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Hey! Got my measuring tape in the mail but I don’t know where I find my Pin number??? Help!

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Glad you’re registered and all set up… Good Luck my friend!!

Hey Gang…for those of you that might have been giving this some consideration…we’ve opened this tournament up to both public and private waters. We’ve also put together a quick video that helps explain how this works! Give it a quick peak, shoot me a note should you have any questions! Thanks and tight lines all!!

AMI Hardwater Open Video

I realize that this type of tournament, or even tournament fishing at any level is not for everyone. There are a ton of anglers out there that wish they could compete, but for one reason or another can’t put together a weekend to fish a regular tournament, not to mention the cost. This type of tournament, whether it’s an ice fishing one or an open water version, allows anglers to choose when, where and what. It’s also spread out over seven weeks. So there’s no time constraints, you don’t have to set aside a whole weekend to compete and you save big bucks.

I appreciate everyone’s input and feedback. I hope that you will consider giving this format a try. If you’re like me, out on the ice weekends and evenings when I get a chance, having a chance to win some cool stuff makes that trip worth taking.

Thanks for taking time to reply, and Mike, thanks for participating…we’ll see you on the ice..

Hey gang…just wanted to let everyone know that might be considering coming down to fish the Okoboji Hardwater Open that we have 15 spots open as of 12/27.

So if you’ve been giving it some thought or know someone that has, c’mon and join us.. We’d love to see you on the ice! Drop a note if you have questions… Cheers!

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One of the problems I see is the hero shot. If I’m by myself and I’m releasing the fish, how do I get the hero shot? Also I don’t always drag my camera out on the ice. Do you mark your ID number on the tape?

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Well, the hero shot can be problematic. We do require that there is a witness to the catch, so if you fish by yourself often I can see how that would be tough. Keep in mind however that you can enter as many fish as you want, the system will keep the best top five for the week. So if you go out once or twice a week with a friend you can enter those fish. Each five fish submitted have to consist of two different species, so if you are a crappie/bluegill kinda guy you can submit those for points. During an open water event just like this, we had guys/gals that would go out once a week and enter their fish. Just on that single day, they won the weekly prize. So it’s not really a “I have to submit fish every day” kind of tournament.

Yes, we issue you a unique pin number once you’ve registered for the derby. It is automatically sent to you and fits on the front of the official measuring tape. That is shipped to you once you’ve registered and paid the entry fee.

There are a ton of great prizes and it’s easy to do. We’ve added some incentives for the first 5 weeks, $100 big fish, and included public or private waters in the tournament. Give it a try! If you have questions, drop me a note, I’ll shoot you my cell phone number.. Cheers!

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I’m not a fan of the online tourney for one major reason: I don’t have access to fish “trophy” waters like other people do on a regular basis.

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Same boat (or in this case flipover) as the other guys. In the waters I fish regularly a 9+” gill or 13+” crappie are truly a cause for celebration…and are returned to the water as quickly as possible.

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Thanks very much for the input and for expressing your concerns. The reply from sandmannd above is absolutely correct. And to explain that concept a bit more, I’ve made some examples from the AMI website and the fish calculator. This mathematical algorithm actually creates a handicapping system, much like golf does. It allows anglers compete across the board, crappie angler to walleye angler, and keep it fair. I have a pretty high handicap in golf…some would say it’s the club in my hand.. ..but when I play against a guy that has a 10 handicap, we can “compete” because the handicapping system evens or levels the playing field. So it goes with the Angling Masters fish calculator.

So as an example, here is the score you would recieve for a 12 inch crappie…in many cases, pretty average right?

Okay…so here’s another guy your competing against and he catches a 17 inch walleye..again a pretty common size. Based on the length of the fish alone, in a normal tournament would beat the crappie…but see how the calculator levels the competition? The crappie scores HIGHER than the walleye…this is all based on species and geographic location…

So you can compete head to head against a walleye angler, bluegill angler, bass angler, even a guy that targets northern pike.. This kind of tournament was designed for guys and gals JUST LIKE YOU!!!…Fish anytime you want, where you want for what you want…and win!

Let me know if I can help clarify how this works even more. I really appreciate the feedback..helps me help you!

.. I give that a pucker factor of 20..

Chad!! Congrats to you and your wife…gonna have a full staffed camp there soon…lol.. Great pics and great to know that all is well.. once again congrats!

Hey guys!! Thanks for the kind words and the encouragement. We’re looking forward to the challenge and hope to represent Iowa well.

GOING LIVE TODAY

Hey Gang…just wanted to let you all know that the Des Moines Grandmasters Cup tournament will be going live later today. You’ll be able to see the tournament details and rules on the Des Moines Grandmasters Cup Marina. You’ll find info on how to set up your cabin along with rules etc. The measuring tapes have been delivered to Scheels and are available in the fishing department, also on line at the Recycled Fish website. The first tape measure went out yesterday!!.. Wooohooo.. lol.. Any questions just drop me a note….

Anyone fishing off the barge there at The Landing. Had thought about making a trip up there next weekend.. sounds like the river is still way high.. good luck this weekend all!!

Call her Kraut…and then when she’s mad you can rename her sour Kraut… ..

Good Morning Gang!!

Just providing yet another update to the tournament and the events leading up to tournament day! We have selected our venue for the Ice Bash which will be held on Feb 20th at 7PM. This is our mandatory rules meeting and will be a great event for all in attendance. We will be meeting at Barclay’s in Ankeny… here is there website for more info if you need it…

As you all know Scheels is the lead sponsor for this event and have graciously provided us with a ton of prizes to be handed out at the Ice Bash. We’ll also have a silent auction to benefit Recycled Fish. Please don’t forget to check out these silent auction items and support Recycled Fish as we continue to strive to remind anglers like you and me how important being a good steward of the waters we fish.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all out there on the ice Saturday the 20th for pre-fishing as well as on Sunday for the tournament day! Please don’t hesitate to contact me for any other questions you might have. Barclay’s

Hey Gang!!..

Just keeping you up to date on the progress and dates, etc. We spent an afternoon out at Scheels this past weekend promoting the Big Creek tournament to ice anglers that were walking through the store. We didn’t have any on site registrations, but quite a few inquiries. I have already received two phone calls from ice anglers outside of the Des Moines area so the word is spreading!! There are still plenty of spots remaining for the tournament so no problems joining if you are still giving it some consideration. Just as an FYI for you all, I will be closing registration for the tournament the evening of the ice bash. There will be no walk on registrations the morning of the tournament. There have also been several folks asking about the rules meeting and who has to be there. Obviously we would like to see everyone there, its going to be a great evening with a couple seminars, along with a raffle, silent auction and a run down of the tournament. However, at a minimum we need at least one member present from each team. So please keep the 20th of Feb open, time is 7PM. I’m working hard on securing a location for the ice bash and will announce that by the end of this week. Also for those that have not visited the website recently I have posted a map of Big Creek with the boundary’s marked for you. Thanks to all those that have registered! Tight Lines All!!

Good Morning Everyone!!

Another update for you all as we continue to put this new event together. It’s a pleasure to announce that Scheels has joined the Big Creek Hardwater Open as our exclusive retail sponsor for this event. There are details to follow that will outline what exactly that will look like, but it is great to have them on board supporting local Iowa anglers.

In addition to that, The Iowa Sportsman is also joining us in a sponsorship by donating several free subscriptions. I appreciate Patrick and the staff at The Iowa Sportsman for supporting the Big Creek Open!

Registration is on going and there plenty of spots available, so if you’d like to get join us we’d love to have you.

See You On The Ice!!

Good Morning all!!

Just wanted to provide you all with an update!!. The registration for this tournament is now officially open. I posted a link to the registration site at the bottom of the event announcement. Point your mouse to that link and it will shoot you straight to event page. Thanks and hope to see you out there on the ice!!.. (Link to event site is right up above)

That certainly give a whole new meaning to the term “fish finder”….. … those guys are NUTS!!!..

…Happy Belated Birthday to you..I’m knocking on that door here in a couple of years… UGH!!.. LOL… well like you said, your only as old as you feel… I’ll join ya there at 35.

.. Okay now that cracked me up…that’s a good one there….. how was the cake?? holy smokes…HA!!!!

I had a 16 foot v-hull that I put a 20 horse on…easily got up to 23-25 MPH… great motor and worked well on the boat. Its also nice to be able to remove the motor for storage in the winter… I didn’t like leaving the motor on the boat over the winter..

I just signed up!…. thanks for the tip

Jason!!! Congrats to you and your wife.. Another adventure awaits!!..

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Way cool

Just an idea for you, my first flip over also had the bench seat too. I purchased one of the clip on stadium seats so I had a back rest, worked great and was a cheap fix for a little added comfort.

Congrats on your great find

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Excellent Idea.. .. I will definitely head out and pick one of those up. I am really excited about ice season this year..it’s only my second and year on the ice, but having my own flip over and assorted equipment will make planning my outings a ton easier. Thanks for the suggestion.. Maybe we’ll see you on the ice sometime!…

Well gang I have not been a member here that long, but thought I’d take an opportunity to just to say how much I enjoy this web site and the folks here. It’s great to have a source that is not only local but regional as well. I make trips to Minnesota and Missouri during the year and can usually find helpful info here. .. Can’t say enough about James and what a great guy he is…he’s given me an opportunity to provide reports for Iowans and for those that want to fish here…

I hope that my outdoor career takes off in the same fashion, but if not, I still love writing and being out in this great country of ours.. Thanks James…!!!!

Hey there…well from what I’ve heard and from what I’ve read in some other forums, the walleye bite is in fact kinda slow here in Iowa. I’ve included a link here for you, this is for a bait shop up at Storm Lake, one of the walleye hot spots. They might be able to provide you with some info and suggestions. Good Luck.. Binning Outdoors

…..God Bless you and your family..may you find peace and comfort in your Heavenly Father…

I usually thread hook tail up. I think it gives a bit more action as its pulled through the water. Just my preference.. .. Tight Lines!

I have an 8 y/o son that is my life right now…I know that this is the hardest thing your family will face. I also know that God will be there at your side, holding your hand each step of the way…trust in Him….God Bless you and your family..

….great report!!….Don’t ya just love catching them small mouth?…LOL..

I’ve heard that spirit lake is a great small mouth fishery.. I think I’m gonna have to make a plan to head up there sometime soon before it gets way too cold.. thanks for the report.!!!…