I'll be happy to work the booth at the Sports show as well. I'll check back and see what times need to be filled. Weeknights might be better for me vs the Sat Sun thing due to my Hockey committments w/the boys. As for my involvement w/DABL, for me it was all about learning new water and the competition. My first year I fished the last three events and I think we boated one fish. I definitely got my butt handed to me but it really ignited an old fire again. I grew up fishing two bass clubs and multi-day events as a kid in Washington. My parents turned me loose w/a 12' smoker craft and a 10hp evinrude when I was 10. I started fishing tourneys behind my grandpa about that time too, probably why my boys are always in my boat on league nights. I can't imagine it any other way.
I can attest that there are plenty of folks willing to share info. I know I share when I can and so do Outidee, Doug, Al and Roger. What I remember most as a kid from the clubs was that most all the info sharing took place at a monthly club meeting where how to's and videos as well as normal organizational mumbo jumbo took place (treasurers report, board meeting minutes, tourney directors report etc..). I think w/the Thurs night format (which I like as it minimizes the cuts into family weekends) though not enough time is spent discussing tactics or the wherefores and what have you's after/during the event weigh in. It's getting dark, kids have school the next day etc. As I just moved here in June of 2006 I really had to just get over myself and walk up to a complete stranger, introduce myself and ask. I'm still learning these waters and love to talk fishing, especially tactics on the water. I learn as much, probably more, from what didn't work than from what did. League meetings or cookout tourneys (Fish Lake last year for example) are the best places to exchange ideas and improve everyones skills.
I think when it gets right down to it, what keeps me going night after night is the competition. Without some sort of an outlet like the league, fishing becomes a little too recreational for me and my skills stagnate and I fall into predictable patterns instead of thinking critcally and making timely decisions on the water. It becomes all too easy to hole jump and fish memories rather than fishing the conditions and presenting the bait the way the fish want it vice the way I feel like fishing. I am without a doubt a much better fisherman today than I was when I started with DABL in the late summer of 2006. Really isn't that what life is all about anyway....being just a little better tomorrow than we were today.
Mike