a

  Competition Angling Team

2012 is here and a new fishing season is upon us......not much information for a Captain to decide what to do.....

January 20th, 2012

a

  Team FishDancer has started this new year without a team competition plan for the first time since 1998.  Usually by this time our team has committed to compete in certain events with certain sponsors within the context of the SKA divisional and/or Pro tour circuits.  Captain Jeff would already have made several hundred rigs in preparation of these commitments and time off would have already been arranged to support these events.  What a difference a year makes.  "THE" FishDancer and I are not sure what we will be doing in 2012, there is not enough information for us to commit to any specific course of action.  Will there be a pro tour in 2012 and if so what will the format/locations be?

    We were considering fishing in Key West, perhaps as part of the Division 10 events or perhaps part of an OPEN Pro circuit, but have decided against this for a variety of reasons.  Perhaps we will fish Division 6 to qualify for the Big Dance, but maybe not.  Maybe we will fish the locals -- division IV and V to qualify but perhaps not.  2012 NE Florida Kingfish Shootout?  It's a possibility but not a certainty -- we have heard good things about this event. So after more than a dozen years, 150 SKA divisional and 50 SKA PRO events entered since 1998, perhaps we will take a year off and enjoy other adventures?? It seems odd to enter a season without a plan but nothing stays the same and in the end the only undefeated champions out there are Mother Nature and Father Time.  So without any sense of clarity regarding the direction of the PRO tour we have entered the new year without a competitive fishing plan.  Heck we don't even have enough information to fill out our 2012 SKA membership application!! So we keep our eyes and ears open and hope for the best.  To several fellow members of the Contender Pro team who have reached agreements with new sponsors we wish you well...and hope to see you somewhere fishing in 2012.....

>>))))))">

Team FishDancer

2012  KINGFISH TOUR SCHEDULE

CURRENTLY EMPTY & TBD

The Chum Slick

Editorial Comment by Captain Jeff

The competition for our time and money.....

    Sometimes I wonder if the SKA, its sponsors and tournament promoters realize that we as members, fishing teams and entrants have a wide variety of activities that compete for our attention, time and discretionary dollars??  The SKA is in competition with every other form of recreation -- from movies to casinos - for its' member's attention.  Many long time SKA members are beginning to ask what is the value proposition of membership.  Team FishDancer has been a PRO team for 10 years and competition members for 5 years more and we have always supported the SKA because they kept the PRO playground fun and exciting for us.  2012 might see the end of that as nothing has been announced and at this late stage it would be difficult for us to clear our schedules as we have already moved on to new adventures.   Sponsors should be thinking about how to expand the need for their products. Without the SKA and PRO tour what would be the utility that created the need for boat manufacturers to produce 30-40 foot center console boats or the motor companies to hang twin or triple motors on them? How many anglers would support the boat and motor OEMS without a proper venue in which to use the product to its fullest capacity?  One long time SKA Pro member summed it up nicely by asking without a PRO circuit "...what am I going to do with my big boat????".  Tournament directors have the same opportunity.  Why would I pay to fish any event that keeps for its own purposes more than 50% of the entry fees?  There are too many hands in the bucket, too many groups trying to profit from the kingfish circuit -- this has in kind increased costs and created many hard feelings.   The SKA should be looking forward, creating ways to enhance the value of joining the association for its members, failure to do this will result in the continued winnowing of membership and revenues. Sponsors should be supporting those anglers who purchase and promote their products.  When well regarded teams using your products jump ship to your competition, you should take note.  There is a reason for this. And finally tournament directors should review the entry:reward relationships for participants in their events.  It is not ALL $$$ and cents, but fun, camaraderie and community as well.  Those events that have the best combination of all of those components will survive, those who ignore those calculations will perish.  As anglers we have many places to spend our time and money and almost no one seems interested in competing for our attention....oh well maybe someone soon will wake up to the marketplace reality...

'Captain Jeff '

a

a

a

      Site Navigation - click on the fish below to explore the site

                                Home                    SKA Events                   Pictures                      Links

                           King Fish College                Weather                    Archives                    Equipment

kk

This high energy husband and wife team joined the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour after qualifying by finishing 8th in SKA Division IV in 2002.  In 2002 they won the Kingfish Division of the Offshore Blitz, won 1st place Lady Angler in the Two Way KMT, 2nd place Lady Angler and 9th overall at the Halfmoon KMT. Team FishDancer won the final leg of the SKA Pro Tour in Louisiana in 2003 by landing a 61.1 pound fish, the 2nd largest of the season and the largest weighed by a Lady Angler.  Team FishDancer has had 17 top ten day one performances on the SKA Pro Tour and seven top ten finishes; including  2 top Lady Angler wins; Golden Isles leg of the SKA Pro tour in 2007  and the Jacksonville leg of the SKA Pro Tour in 2005.   So far in 2008 the team has finished in 18th place overall in the Junior Angler Jacksonville King Mackerel Tournament and in 8th place at the SKA PRO tour stop in Brunswick, Georgia.   In 2007 the team has finished 4th overall at the Brunswick, Georgia SKA Pro Tour and earned 5th place in the 2007 ASWSC  20th Anniversary Sailfish Tournament, in Palm Beach, Florida. The team performed well in 2006 with 4 in the money finishes, including the 2 National Championships, 17th in the Rumble in the Jungle,  a 7th place finish in the 2006 Little River stop on the SKA Pro Tour and finished 6th overall in the 2005 SKA Pro tour event in Jacksonville. Nancy and Jeff, one of the top performing husband and wife competitive angling teams in the nation, finished 14th overall for the SKA Pro season with Nancy earning 3rd place Lady Angler. Nancy and Jeff  earned The team has completed the SKA Professional kingfish grand slam weighing in fish in the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 pound classes, holds the SKA big fish (61.1)  for Port Fourchon, LA and has finished in the money 26 times in its SKA career.  Nancy is considered one of the top Lady Anglers in the nation and Jeff has received the prestigious SKA Director's award for his 'unselfish contributions to our sport"'

Nancy@FishDancer.net or Jeff@FishDancer.net

email us we would like to hear from you