Thanks

there's only 130 at Rayburn because of this data, no money in it...and it's going to be 23 there in the morning and several guys bailed

Just saw that Team Doiturself was hating on my partner Newberry, so I have to make a couple of points to defend him, 1) he's not trying to fish professionally, he runs a very sucessful company in Houston and is truly a weekend angler, EverStart first day is tomorrow at Rayburn, he did not fish any this week, just showing up, he cashed EStart at Choke with 2 days of practice (the Saturday and Sunday before), fishing against guys that were there for more than a week straight. And other than the Thursday and Friday of EStart tournament at Choke he has not fished 1 week day this year, that is a 100% fact and I'd be you $10 that he is the only guy on the boater side that can say that, and he'll do well this week. 2) besides his EStart winnings, which granted were largely at Rayburn he's won another $300k fishing BFL's, and the bulk of that was on other lakes including $166k on Quachita, about 8 hours from his home.

From reading what your writing its almost like you enjoy the low turnout at Rayburn. Seems like your wanting them to fail?

Had a buddy fish as Newberrys coangler last year in a Open, he had told him he was trying to qualify for the elites.

I'm not wanting them to fail, the purpose of my post and the articles I've written in the past is to bring reality to the young guys and girls that win a tournament and then think they are going to jump up and fish professionally. I'm not challenging the fisherman, I respect anybody that would have fished this morning (by the way they cancelled today), my statement is in regards to the current system in place. Tommy Martin finished 10th at Choke. He prefished Sat-Wed the week before. His entry fee was $1000, I don't know where he stayed but I'm sure he split a room, 8 days in a room, easy $400, 7 days of fishing, easy $300 in boat gas, back and forth to lake, $150 in boat gas, no eating, breaking stuff, whatever he may have netted $700 for a 7 day work week, and he WON 10th. The reality is it is that there are less than 30 guys making any kind of a living tournament fishing (in conversations with Elite series anglers when I wrote that article the estimate they gave privately is that there are less than 10 elite series pros that had NET income in excess of $100,000 in 2009). Granted KVD and Skeet and Ica-whatever get really nice apperance fees, but once you get past those top guys it falls off, really fast. By the way Tommy does have sponsors, so that's where Tommy makes his living (and he still guides), most of the other 120 guys that fished don't have CASH sponsors. You can argue that his sponsors paid his entry or whatever but again he is one of the highest profile fisherman in this field and he's been paying his dues in the business 30+ years. There is a reason really, really, really good fisherman, professional fisherman, like Randy Dearman and David Wharton walked away from it (both into the oilfield, and if you never got to know David he was one of the best fisherman and nicest guys to ever walk the planet). It's a reality check, and it's not just FLW side, in the article I wrote about the Bassmasters the guy that made the last Classic slot the year I wrote it had won $36,000 in the Elite series tournaments that year....so he paid $55,000 in entry fees, since I'm not using his name, he paid them from savings and his wifes income, his only source of income is fishing and sponsors, he had to pay to wrap his own boat, and without any other expenses he lost $19,000 that year and he was sucessful, as measured on the tour, he made the Classic, reality. By the way the guy that finishes 10th at the AT&T at Pebble Beach this weekend wins $170,100.

http://frankosport.us/golf/This-Weeks-Action.htm

ARE YOU THE ONE ON THE RIGHT,THE ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE LOOKS LIKE DICKEY N.

i believe you are right

Hold the phone Kenny! I wasn't hating on Dicky. I have fished against him in lots of Bass Opens, and Strens on Rayburn. Like him a lot. Just noticed that you pointed out the lake the majority of Suggs money came on, and didn't point out that for Dicky since he was in the pic with you! And all things considered, the majority of his $ is from Rayburn.

Newberry is the one holding the little fish, always is! Trying to figure out who TDIS is, not many people know me as Kenny?

Lol..Thats what I think is great about the forum. Your able to hide behind a screen name and say whatever you want!

so Do it Yourself were you on Toledo this weekend?