I was wondering what everyone thought of Bass clubs.Does anyone belong to one and how do you like it if you do. I wouldnt mind joining one but i wont be forced to fish with anyone i may or may not get along with. I cant think of a worse way to spend a day then with someone i would rather toss over board.Any thoughts on this?
DanWi,
The Federation clubs in Wisconsin vary some, but most
use a draw format. That does mean that you will fish
with other people, and some of them will be difficult.
But you may find them less difficult that you imagined,
when you share a boat with them for a day. The opportunity
to learn is probably the best feature of this format.
If you really prefer a “team” format, where you fish
with a regular partner, then one of the better groups,
using the team format, is the ABA(American Bass Assoc,
I think). At least that is the opinion of several good
team anglers that I have spoken to about team format
clubs. I do know that many good friends are no longer good
friends after fishing as a team for a season. 
So that
format has issues, too.
I belong to the B.A.S.S. Wis. Federation club in western
Wisconsin, named the St. Croix Bass Anglers, and they
do have a unique tournament format. We fish alone,
unless it is your turn to take a non-boater. To
overcome the missed opportunity to learn, the club
requires the top 3 places, to tell the club, at weigh-in,
what they were doing, and in general, where they found
fish. We do keep much of the details vague, but one
does get a chance to ask for enough detail to improve
your fishing, if you take good notes, for the next set
of similiar conditions. This format opens the door wide
for cheaters, so in order for this to work, the members
have to be honest people, that trust the rest of the
group to be honest, too. In the St. Croix club, there
are a bunch of good hooks, and good people, so I never
worry about cheating. I do worry often how I am going
to fish better than these guys!
I think you need to sit down and decide what you want
out of club fishing. Choosing between good company(team
format), or the opportunity to learn(draw format), are
only two parts to consider in joining a club. Most clubs
have youth and conservation activities, so that will
take some of your time, along with time for club meetings,
or club fund raising activities. Joining a club is
kind of like getting married. Some work, and some don’t.
Most clubs allow potential members to “visit”. Give
a couple a test run, and see if one works for you.
Big Bass Bane
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