25th Owners Inv., Spots (pic added) and more information

Folks, As of about 6 weeks ago all effort went into making Lake Norfork the site of the 25th Anniversary event. We are working hard on a few details to make this very special and one worthy of the 25th Silver Anniversary label. Within two or three weeks our target is to release a final site and dates and we look to be on target for that now. We also hope to increase family and youth participation through a few efforts this year. We are trying to focus more on the overall event than we have the past couple of seasons. We have a wonderful library, college and more that we are working to get your spouses access to if they do not fish. The local Art Club is going to hold a viewing at the new Don Reynolds Library, and someone already caught that one here. We can say that Mountain Home is trying to come out for the event and welcome you all like they have in the past. Obviously the local area was concerned about us potentially moving the event. Pay attention to this paragraph. The Wild Card was to increase enthusiasm and we are working hard on a different twist that we know will bring lots of enthusiasm to those of you who are recreational anglers and this is the goal in the event. In the past we put the Walleye and Striper Wild Cards on and we are added Goggle Eye last year. Goggle Eye are an Ozark Bass is only native and exists in the streams of the White River and confluences. Thus Norfork, Bull Shoals, Taneycomo, Beaver and Table Rock. It is also a Rock Bass or Shoal Bass and we are working on details to make this particular section of the event a feature this year on the 25th anniversary. In tandem with the other Wild Card special species of Walleye and Catfish. It will be very much worth the time for the recreational angler to pay attention to the other species in the event in 2011. We think we have a twist that will knock your socks off” and everyone will wish they were here. Details will not be released until Thursday evening prior to the event. Though you will not want to miss this one. If you are not planning on coming to the Invitational this year, you should! As for spotted bass, we once had the issue on the marking and identity and while an angler was made an example of, it still generated hard feelings and was a drama in play. Thus we went to 15″ overall as the pain on our side was intense. Also anglers tried to squeeze the 12″ line more than they do the 15″ mark. To change this would extend the weigh in by about 30% and the bag lines as well. We can not extend the weigh in times or bag lines now. Let alone the complications on the markings of the fish and the novice anglers we have in this event are often unable to tell the difference between species. This has been a problem for decades as there are only about 40% of the field we would qualify as knowledgeable on species to determine the type of fish. You would be surprised how many from other areas have no idea specifically how to identify a Spotted Bass, and many of you area actually going to fall into that category. Below is the booklet identifying directions for a Spotted Bass. A tongue patch will not work to ID them. The entire 2010 guide can be found here with full descriptions and images. http://www.agfc.com/resources/Guidebook … debook.pdfSince we initiated the Wild Card we have increased those first day weigh in lines significantly, as now everyone with one fish has a reason to weigh in. Which we wanted to increase participation on all aspects. We wanted more direct participation in the weigh in line, more participation from angler traveling to the state, and more family participation. The Wild Card has done most of that in retaining the base and slowing the regression we saw with $4.00 gasoline in some areas a few years back, post Katrina, Rita and Ike.You all know how long the bag lines are. This we are going to work on in 2011 and hopefully there will be a tag line or call system of some sort to relieve angler stress on the bank after that long day! The Wild Card really increased those wanting to get that weight on the scoreboard for a $ 1,000 potential award. Everyone wants a shot at what has been from $853 for 147th place to $1,000 for Last Place out o f the money, and all the way down to the smallest stringer you have the potential to go home with a smile and some jingle$. The money is dispersed through out the field and there is a listing of last years here on line. To add the spotted bass we think would increase the bag line by 30%. Right now we try to process each team in less than 47 seconds and about 72 seconds with dead time between changing microphones. This gives us time to visit with your grandson, weigh your walleye or striper, harass your partner as entertainment for the smallest fish award and the things that make this a production. Afterall it is a show and we need to do this for a couple of minutes, while almost rushing others off the stage in a target of 27 seconds. If you drove in like Jerry Fadness does every year from Pennsylvania, Dale does from NC, or even Sam from Brandon, MS, then you deserve a little extra time as well. That is what we try to spend on stage overall, 27 seconds. Think about that one! To add 30% more would bring that time down to 18 seconds per team on stage. Now look across the room and think about how much you can achieve in 27 seconds on conversation for the audience and if we go live radio again, then it gets more compounded. We now have to turn your team in a target of just over 30 seconds. That is a must, no option to get the minutes we need to the large stringers and special teams or Wild Cards. Can you process up to 500 teams in a methodical pace of one every 30 seconds? Do the math on a 4 hour weigh in. Yep, the numbers are real. Then we have the required identity marking of the AG&F methods and we will play by the rules on all markings as we always have. Ron is on the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and we will not compromise his status or integrity. There are many reasons we will not go to 12″ Kentucky Bass (spotted) and now you have only some of those reasons. Overall we are on track to go to Lake Norfork on that Friday and Saturday May 20 & 21! Things are looking much better than past years at this point and we hope it all comes together for a wonderful atmosphere! Those last announced incentives will be more than worth the time and effort to accomplish the mission we are working on! See you all here! Rick PierceBass Cat BoatsLast edited by Rick Pierce on December 20th, 2010, 12:50 am, edited 3 times in total.