Does anyone know how to sign up for the MAFF tournaments. I want to do the billington sea tournament and a couple later in the summer. Maybe I am just blind and cant find the link lol, thanks

Posted Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:23 am

That reminds me too.......Are we still signing up for tourneys with Smoke or Johnny or is it up to the person(s) running each tourney to get names?

Posted Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:44 am

@Prov1...usually the week before the tourney someone will post a sign up sheet and then it's first come first serve.

@Roger...good question

Posted Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:07 am

hey guys yeah the person hosting will post sign up and keep track.
so ken from halo will post the thread a week before the 22nd and then that night the next host will post the next sign up.
if anything goes astray I will jump in and fill spots.
Go Fish
it's coming guys I can't wait

Posted Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:34 pm

Meatballs and I have talked about the signup process and it seems like some easy changes would make sense. The guys who ran it before (johnny and smoke) did a lot of work and dealt with a lot of hassles because they love it and are great guys. With the new set up, some changes would make it easier and more fair. Here are my thoughts. 2 weeks instead of a week. Planning ahead for fools like myself who went and had 4 kids is necessary. If I can plan 2 weeks out the wife can't complain (though she will.) Second, anyone in top 3 of a tourney should have auto entry into next tourney if they want it. We will call it the landlords rule. This is a prop for winning. Third, anyone who signs up and doesn't show is automatically at the bottom of the next tourney list. No exceptions. It is only fair as others are excluded while someone didn't show. I know stuff comes up, even legit, important stuff, but a spot was taken none the less. If the tourney doesn't fill then welcome back. A one tourney penalty is a small price to pay for keeping others out. Many of us suffered through brutal weather while others didn't show. It kills the pot, and others would have loved to come. I know those ideas sound a little like a "club" which most of us don't want, but they really aren't. This site is growing, and some simple ideas to keep the guys who love getting out together the best chance to be involved make sense.

Posted Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:34 pm

The schedule is posted so planning shouldn't be a problem.As far as being penalized that would be up to the bosses.If you sign up and then can't make it you should make it known so we can put someone else in.If it is last minute then a phone call should be made,preferably the night before.Maybe we could list phone numbers with the sign up so standbys can be called on a last minute cancellation.

Posted Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:13 am

The posting isn't the problem. I'm planned for all the ones I can make. What I can't plan is if I can sign up before 15 other people. By the end of last year, these things filled up. Many people signed up right away, which is good, and then couldn't make it which isn't so good. I don't want to be tethered to my desktop computer on Sunday night waiting for someone to post that signups are open unless that is the best way to do things, and I don't think it is. My other thoughts were simply to reward those who are dedicated to ensure that they got into as many events as they want. I agree that having phone numbers to back out and join in is a great idea. I also know that some of us literally plan our fishing around others work, babysitting, and forced family fun schedules. To get a call on Saturday that you can come tomorrow at 6 am, leave at 4:30 is a tough sell. To place back outs at the back of the line is a simple incentive to make sure you will come. If I'm the only one that feels this way or if it sounds like I am thinking only of my own interest, then I apologize and you can all ignore me, but I think the ideas are reasonable and helpful.

Posted Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:45 am

Looking at the number of signups from last year, there were not very many that filled up. In fact Nashua was the only real problem but we were able to accomodate all. That being said, I think we could see more times this year where we reach the limit. I do see the signing up and then subsequently backing out being an issue especially for those with families.

1. I am in favor of posting two weeks out if nothing more than to preserve the piece at home.

2. Auto entry if they want for top three seems fair enough.

3. No show penalty makes sense; however, with the big boat/cartopper back and forth schedule, it may not really "penalize" the team that didnt show. And if a guy is on his way that morning and his drive shaft falls out of his truck (completely hypothetical) then he shouldnt be penalized.

I would propose that we have normal signups like in the past and if you get left out of that event, you are assured a spot for the next tourney that you want to fish (since you may be a cartopper only type of guy). This may require a central authority to maintain this info and thus become a pain to keep track of. Plus the no show penalties also have this accounting mess.

Whatever the final decision is, I do think the posting signups two weeks in advance requires no extra work and is good for planning purposes. The other ideas are good but may have some unintended effects. The phone tree idea is solid although I have a feeling that some people will not want their number published online. One idea is to start a google doc which is amazingly simple to sign up for, easy to control access, and can be accessed from most smart phones. For example, I start it and then those who want access send me their email address, I invite them, and then they have access to the numbers and can edit/add as they desire. (After typing that, I went and created this spreadsheet.) Once the sheet is started, it will exist for as long as you desire to be on the list as you would have the ability to remove yourself. Likewise, once you are on the list, you wont have to worry about having a bunch of numbers in your phone, etc etc.

Posted Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:34 am

I personally don't believe that penalizing someone for any reason is the way to go about it. Things come up last minute, s*** happens, life happens. Sick kid, sick wife, babbysitter bailed.. Boat got impounded( yea that happend to me)

Now if you just got drunk, overselpt, whatever. Then I can see some sort of signup penalty. Or s***. Maybe pay for the spot that you took and didn't show for, and give it to the first place team of the previous week.

Posted Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:32 pm

This is getting way too complicated.If you list two weeks in advance then you will have overlap and confusion.You may end up with big boats at cartoppers,people going to the wrong lake and so on.Text messages and p.m's seem to work very well for me.That's where phone #s come in.I never sat up all night waiting for the post.

Posted Sun Apr 01, 2012 3:03 am

I think an "alternate" list would be adequate. If the tourney fills before you have a chance to sign up, you can PM the host your name & # and request to be on the alternate list. If someone drops out late on Saturday, the host can Text or call the alternates...

Posted Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:38 am

Bottom line, just some suggestions on the topic:

1. Two months notice has already been given. People already have an idea what they can and cannot fish and if something changes, either hope a slot opens up or give your up the slot you got with as much notice as possible.

2. It's up to individuals to check the site for sign-ups on time, as soon as the tourneys are posted. Ten teams were able to make at least 10 tourneys last season and signed up on time at least 10 times. In this day and age of texts and instant emails and smartphones, we are pretty much always reachable. I get my emails and forum posts within minutes. People are going to get shut out initially, due to the small amount of slots allocated for some tourneys anyway. It happened to us at least twice last year and is a fact of life.


Whew, that is all!

3. We agreed last year that the person/team that wins a tourney has an automatic spot if they want it the following tourney. Whether or not it's a big boat tourney or car topper is no matter. Any team has the chance to win on any given week and is rewarded with the 1st place payout when they do. It's just a courtesy to give them first right or refusal for winning the week prior. If they choose not to be in the next tourney, then so be it. While we all try to extend courtesy s, nobody is owed anything overall (accept Smoke and Johnny).

4. I also think the tourney hosts are slotted a spot as well. Kinda makes sense, unless they choose to relinquish the host spot or slot or both. We all knew what we signed up for.

5. If you're an MAFF member, you should be able to PM the weekly hosts, so there is no need or worry about posting phone numbers in public for all to see.

6. If you don't make the cut for signing up on time and can definitely make the tourney, post it on the board and then put yourself on stand bye (alternate list mentioned prior). Chances are you were planning on going fishing somewhere else anyway and changing that mindset to a tourney if it is offered for whatever the reason, should be considered an awesome stroke of luck!

7. If there is a bow out, then it is up to the hosts to post it on the forum as soon as it becomes known, and check messages for takers. Again, we knew what we were getting into as hosts and Smoke and Johnny have been doing it all along, so what makes anybody else not able to do so?

8. Yes stuff (affectionately known hence fourth by the term "life") happens. There are those though that have "life" happen far too many times, be it legit or by the selfishness of locking up a slot, when you know in all probability that you wouldn't be there in the am and at the launch. Again, "life" happens unexpectedly, but not every other week. We'd all love to fish everyday if we could, but some just cannot, mostly due to family/work/other commitments and go whenever we can. If that means bowing out so that another team can fish a tourney, then man up and notify the host immediately and with as many days notice as possible! I think 3 days prior may be enough minimum notice to bow out and for the host to announce the opening and find a replacement? MAFF is growing more than ever, with a plethora (there's that word again Smile ) of quality fishermen available.

Posted Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:47 pm

If it aint broke.......

Posted Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:06 pm

During fishing season I just blow off my wife and kid hoping they'll still be there when the snow flies. So far, so good.

Posted Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:14 pm

stratos1966

If it aint broke.......



Pretty much what I said (with all the points), other than the hosts getting a guaranteed slot.

Posted Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:28 pm

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