Harbor Marine Salmon Tournament!

[Nelly]

Hey Celeb,
The decision on the cancellation was made official only today when those that actually signed up were informed.

I'm a bit perplexed at the assertion that those that did not sign up are entitled to an announcement, let alone an explanation. Perhaps I'm missing something.

This tournament was launched as a fund raiser for the CCA and for Robbie Tobeck's Washington Anglers for Conservation Political Action Committee.

I did not "head up the event" but as Robbie Tobeck is my friend and Harbor Marine is a valued sponsor of The Outdoor Line, I agreed to help promote the event and I submitted my entry fee.

I sincerely believe that this event will get off the ground next year and I hope there will be a fraction of the passion fishing it that there has been bashing it.

[Omega3]

Fair enough, Robbie is a good guy but there was never a mention that he was behind it. Everyone pointed out that you were and maybe if so there could have been a better job of promoting it. Lots of friends that fish and that I'm sure would have signed up but never heard about it.

Nelly, this is just feedback and it makes me mad as I am sure others is the fact that this weekend when several of us inquired about the derby with Harbor Marine it was a done deal. We were all told that the Harbor Marine was going to step up and pay for any shortfall in prizes (smart thing as it is cheap advertising). We were all told it was a for sure deal. So what changed? Why is it not happening? No explanation, no communication. This is why any future event with Harbor Marine will never get off the ground. They have lost their credibility, period. The same reason why the Smackdown was a one time event filled with controversy, once you lose the trust of the local fishing community you will never gain it back. Yes I'm po'd as many others are with this last minute cancellation. I had plans that I cancelled and yes I spent a lot time and fuel scouting areas to fish without crowds. I guess I could have just went in my backyard with the masses that the local media including yourself have created.

Nelly don't dodge the question. Why was this event cancelled when Harbor Marine said it wasn't going to this weekend? They made it very clear that it was going to go even with the limited entries.

[Nelly]

Good morning O3,
I'm glad that you "inquired" about the event and as you've mentioned last summer's Smackdown twice now, it seems as if you are bugged about that too.

I cannot understand why you're unhappy about events that you don't participate in and the comment that you were forced to fish and change your plans? Cmon.

Writing five figure checks is not "cheap advertising" and the fact that Harbor Marine was attempting a fund-raising tournament speaks to their grasp of the bigger pict ure with regard to enhancing and recovering our salmon runs.

I sincerely hope you reconsider and help support this worthy event next year.
See you on the water!

[Omega3]

I keep mentioning the Smackdown as the Smackdown and Harbor Marine are exactly the same in my eyes as "amatuer/flakey" events. You hyped up both and from my understanding involved in the Harbor event. Yes I am mad because I cancelled travel plans to fish this. Yes I am mad at Harbor Marine for basically lying to many stating the event would go on regardless. Something happend and you know the details. So again what are the details of why it cancelled? You seem to like to spin or avoid the questions. This definitely doesn't make Harbor Marine look legit, why would I want to spend my money with people like that.

Your the one who promoted this event and hyped it up, why did it cancel? A lot of us would like to know.

[Nelly]

Good afternoon O3,
It's quite simple.
It was thought that Harbor Marine could launch the Tournament in May, without benefit of show season (namely the Seattle Boat Show) and still get the participants needed to run the event.
Sadly, there were simply not enough participants to warrant running the event.

Again, I would like to point out that the Port of Everett and Harbor Marine envision this event as a fund raiser for CCA and the WACPAC. No one except the winning teams were going to profit from this event.

I'm sorry you canceled your plans and have a salty view of fishing tournaments.
Would you like to come fishing with me some time and we could talk about helping the salmonid resource through fishing events?

I've got an open boat tomorrow. Meet you at Harbor Marine at 0430 when they open for coffee... you would have to wait until 0600 for breakfast or a pizza

[Omega3]

Love it, thanks for the invite Nelly but I think I will pass. The flotilla you helped create has put me on some virgin grounds that is producing big time the last 2 days. MC/Marrowstone is old news and as you know is not producing as well as others. One other reason I will pass on the invite is that I know some people that have fished with you in the past and I like using my own gear instead of yours (if you know what I mean).

I'm over it so lets not beat this to death. Harbor Marine lied to me and for that they have lost me and several others as customers. There is something more to the cancellation and its funny that your name comes up not Tobeck. Tobeck is a good guy and I am sure more people would have supported this tournament if they knew who was behind it but somehow your name was the only one we were told about. I have a lot of insurance through Griffin McClean and I highly recommend them as their staff is amazing. I just wonder why a solid company like that didn't support this tournament vs. one that lied to us all.

Nelly good luck tomorrow. I love watching you zip across from spot to spot as you get your phone reports (fuel must get expensive running full speed) The funny thing is that as soon as you bailed today and headed south the bite really turned on. Good luck towing those plugs off Possession sorry I can't make it. You should post a video of how to modify them to your liking (wink, wink).

[Nelly]

Well O3,
I'm sorry you can't make it tomorrow. I'll leave the invitation open. I'm easy to get ahold of and my Stabicraft is easy to spot.
If, in your words "There is something more to the cancellation" then you certainly know more than I.
It's too bad you can't come fishing but it seems to me that perhaps you enjoy "fishing" for conspiracy theories more,

I wish you good luck in your pursuits.

Fish on, Nelly

[Eli]

Hey nelly you heard any reports of Jeff head in the last few days

[Nelly]

There just has to be chinook moving through there.
I'm going to start working down that way as well.
Good luck if you go Eli and let us know how you do down there!

[Eli]

Fished Jeff head today. We got into a lots of resi silvers and a few small kings. Not a lot of bait. It was pretty rough out there.