Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski
Been on both sides of this, running and fishing a tournament and it's not easy.
IMHO you shedule it for Saturday and your weather date is Sunday. Both days are subject to small craft warnings. If you can't get it in Saturday or Sunday then a drawing.
A multi port tournament like the JCAA adds a lot of complexity. Raritan Bay no small craft while it's up on the ocean. Everyone's availability for the rain date etc.
You are dammed if you do or dammed if you don't, but like was mentioned above, you know the rules when you sign up.
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Gerry,
No one is debating the rules as you and BB pointed out. This is what the entire thread boils down to which I think was very tactfully stated in the above thread. The JCAA and any other tournament should have a rain date for when there's a small craft advisory in effect. The multiple port set up adds complexity but I don't think it changes the fact if 50% of the ports were at risk and 50% had the benefit of being in an area protected by land. The point is yesterday's condition were not safe to fish in and the tournament should have been rescheduled or cancelled. As I said if one boat had mechanical problems and went down costing someone their life, how would this thread be worded. This is all about money over safety....period. For Christ sake you have the President of the JCAA admit he didn't fish due to the forecast and the tournament was still run. Hypocrisy doesn't get much greater.
If the tournament cared about angler safety, they would have changed there policy last year. And your correct, the rules are the rules which is why anyone who is fed up with them should simply not sign up for the tournament next year. There's virtually no prize money, the calcutta is paid out two- thirds which is the only tournament I know which holds back a portion of the Calcutta for themselves, and they obviously don't care about the safety of their supporters. This is one case where I disagree with you in saying "You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't" I don't see how anyone looses if they implemented an alternate weather date for the safety and parity of all entrants.
This shouldn't take until next year to decide so the tournament hopes everyone forgets what happened this year or for the last two years. The tournament if they care should issue a release immediately that says next years tournament will have a weather date and if there are small craft advisories posted the tournament will be rescheduled to such and such a date. Why would that be such a difficult thing to do IF the tournament officials truly care about angler safety. In the absence of that change I for one will not be signing up next year and I know of many others who share those sentiments.
Dakota
