that go out of the way to help you. Take me for an example, I am the only person on deck friday thru monday, I have to put up with 90 People on the weekends and I wake up to do this 4 days a week at 4:30 in the morning and don't get home until 7:30. Now after a day of busting my butt and standing on the tank for 6 hours straight, which is one of the most dullest jobs in the world, and at the end of the day while cutting fish saying here you go sir and getting nasty looks because I am calling them sir, well then i would love to make more than I do.

The 20% of the pot that we retain doesn't go a long way, we average 40 people in a 3 dollar jackpot and 20% of that is in the area of like 23 dollars?, well thats only 16 dollars for me and 17 for the captain. A lot of people don't like to get their fish cleaned and at our price of $.50 cents each, barracudda, and bass that doesn't go along way. And we won't change because we our an original old skool boat. It is nice to have someone you know that comes out a lot on the boat to win it once and a while and them to give it to you, but normally I don't expect that. Usually at the end of my 15 hour day and only making $40 dollars I am usually not happy, but I know that it was the winners decision. NOw when the winner decides to give us the pot for a free legitimate pass and I come off the boat with $150 dollars I'll especially remember that person next time. But when someone comes out and says yeah thanks for helping me out I'll take care of you later, and they win JP and don't get their fish cleaned and walk off the boat with an additon to their wallet and don't remember the person that was there the whole time helping their kid that is out there for the first time and has a on their face and you don't even get a THANK YOU, that I don't like. But that is just the way that some people are brought up. Im only 15 and still have a lot to learn, but one thing that I have learned is that there are people that want to be liked and some that don't care when coming out on the boat.

It's there choice not ours,

Aaron G
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[DH_tubinjoe]

aaron, do you know the guys I am talking about. the guys fishing the starboard side the whole time. one of them was wearing a funny looking blue sailor's hat.funny stuff!


joe
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[DH_tubinjoe]

this site is the best i have been on and the only one that I am ever on! haha.I make time to surf(at the ocean)hehe, and to fish! you have to make time to fish!

the DH means deckhand and the tubin means that we float tube. I think it is kind of cheesy but that is ok. there are 3 of us:
DH_tubinjoe
dh_tubinaaron
dhtubinchris

we all work on boats and we all float tube together.



joe
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[OneWhoFishes]

Hey Guys I got to say that the boats that I have been on out here in cali are great the crews are good.

Three tubers havent seen you guys out there in a while. Working alot? I actually got two cuda off grismon friday morning in my tube first one scared the crap out of me.

aron have not seen you around El dorado have you been there is it worth stopping in?

Got to say about the tipping in N.Y. when I won the pot I gave it to the crew. Somthing my dad taught me having worked on a boat himself and I plan to pass onto my son.

Out here it paid off I have won the pot only once on the pier point and gave it to the crew since then on every trip I have been remembered and taken care of.

Thanks for the hard work without you guys the boats would be harder to fish.
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[dhTubinChris]

[][size 4]amen to arron!!! the tank sucks **** ahaha[/size]

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[size 4]-chris[/size]
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