Contest Question

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Everyone the spring challenge is soon coming to a close at the end of the month.  I posted some thoughts and questions on the contest board, but I know not everyone visits that site very often unless they are adding fish or checking on the standings.  So I thought I'd post here so more will see my thoughts and questions...

First question:  After watching the contest this spring, what are your thoughts or opinion of the new format for a summer contest?  (Do you like it, hate it, wish we wouldn't have changed???? etc.)

Second question:  Have you followed the scoring changes this season?  (We have had probably seven different leaders throughout this contest and have just had another lead change and it is still very possible to have another before the contest ends on the 30th.)

Third question:  Fall Challenge is scheduled to begin on the 1st of July, do you want it to be like the spring challenge in format or former year catfish contest?  (Spring challenge is multi species, old cat contest is best 3 catfish for your score)

Fourth question:  Do you have any suggestions that we might consider adding in future contests?

Anyway thank you for your participation, it has been a lot of fun for me to watch, even though I haven't had much time to get out and try to get my fish I've still enjoyed watching the competition as the competitors have focused their strategies to catch the right fish to put them on top... Thanks all... Later Jeff

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey I might add one more question, what motivates you to enter a contest?  (Prizes, Fame, Goal to help you catch bigger fish, Push you to try new species/areas, ?). 

Reason for asking, it seems like the contest participation is falling off even though we have some pretty good prizes.  For me it's a time thing that  limits my participation, because I love the motivation that the contest gives me to try something and somewhere new, plus I love to try and improve my personal best fish and this keeps me looking for bigger fish... I'm really not very competitive, but I do like to chase the contest leaders... Later Jeff

[Boatloadakids]

Hi Jeff,
I have been waiting for some of the other guys to respond but so far nothing posted so I will offer my thoughts on the questions you presented.

Regarding the new format: I liked the old format better. I prefer a "catfishing contest" to a "fishing contest". I liked the cat contest because we could enter our top three catfish, more pics, and maybe more back and forth banter between participants. Also, the majority of entries in the present format are in the catfish category. My fishing at this time of my life is one dimentional; I fish for catfish. 

I have not been following the scoring in the present format other than the catfish category.

I'm in the Fall Challenge no matter the format.

My motivation for entering the contest is simple: Find that 36 incher!

I enjoy the contest and I appreciate all of the time and effort from you and those who help you with the scoring. It has been fun to meet new people and make new friends. 

Fish on!
Lynn/BLK

[Jig-fisher]

I like the new format. I enjoy fishing for anything that swims and this fits right in to my style. I enjoyed the old cat contest, but I doubt I would have fished very much for cats this year or much going forward. I'm just not close to the Bear River anymore. Also you need to put a lot of time in out on the river to stand a chance because the big fish are few and far between.

[catchinon]

Sign me up for the Summer Challenge. I enjoy going after all the different species. It pushes me to go different places and fish with a variety of friends, old and new. I like the personal challenge: How well can I do for myself and against others? And I will admit that I like the recognition. I guess I am pretty competitive. I do miss the old catfish contest and wish (mainly for others) that there could be both contests but I recognize that you are already spread pretty thin. Too bad someone doesn't come forward who could run the catfish contest. Then we could have the best of both worlds. Please keep up the good work--it gives some of us a great deal of pleasure.

[Cowboypirate]

I wish I had better feedback to offer. Just have not had a lot of time to fish in early summer and did not follow the contest board very close. My schedule frees up now and we are getting back out so I should be able to offer better feedback later this summer

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Lynn, Paul, Craig and Lance... I really appreciate your perspectives, I was wondering at first if anyone was even going to reply to the post, so I sure appreciate that you did... You have pointed out the one thing that I miss as well, the team competition and bantering that goes along with that.. I wish I could figure a good way to add that back into this contest. The last couple years we were really struggling to raise a team up north to compete. Down south was solid and had great support, but we were down to 3-4 guys total up north, so if anyone (mostly me) didn't do their part we couldn't stay in the contest to make it interesting and so it turned into a blow out... More fun to compete when there is solid competition... Anyway I recognize that we will probably always have the challenge of addressing focused species fishing verses everything and it seems like we have a little more interest in being able to fish for anything. So far I've pretty much only fished for catfish like Lynn, but if I had time to do it, I'd love to be hitting Willard and Bear Lake. But then again I dislike fishing in crowded areas so maybe I'd stick to Cutler anyway. So I hope we can find a way to address both interests, whether that is two contests or the current format. Wish I could cover two contests at the same time, but one is pretty much my limit with my current responsibilities.. Going to see if we get more comments before we decide on the format for Fall, but I sure appreciate your perspectives, thank you... Jeff
PS... There isn't a way we could do like two person teams, like the walleye and bass competitions do is there? Be thinking on that????

[Mooseman75]

Im finding it difficult to get out for cats let alone multi species. I really just enjoy the catfish contest and if I get a chance to go for trout for instance I personally want to relax and just fish not worry about recording and measuring. I know it's not a lot to do but when you have my kids like mine keeping track of tape measures for instance becomes a nuisance. Excuses, excuses, excuses.....but really I'm having truck issues again just when I think things are good it's ugly head gets shown again. First transfer case, now alternator issues, so getting boat to water is once again proving difficult.

I think if there wasn't so much negative going on I would be more positive to change but as it is I'm stuck on my old ways. Does that mean I won't support the challenge....No, quite opposite, I will support BFT and the great group of guys that are apart of it. Im apart of the challenge and if the opportunity arises I will try to record a trout just because lol....

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Justin, hope your truck starts to cooperate for you, hopefully the alternator will be a little easier to fix and not be as costly as your last rodeo... Pretty tough to have a truck go down on you, I really rely on mine for so many things, so hope yours can be fixed quickly and good luck getting back out... Later J

[Piscophilic]

Hey Everyone the spring challenge is soon coming to a close at the end of the month.  I posted some thoughts and questions on the contest board, but I know not everyone visits that site very often unless they are adding fish or checking on the standings.  So I thought I'd post here so more will see my thoughts and questions...

First question:  After watching the contest this spring, what are your thoughts or opinion of the new format for a summer contest?  (Do you like it, hate it, wish we wouldn't have changed???? etc.)

Second question:  Have you followed the scoring changes this season?  (We have had probably seven different leaders throughout this contest and have just had another lead change and it is still very possible to have another before the contest ends on the 30th.)

Third question:  Fall Challenge is scheduled to begin on the 1st of July, do you want it to be like the spring challenge in format or former year catfish contest?  (Spring challenge is multi species, old cat contest is best 3 catfish for your score)

Fourth question:  Do you have any suggestions that we might consider adding in future contests?

Anyway thank you for your participation, it has been a lot of fun for me to watch, even though I haven't had much time to get out and try to get my fish I've still enjoyed watching the competition as the competitors have focused their strategies to catch the right fish to put them on top... Thanks all... Later Jeff

Hi Jeff,

I just saw this thread.....Thanks for asking all the questions and for the time and mental energy you put into this.

I have liked a little more diversity than just catfish, but I liked the old format for cats as well. I think that many folks want to be able to participate by just doing the fishing they want to do and still have a chance at the contest part, rather than trying to change what they are doing to improve score.

The large number of catfish entries speaks pretty loudly toward a catfish contest though. 

I've said before I'm willing to help however I can. I'll send you a PM

I've said before that I'll help

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Everyone the spring challenge is soon coming to a close at the end of the month.  I posted some thoughts and questions on the contest board, but I know not everyone visits that site very often unless they are adding fish or checking on the standings.  So I thought I'd post here so more will see my thoughts and questions...

First question:  After watching the contest this spring, what are your thoughts or opinion of the new format for a summer contest?  (Do you like it, hate it, wish we wouldn't have changed???? etc.)

Second question:  Have you followed the scoring changes this season?  (We have had probably seven different leaders throughout this contest and have just had another lead change and it is still very possible to have another before the contest ends on the 30th.)

Third question:  Fall Challenge is scheduled to begin on the 1st of July, do you want it to be like the spring challenge in format or former year catfish contest?  (Spring challenge is multi species, old cat contest is best 3 catfish for your score)

Fourth question:  Do you have any suggestions that we might consider adding in future contests?

Anyway thank you for your participation, it has been a lot of fun for me to watch, even though I haven't had much time to get out and try to get my fish I've still enjoyed watching the competition as the competitors have focused their strategies to catch the right fish to put them on top... Thanks all... Later Jeff

Hi Jeff,

I just saw this thread.....Thanks for asking all the questions and for the time and mental energy you put into this.

I have liked a little more diversity than just catfish, but I liked the old format for cats as well. I think that many folks want to be able to participate by just doing the fishing they want to do and still have a chance at the contest part, rather than trying to change what they are doing to improve score.

The large number of catfish entries speaks pretty loudly toward a catfish contest though. 

I've said before I'm willing to help however I can. I'll send you a PM

I've said before that I'll help

Hey guys Jim and I have been discussing how to do the Fall portion of the contest and thanks for his offer to help we are going to have a two headed contest come July 1.  We will have the second round of the challenge, it will be the fall challenge and it will be basically the same as the spring challenge, with just a new reset of the scores.  We decided we would allow all the spring sign up's to roll over into the fall contest so everyone won't need to re enter to be taking part.  We will have a new placard available soon.  

Then there is the second head to the new contest, Jim will cover this one for the forum.  This contest will be the same as the old catfish contest, best 3 fish score.  We decided that we will take everyone's biggest catfish from the spring challenge and roll it into the new catfish contest.  Sorry I know some of you had a couple over 29 and 30, but we'll only take your largest fish to roll over into this new contest.  This was to help out some of the areas that get good spring cats and have a tougher run later in the year.  

Okay since you are signed up for spring you will also be considered signed up for both heads of the fall contest, so you can choose whether you will participate in the challenge, the cat contest or both.  That will depend on what you want to do.  We will have two different posts for the contest entries and if you have a cat that you want to enter in both contests you will need to enter it in both your fall challenge post and your cat contest 2023 post.  Sorry a little more work for you, but will make our job much easier with less chance of missing your entry.  I've probably missed a lot of stuff, but wanted to get you the info as soon as we can, so you will know what to plan on if you want to join the contest...

PS... We are finding there isn't a ton of interest in prizes, so we most likely won't go nuts on prizes, but we'll try to have a few along the way... Later Jeff

[hook_sets]

I too like the new format, because I like fishing for-multi species.  I tend to get bored just fishing for a specific fish.

[hookngrinin]

Hey Jeff! Thanks for all your efforts for the contests. Big surprise, the Ice Challenge does the most for me. Bring on the ice! I've been so busy this spring to make a run in the spring challenge. I plan to be more active and involved in the Summer/Fall Challenge. I like the new format.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thank you guys, we decided to do both formats, although I like to go after lots of different kinds of fish, I usually end up mostly after catfish since they are close to home and those short trips work best for me when I don't have any time to go very far this time of year... But I am with Ron, I like the ice challenge when I have some time to get involved with the contest and give it a good try... Anyway I hope this will work for those of you that can find time to go chase the fish this time of year... I'm hoping that the fall will give me a chance to catch a few for this contest... Always like the fall even if I don't get much time to chase the fish then either, but the trips are always fun that time of year... Later J