I have been following this site now for several months using it for local fishing information, tournament schedules and postings, tournament results and for general entertainment. I am still undecided as to whether some people are posting to get under others skin, for humor, or if their true colors are really shining through. Regardless, I have noticed that one topic continues to garner much confusion, controversy, and attention, OPEN TOURNAMENT FORMAT and LISTING!

For my own information and to share with many others, I have put together a survey of and for you, the fishermen, of what you think is important information that should be released when posting or holding an open tournament. I will be listing questions in numerical format and if you feel so inclined to oblige me with answering this survey to let others know what is important to you, simply type the number and your answer in numerical order and I think it will be easy for all to understand.
I have left out questions about time and location for obvious reasons.

Questions 1-10 are basically yes, no, or don't care answers. Subsequent questions are a bit more intuitive.


1. Do you want to know the entry fee?

2. Do you want to know the percentage paid back?

3. Do you want to know how many places are being paid back?

4. Do you want to know what group/club/tourney director is hosting event?

5. Do you want to know if there is a big fish pool and price?

6. Do you want to know if there are a 1st and 2nd big fish payout?

7. Do you want to know how the order of "Blast Off" will be?

8. Do you want to know if there will be a dead fish penalty?

9. Do you want a contact number for the tournament director provided?

10. Do you want to know a general format such as 5 fish, Length limit, Species?


11. What payback percentage is the minimum you will participate in?

12. What do you think is a fair payback percentage for a clubs open?

13. What payback percentage do you think is fair for a fund raiser/benefit?

14. What payback percentage is fair for a trail/ tournament director?

15. Is the payback percentage important to your decision to fish?

16. Is the places being paid back per entrants important for your participation?

17. What ratio do you prefer for places paid per amount of boats entered?

18. Do you think there should be 1 big fish or 2 big fish payouts?



Feel free to add any questions to this survey and please answer truthfully. This is posted for informational gathering purposes. This thread is not created to start or finish any trouble and I think other fishermen might want to see what their peers feel is important?

1. Y
2. Y
3. Y
4. Don't Care
5. Yes
6. Don't Care
7. No
8. No
9. Yes
10. Yes

11. 50% if its benefit/fund raiser, 75-85% general Open
12. 80% or higher
13. 50% or higher
14. 80% or higher
15. No as long as it is semi-reasonable. Knowing the percentage is important to me.
16. No
17. 1/5 or higher with a cutoff after ten or twelve places.
18. 1 big fish.

EVERY THING IS ALL GOOD WITH MY TRAIL.
COME CHECK IT OUT!!!!
BEST PAY OUT IN SOUTH FL.
SEEYA FRED

I won one of your opens last year and won $600.00 , I finished 2nd in the king of the glades and won $750.00 on the same entry fee ??????????

Yes but how many boats were at each tournament? Everything is relevant. Most seasoned tournament anglers have had higher pay days from lower positions than some of the tournaments they have won, depending on how many boats are entered.