Joe,

I appreciate all the time and effort you are putting into this. However, I am adamantly opposed to having two different types of entry for the following reasons.

1.) I want there to be a level playing field. Having two different types of entries creates an unfair advantage for those who have bigger boats that are capable of taking out more people. How is a person who has a small boat or who normally fishes by himself supposed to compete with someone who has a big boat and who frequently takes a few people out with him? For example it would be very difficult for a lone fisherman to catch the five fluke with the heaviest total weight when he has to compete against every single person who fishes on one particular boat for the entire season.
2.) I enjoy competing against the top anglers on this site on a one to one basis. I don’t want to be beaten because someone else has a bunch of different people fishing for him nor to I want to win any award for any fish that others might catch on my boat. It is different on a weekend tournament where the Captain and a specific number of named individuals on a boat compete against similar boats. With a season long tournament there is plenty of time for all the contestants to catch the fish on their own. To me winning awards as an individual while competing against other individuals makes it far more rewarding and prestigious.
3.) Some of us have friends who regularly fish on our boats with us. There would be no sense in them joining the tournament if the boat they were fishing on was already entered. Friends sometimes fish on each others boats as well. Suppose I am in the tournament and catch a large fish on a friend’s boat and he is also in the tournament. For whom does that fish count? I am sure that I could come up with some other scenarios that would create confusion with the new proposed rules as well.

In conclusion, I strongly urge you to keep the tournament format as it was. However, I can understand why different rules might apply for those who fish for sharks and tuna. Lastly, I agree with the four “additional rules” although I would add that the boats must leave from and return to a New Jersey port within 24 hours.

Paul Haertel