2011 Spring Derby prize structure

[Dan Andrews]

Ya I'd like to see them come and address this too. BTW that figure 6G came from a derby committee member over the phone but I'm sure it was a very rough figure.

[Deleted]

The number of dollars is not the issue no question as to the committees integrity its the fact that the derby should pay for itself and maybe make a profit . Its time for a change we need more input on this topic gentlemen . regards stormin.

[paulr]

I agree with Jason’s proposal in the 1st post, payout in 2? week blocks. “Give the highest number of people you can chances to win a prize”
Grand prize for the entire derby could be first place from one of the blocks upgraded as in walter’s derby which makes it seem like an extra prize.

Since the prizes will be spread thin use Dan’s silent auction idea to upgrade one? of the prizes with ?cash.

I don’t like the idea of eliminating or combining trout. Can you adjust the dates to get shore anglers or early season brown trout boats to buy tickets since prizes are in 2 week blocks? And if the category is not filled the prize can be used some ware else anyway.

Seventy or so boats in town for Yvans tournament weekend and prefishing. Would the ‘weekly block’ prize sell tickets to these guys in town for the week. Would Yvan let SCG&F use his scales after the main weigh in. Could SCG&F take scales over to the Marina to push sales?

Could you sell more entries to charter boats if you set the season price low say $100 - $200 but only allow paying customers to win with this ticket. If the captain wants in they need a regular ticket and everyone on the boat rule applies making the total approx the same as the existing boat ticket. Idea here is like a daily ticket but cheap and convenient for the charters to target people that would not buy tickets.

Paul

[LiveWire]

Last Years payout schedule was this
Chinook Laker Rainbow Brown
1 $3000 $500 $500 $500
2 $1000 $400 $400 $400
3 $750 $300 $300 $300
4 $500 $200 $200 $200
5 $250 $100 $100 $100

Thats $5500 for the Chinook category and $4500 spread out evenly between the Trout. Looks like plenty of room to redistribute some of the cash and supplement with some additional prizes from sponsors. A portfolio showing the advertising and recognition opportunities for a sponsorship could d be developed and canvassed.

[Dan Andrews]

Jason you hit the nail on the head there. Recognition of all sponsors needs to be pushed big time.

[Deleted]

And the sponsors have not been recognized properly for years. The weekly big fish advert was so small you needed a magnifying glass to read it . Make it worth the dollars donated and the sponsors will participate . We need more imput keep it coming . regards stormin,

[fishdawg]

just came across this topic thread

agree just about 100& with what Norm & Jay are saying on all fronts

more advertising/promotion of this derby will go a long way... not ta.lking huge newspaper color deals or big $$$$. but simply just getting word across the south-western basin of the lake

and your right Norm, we gotta recoginzie the sponsors that we have more visibly & appropriately

[roho]

lots of ideas on how to improve the derby have been discussed, here is my 2 cents worth



Trout- i like the multi species format and think the trout category's should be kept, but i think that the minimums on rainbow and lakers should be raised as discussed, the brown category could remain as is due to low entry levels.
Every year in every derby the main topic online,on the water and at the dock is where is the bottom of the board now, and a lot of fish just over the minimum are taken early in the derby for no other reason than to get on the board even though they stand little chance of standing up till the end and i think breaking the trout category's up into 2 week blocks would only add to the taking of prime fish that may or may not end up in the pan or smoker?
brown-10 minimum
rainbow-12 minimum
laker - 16 lb minimum



Salmon- depending on the cash flow available?? 2 week blocks here i think might well generate more interest from the angling community,especially from that group of anglers that trailer down to st kitts area for the spring salmon run, its a new ball every 2 weeks and you MAY NOT have too beat those 5 really big kings that were already entered in previous weeks.


The derby in general
price increase- i think it has to increase for the cash derby!
- for the members derby ? i do know for a fact that a lot of out of town memberships are sold for no other reason than too be eligible for the membership end of the spring derby!
length of derby- it's pretty much fact that the farther into June you go the hotter the fishing gets on the north shore,if the overall intent of the derby committee is to generate income from the launch ramp and to see the winning fish come off of the south shore then you restrict the derby to april/may,and eliminate the Toronto scale
If on the other hand you are looking to increase the total number of derby tickets sold you have to cover the north shore into June?? you just may have a catch 22 problem here
Daily online updates are a must have
Feed back from the winners to sponsors is also a necessity!!! although there is know way to force it to happen?
One winning entry per category per person i think is good idea
Charter boat captains may deduct the price of a boat ticket as an operating expense and it provides him with a marketing tool to sell his business !! if he wishes to compete as an individual same rules apply to him as to me,,NO DOUBLE DIPPING

hope my ramblings made sense

[rm]

Some great points for sure Ross, I wasn't too sure I liked the thought of two week blocks but if it was for Salmon only I think it would work and like said keep interest alive not having to beat the five already on the board.

[fishdawg]

i like the suggested minimum weights for trout from Ross

umm here's an idea, whats the likelyhood of having one US scale, perhaps in Youngstown?
just thinking of a way to sell a few more tickets potentially

[LiveWire]

Mark...Do you want to run a derby for the NY boys? There is no LOC scale here.

I think the focus of the derby should be to attract members to the area and to fish the St Catharines area. ITs not a Lakewide Club.
The idea should not be to create a "Sun Derby" but to emulate some of the successful techniques and prize structures that attract a high percentage of anglers to the immediate area.

Its hard enough to monitor and regulate some of the shenanigans that go on NOW, without adding more distant weigh stations to the mix.

Put the right girls in the dance hall and the boys will come a runnin'

[fishdawg]

no doubt Jay, just brainstorming out loud

[paulr]

I am not sure that 2 week blocks will kill significantly more brown or rainbows as these category’s fill up slowly anyway, so some of the fish taken by people just to get on the board will now get prizes.
I don’t think keeping a fish just to get on the board is necessarily a bad thing for example a guy who can’t get out regularly but gets his kids name on the board or a charter with a client that is new to the sport. This adds to their experience and they will promote the derby and the sport.
Lake Trout kill may increase but use the weight minimum or have fewer prizes to control this.
Keeping the kill to a minimum is important but I think a derby like this can do more good promoting the fishery than harm in taking a few fish. If a species will be impacted by the derby they shouldn’t be in the derby.

Paul

[Rigger]

A 2 week block in Rainbow will be a conservation problem for me. I land/boat over 200 of these each year. I keep a journal and in 2008, 301 Rainbows alone where caught. I just hate it when I have to weigh-in a large female. Every year I release a winning fish in this category just because of this fact and only enter one large fish where possible. This would also impact the Lake Trout for me.

Salmon 2 week blocks makes a lot of sense but have to be smaller prizes and small place payouts or it would take away from the grand prize and its attraction.

I do agree that the Spring Derby should not continue into June at all. June should be start of the member's derby. The North Shore should be the member's derby only starting asap at the end of May. A lot of people already truck or boat up there to fish in June to win the Grand Prize, myself included.

The only reason Salmon are weighed in early in the derby is for the weekly large fish prize. Posting of the leading fish must be done on-line and at all weigh stations if this prize stays as is.