DDS

[DDSBYDAY]

    As far as the contestant ever being out of the contest because they posted two fish would never happen.  You can fish for all three species.  You can upgrade just like before.  Just like right now I will be trying to upgrade our pike.  The walleye and bass are solid.  The contest is only over when you stop trying.    Last year the difference between the largest and smallest panfished for the whole contest was 3.25 inches.  The difference for the walleyes were 13 inches and the difference between the largest and smallest pike posted was 14.5 inches.    If you want to make up ground catch a big pike or a big walleye. 

     And Lee as far as I am concerned the Leech Lake knife ain't quite got your name on it yet.

[lentz]

I don't think so the summer challenge this year I only got out 3 times I caught 3 Walleye but none were worth posting and I'm done fishing for the year just because I'm bowhunting but hopefully I get then on my ice fishing team so I can help them more this go around

Sorry bobby bass and dakids

[dakids]

Lenz, you don't need to apologise. I was young once and chasing girls was more fun than fishing.

And as far as the thread is concerned.  Let me take a quote from escanaba "LADIES"


I love this site because it is my Little escape from stress during the work week.  LET'S ALL HAVE FUN

[wildlifeminnesota]

look at the hunting challenge, I did not sign up, DDS did not, General did not, Why is that? for me it was the lack of a challenge I shoot me deer I am done if my team mates do not go out because it's raining no chance of winning for me.

To me you can not call it a challenge if you put handcuffs on teams, That is what this will do,

Thanks glenn57  I am sure glad that I am a challenge to you,  I had the same thou when I see Lee at the top all the time,   

Disclaimer: I am not targeting Wildlifeminnesota or anyone else with my reply. I was a little hurt that their are activie members out there that don't want to participate in the current deer hunting challenge because of bad experiences from the past.

Then this just popped in to my head...

We all should look at these challenges as an opportunity to get to know a couple members on the MNO site better and have a lot of fun doing it! Yes, winning is nice, but it's not the only thing. Making friendships that last past the hunting/fishing season is much better!

How can we make our teammates better? Exchange contact info, talk strategies, share the success and failures of each hunt or fishing trip.

Make the challenge more then just about I got stuck with these two other guys who didn't do anything. I encourage our participants to help make your teammates better. We can interact more then...hey I guess we are paired up, what should our team name be?

I would love to see everyone still be a part of the 2012 deer hunting challenge!

Everyone still has time to sign up before the 2nd draft round (before Oct 27th). Here is a link to the sign up page. http://mnoutdoorsman.com/forums/index.php?topic=27090.45

The only people who don't have a chance at winning is those that don't sign up to participate.

At the end of the deer hunting challenge let's ask for feedback and make it better.

 

I do not know if some of you know this, But DDS dose
You know back in 2009 I did not sign up for the fishing challenge, deer hunting challenge. I was done on here, I want nothing to do with this site, one of my thou was on this but it was not the only thing it had more to do with the  thread, I not going to get into it all, i had left the site and was on a new site, i just did not want to make wave, so it was easy to walk way, I know now i was wrong, but if DDS did not go and fine me on the other site and talk me into coming back I would not be here still to this day,
            some may know what I am saying but I have come to like it here and I now try not to take thing to heart,

I believe win is fun I all believe working with other can have a life time affect on you and other, I look forewords to fishing with DDS I want to fish with General this year but it just did not happen next year, so I think it doing what it was intended to do. do i believe it can be better yes I do, but It not going to work for every one, That just how a challenge work's           

[lentz]

Ahhh wildlife has a heart <3 I thought he was a robot

[wildlifeminnesota]

Ahhh wildlife has a heart <3 I thought he was a robot

nope I am fearless 

by the way i know by this thread that we are not going to change some of you mine, That OK I will wait and see how this work out, But I think it a good to have a thread that we all can voes are thou and maybe we all can make it better for all, 

[lentz]

Ya I agree with wild that we should have a poll

[Lee Borgersen]

Que sera sera  what ever will be, will be  The futures not ours you see  Que sera sera

  Stay tuned for the outcome

[The General]

I guess I'll jump in and add my thoughts.  First and foremost DDS is the one going through the work of putting the ice fishing challenge together and I'll back any decision he makes on the rules.  I have not yet decided if I'm in the challenge or not just because I'm so busy and don't want to be the guy who signs up but doesn't give an effort to help his team.  After reading everything I have to say I find myself in agreement with Bobby in regards to picking your teammates.  I found this years challenge to feel more like work then relaxing like fishing should be.  The best times I had fishing this year was fishing with guys from the site.  I'm tired of getting paired with people who don't participate, or drop a PM every now and then, or participate in the smack down, etc.  I know the best years were year one being paired with HD and then last year with G.O.  I wasn't able to hold up my end of the bargain but at least they new I was out trying and it was fun.  This is another reason why I'm leaning towards not being in the ice challenge...........no more staple item to remember or blowing across the lake  , no more "I have to go fishing because of the challenge", just go out and have fun. 

P.S. in regards to the hunting challenge, by my own choice, I don't participate because of the fact of an unfair advantage others have.  By this I mean when because of the area I live I can only shoot one deer and others live in areas that can shoot unlimited deer.  If it was one entry per person I'd be in. 

[Stnmtz]

If you want to make a rule change that will make a difference and effect the outcomes of the Challenges I suggest you remove the drawing and allow teams to sign up. This would result in several subtle changes to the Challenges. You would have three fishermen who want to fish together. You would allow groups of friends or relatives to enter. You would have a very good chance of increasing membership because you would be bring in new friends of members. The only penalty that I would impose is that the winning team can not return the following year, meaning that team can only win once and be out. They would then be forced to find different teammates. Ice challenge could be reduced to two member teams.

I can see your point but if your going to do that there is one big fall back i am fairly new to this forum.  I would consider my self fairly active on the forum and in fishing/hunting.  But who am i going to get to team-up with me.  I haven't been any other fishing challenges to "prove" my self.
So i would be theone stuck with a random teammate and would stand no chance why waste my time posting?

[The General]

If you are as active as you say you are and come on and ask for a partner you will easily find one.  It may be something where hey maybe you are on a team at first with people you don't know we all have been there.  Then you get to know some people and a fishing get together and make some friends.  Plus if you do well i'm sure a partner will not be hard to find 

[lentz]

He's only been on the site for a month or two general but I think that we should do teams of 2 and I don't care if we pick our teems or not but whosever team I'm on I hope I can meet them on a lake (most likely milacs unless they live around me

[wildlifeminnesota]

I am not to sure if I like this!!! I do see this can be bad for some team case in point, Let say I pick

Wildlife Minnesota
Lee Borgersen
Corn13

who do you think will win? 

I think bobby was more look at add friend in your circle and add new people to the site,

[dakids]

If you want to make a rule change that will make a difference and effect the outcomes of the Challenges I suggest you remove the drawing and allow teams to sign up. This would result in several subtle changes to the Challenges. You would have three fishermen who want to fish together. You would allow groups of friends or relatives to enter. You would have a very good chance of increasing membership because you would be bring in new friends of members. The only penalty that I would impose is that the winning team can not return the following year, meaning that team can only win once and be out. They would then be forced to find different teammates. Ice challenge could be reduced to two member teams.

I can see your point but if your going to do that there is one big fall back i am fairly new to this forum.  I would consider my self fairly active on the forum and in fishing/hunting.  But who am i going to get to team-up with me.  I haven't been any other fishing challenges to "prove" my self.
So i would be theone stuck with a random teammate and would stand no chance why waste my time posting?

I'll be your wingman anyday.

[The General]

I am not to sure if I like this!!! I do see this can be bad for some team case in point, Let say I pick

Wildlife Minnesota
Lee Borgersen
Corn13

who do you think will win? 

I think bobby was more look at add friend in your circle and add new people to the site,

What are you going to hold a gun to their heads?  They have to agree you know.

[DDSBYDAY]

   What I like about the fishing challenge.

  1. I used to be a walleye guy only.  Since I started fishing in the challenge I have really enjoyed mixing it up.

  2. Meeting the people from the site.  I can't express how much fun I have had with that.

  3.  The smack-down- trading wits  with the witless is like John Wayne and an Eastwood battle.    needless to say-Eastwood goes down.

    What I don't like about the fishing challenge.

  1.  The difficulty of getting a picture.  I don't have a problem with the staple but it is hard to get a photo to score.  Both my partners from the last ice challenge had nice fish that would not pass the picture challenge.  I think it is even harder during the summer when survival of the fish can be limited due to temperature.  I don't have an answer for this.

  2.  Telling my partner his fish won't score-  (see #1)

  3. That all.

  I would like to have the ice challenge a place where a novice could sign up and have a good time without any pressure.  Like a golf scramble.  I could take anyone on my team in a golf scramble and even if they have never played before we are going to have fun.  We won't win but so what.  The golf scrambles that make you use every persons drive at least once bring a different strategy into the game.  It does in fact throw the heavy hitters off a tiny bit.  Let's face it.  Skills, opportunity and luck are all part of the challenge.  If we could simplify the picture taking process it would be great but probably not possible. 

   I am positive that with the new format the contest will come down to a lost fish, a broken snap swivel or a bad picture.  Not lack of participation or effort.   


     

[wildlifeminnesota]

Point two on this let say now who pick who, I was to say i wand Bobby but Bobby dose not want me on this team he want DDS but DDS want to be on General See I think this mite be a hard thing to do.. 

[DDSBYDAY]

   There will be no team picking.     We are making one minor change.  That's all. 

[wildlifeminnesota]

   There will be no team picking.     We are making one minor change.  That's all. 

I know that I was just make a point 

[lentz]

Team picking would be way to complicated and I think this years staple item should be sompthing heavy or heavier like why not sompthing just goofy like a nut and bolt everyone's got a ton of em and if u don't u can get one for 50 cents or a penny sompthing simple that you can get anywhere if u forget it at home

Last year I left my lid at home and that was the day I caught my 31 inch northern so I didant get to upgrade unless I wanted to keep it but it was to nice of a fish to keep

[Retired on Osakis]

Team picking would be way to complicated and I think this years staple item should be sompthing heavy or heavier like why not sompthing just goofy like a nut and bolt everyone's got a ton of em and if u don't u can get one for 50 cents or a penny sompthing simple that you can get anywhere if u forget it at home

Last year I left my lid at home and that was the day I caught my 31 inch northern so I didant get to upgrade unless I wanted to keep it but it was to nice of a fish to keep

Remembering everything is  part of the challenge. Trust me, I'm about to turn 65, and remembering everything you need whenever you go somewhere or do something is getting to be a real challenge.

[lentz]

K well I want sompthing small that I can keep in my pockets

[Fawkinnae]

Wow how did I miss this thread. Sorry I have not followed up on my original suggestion (which I still like by the way). That said, Outdoor Junkies' comment really spoke to me:

"With the new rule I can see this upcoming challenge making me more active. The competitive teams will stay in contact with their teammates and encourage them to get out more or maybe even plan a day out on the lake. If I were lucky enough to end up on the same team as a member like WildlifeMN, Lee, DDS or other past challenge winners, I would hope they would share some tips with me to make me a better fisherman."

A couple other thoughts:
I really like meeting new people on the site - sure not everyone is going to turn out to be a best friend. But a new acquaintance is a good thing too. I would hate to see the random draw go away. I can still fish with my friends. Everyone has different things going on in their lives. We do what we can do. I'm sure most guys have signed up for one of the Challenges with the best intentions.

I don't begrudge Wildlife's success. Two different years I could have won the Challenge had I not forgotten to take my photo with the staple item. I know others could say the same thing. There are a lot of moving parts to catching and photographing 3 big fish and in Wildlife's case - photographing them often by himself. I take my hat off to him.

My comment about a professional fisherman (or someone that has a lot more time to fish, access to higher quality lakes, and is skilled at all 3 species), I can see where you might see that as a bit of a handicap. But I am just trying to have fun with this I think this rule change can do that.