OBMST (No Booze)

[Bigeye10]

http://www.mvtimes.com/2008/05/15/ne...tournament.php

[oldmud]

Thanks for the link Bigeye,

Why would anyone want to try to deal with people who don't like you ??
Guess I would take the hint and say bye. Move the venue and change the name. just my opinion.

Don

[chumtini]

This just frosts my melon. I looked closely at the pic. I didn't see a single cocktail. What, exactly is the Town of OB trying to address? Public intoxication? Specifically, the captains mtg and awards banquest? Puuuleeeze. Most if not all of the tournament fishermen are fishing, not drinking. WTF? I personally don't drink. With a name like Chumtini, you'd think otherwise.

Selectmen Kerry Scott and Roger Wey joined Mr. DiOrio in voting to set the policy. "Everyone knows exactly how I feel about the shark tournament," said Ms. Scott. "I feel Steve James has been treated very, very well by the town of Oak Bluffs. We have made it possible for Steve James to make one heck of a good living, and we don't get a whole lot back from that."

Does that sum it up right there? Do these pocket picking politians wants some of the action, the moolah, the greenbacks, some clams? You bet!


"I don't fish," said Mr. Coogan. "Don't want any fish on my boat, don't care about fishing at all. We've spent countless hours on this subject, to the point of being ridiculous. I don't care about the shark tournament, but I think there are a lot of people who do. The town has voted for it."

Now we know where to put those clams...in Mr Coogan's boat.

I wonder when the BBGFC says FU OB and moves this tourny to someplace like Falmouth or anywhere more hospitiable. That would be too bad. Everyone looses, including the people and businesses of OB. Shhh...hear the crickets?

[stew]

As a business located on the mainland I can tell you I get direct sales related to the Tourney and I am along way away from OB. As a charterboat capt. I have fished it 5 out of the last 7 years on a paid charter. As a participant I have had alot of fun and great times fishing this event. The fuel money, the dockage, the restaurants, the hotels etc.... Give me a break. The money that is poured into that town's economy for those four days is HUGE!!!! Ask any business owner if that weekend is importan to them money wise. Once again the selectmen, who are elected to do the biding of the townspeople, go off on their own personal rant. It makes me sick. Capt. Eric

[MarkP]

How much would you like to guess that these "select"assholes are recent additions to the populace of OB. In other words, they are 'from away" and want to change the landscape of the "quaint New England fishing village" to which they moved from some hellhole like NYC . Disgusting. I hope another town welcomes the Shark Tournament and these "select assholes" get their comuppance. Scumbags...

MarkP

[livetofishnj]

It's ridiculous, what does keeping it dry prove other than proving the fact that the town council can yank the tournament's chain. It has no bearing on the whole protest point which to my understanding is fishing is bad...sharking is bad....
They don;t need to move the tournament, simply announce that based on the present political harassment from Oaks Bluff, and that they plan on exploring other towns that will welcome the event.
I think the business owners on the Island would tear down the town hall if they kept this crap up.

If anyone who has participated in the tournament is willing to share your costs, and what you spent when you were on the island, please email me at the address below. It'd help me with a story I'm currently working on regarding this mess. I'm sure the other side will be warming up their protest signs and I want to take a shot back...

[Bigeye10]

I used to live on the island , and have many good friends who still live there. They are defintely messing with their biggest money makin event of the year.

Maybe its not the tournament they have a problem with, but the people who run it ?

Maybe one of the selectmen got some of that defrosted rotten chum , that was delivered as fresh last year ??

[Tuna Meltdown]

As far as money that I have spent so far this year and on the past two years fishing the OBMST.
If I really thought hard it would make me cry.
First year alone the 5 of us dropped $300 at Nancy's for dinner.
And we only had ONE drink apiece
$500 for the private slip.
$2000 to rent a house in Vinyard Haven Last year.
$1200 on Hotel rooms the year before.
$600 on rental cars (so the women could get around the Island when we were fishing. I said they could ride bikes but well......... )
I'll keep going on this later.

[Skunked Again]

WTB: Large cooler with wheels to tote to the banquet.

If they don't have a liquor license that doesn't necesarily mean it will be dry, does it?.. Maybe they'll bring it back to the BYOB days.

To add to dan's list:

- $1,375 entry fee B4 05/31.. $1,475 after
- Last minute pickup's at Sharks landing $100
- Picking up extra foul weather gear at West Marine - $150
- FUEL Between bait fishing and a couple days offshore burning somewhere around 300 gallons (Est) and we're one of the smaller boats.. God only knows what they'll be getting per gallon this summer, i'd assume @ $5.... $1,500.

-I'm sure more can add to the list.

[chumtini]

In all fairness, remember this event gained national awareness thru ESPN, CNN, etc. That's when the Humane Society jumped in. I have nothing against the Humane Society. They do some good work. But the timing and visibility makes you wonder what their interests and agenda truely are. Don't forget, the Humane Society is a LARGE Corporation with deep pockets. It may be a non-profit organization, but a corporation none the less.

Before we go bashing these few selectmen, remember how much pressure a large organization like the HS can inflict on a few key individuals. I read that the HS mounted a campaign and even published the home numbers for the selectmen and encouraged members and activists to phone. Call it harrassment. But, that's politics. It comes with the job.

Not that it seems to mean much anymore, but The People have spoken,

"At their 2007 annual town meeting, 458 Oak Bluffs voters said yes and 386 said no"

Don't get me wrong. This still frosts my mellon. This latest maneuver seems more like an old fashoined New England witch hunt.

PS Mark, don't get me started on that rant. What happened to Nantucket is a whole 'nother television program. I don't even get off the boat anymore at the fuel dock. Hummers and concrete/glass beachfront behemoths...Tragic