Game fishing clubs

[ShaneC]

Hi guys,

Having joined a local sportfishing club on the Australia Day weekend in order to enter a comp I have been left disappointed and searching for somewhere that may be more welcoming. I have made requests to the the club for newsletters/ info/ anything to do with it, but it seems that they are not interested. I paid my fishing club membership and my IGFA membership in January, yet I have received NOTHING from either organisation so enough is enough. I am not the lone ranger in this, I have spoken to others that have encountered the same thing.

By virtue of the fact that I have a bigger boat and better knowledge these days I am interested in being involved in a competitive environment so as to improve my skills and make fishing weekends more interesting. I thought I found it, but it seems we were suckered in to paying fees in the promise that it would happen. I am still interested as to why the IGFA has not contacted me since I paid my membership fees in January.... surely they would send me something to allow me to prove myself as a member if I fished in another comp????? I have checked and now realise Ia m not actually a member.... mmmmm???? I have a receipt for my joining fee.

Anyway I would like to still be invoved in a fishing club environment, where do you guys suggest I look at???

Cheers ,

Shane

[Smithy]

SCGFC. (The Sunshine Coast Gamefish Club) We would send out a club e-mail at least once a week I reckon on average. We let members know when there is a good bite going on and at committee level I am probably getting 2 e-mails a day circulated with keeping the club running. We have a pretty good computer package that runs our club with the point scores etc. and that is turn is linked to a good membership database.

In defense of the club you have joined, do you go to the meetings? Do you go to the BBQs etc? Do you go to the end of year Christmas function? Do you go to the end of year trophy presentations? In every fishing club I have ever been in, I have always made my membership dues back in food/drinks etc. by attending as many functions as possible and having a blast doing them. The more you put into a club, the more you get out. Maybe step up to the plate and get involved at committee level then you will see the time and effort that goes in behind the scenes. It is all volunteer work afterall and people's jobs and families etc. sometimes have to come first. It is a thankless task with people always willing to criticise but not many ready to acknowledge when something good happens.

[jeffo]

I will agree fully with smithy. One thing i think alot of people forgett with fishing clus is the committee members who keep the club functioning do it totally on a volenteer basis. Every one of the committee members of the SCGFC have full time jobs and do club stuff of a night and weekend.

Like smithy said getting along to the club functions helps everyone out. The committee feel like they have done all the organisation for a purpose and you will get to know club members better and get value for your membership dollar.

Your IGFA membership may have run out on June 30 2009?

Feel free to Pm smithy or myself if you are interested in comming along to a scgfc meeting.

[ShaneC]

I hear what you guys are saying about attending meetings etc, but I had a crew of three join the club at the same time, one didnt care (he joined to go in the comp only as a one off) and two of us have attempted to find out more on a few occasions. In response I got one email, once. I would love to get involved more in the club but just do not know when anything is going on. I regularly go down to the club where the fishing club is based for a beer (prob twice a week) and having spoken to a few people recently down there have found out that I am not on my own, which is what has prompted me to make this post.

The Igfa membership thing is something I know absolutely nothing about, as I did not receive a single bit of correspondence so if it has run out, I had no idea it was the case.

Thanks for your responses, when and where are the SCGFC meetings??

Shane

[TimiBoy]

SCGFC. (The Sunshine Coast Gamefish Club) We would send out a club e-mail at least once a week I reckon on average. We let members know when there is a good bite going on and at committee level I am probably getting 2 e-mails a day circulated with keeping the club running. We have a pretty good computer package that runs our club with the point scores etc. and that is turn is linked to a good membership database.

In defense of the club you have joined, do you go to the meetings? Do you go to the BBQs etc? Do you go to the end of year Christmas function? Do you go to the end of year trophy presentations? In every fishing club I have ever been in, I have ever been in, I have always made my membership dues back in food/drinks etc. by attending as many functions as possible and having a blast doing them. The more you put into a club, the more you get out. Maybe step up to the plate and get involved at committee level then you will see the time and effort that goes in behind the scenes. It is all volunteer work afterall and people's jobs and families etc. sometimes have to come first. It is a thankless task with people always willing to criticise but not many ready to acknowledge when something good happens.

This is a tough area. I joined a fishing/boating club two years ago, and turned up to meetings, dinners and so on, but I quickly got the feeling that a clique existed, and that to break in was more work than I am prepared to do. I'm still there because I like the ramp.

Having been a Volunteer Fireman in South Oz for 5 years (and REALLY stuck my friggin' neck out!), treasurer of my Son's Scout Group, Treasurer of my Church in Adelaide, Manager of my Son's rugby team, I decided that I had had enough of Publicly donating my time - pretty much thankless, and bloody hard work.

Trouble is, when you decide you don't want to do it, some folks treat you like a leper. So if suddenly you decide you don't want to give any more, and let someone else do it for a while, I feel like "if you're not doing anything, you don't belong". Those on the Committee (and their pals) who see you not putting in just assume you don't give a s&*t - "there goes *%*$^*%(#$, he just turns up when it suits him."

So now I'm tinkering around the edges of Ecofishers, and I'm a board member on another damn Charitable Organisation (how did that happen???), but do I have to try to be a Committee member, or serial helper at every club I want to be in to get a level of acceptance? It shouldn't be like that, but unfortunately it is. I don't have the time to give any more.

I've thought about joining SCGFC, and tried to get to a couple of meetings, but it's 2 hours from here, so when I get around to thinking about this one again it will have to be somewhere closer...

Cheers,

Tim

[PinHead]

I don't join any organisation unless I have the available time to give to help make it run. Consequently, I am not a member of any these days after having spent many years as committe member of various sporting groups when the kids were growing up. As Smithy said...no club/group will ever flourish without input from all members..HOWEVER..the group has to have good communication with its members. So there is the gateway for you Shane..go along and offer to do the communication (emails) for the club to keep all members up to date.

[Travesso]

...By virtue of the fact that I have a bigger boat and better knowledge these days...

Hey Shane,

Is that your bigger boat in your avatar?? You'd have a wild ride with the billies in that one mate!

Seriously though, I know what you mean about the "clicky" bull$h!t... Every sporting club I've ever been near was always the same. Thats why I dont really bother and just do my own thing. As you would know yourself, when you have a boat you are never short of company for a trip outside!

Cheers,
Trav

[trueblue]

I would like to join a game fishing club, but have not done so because I have also previously experienced the cliques and being left on the outer etc, because of the very limited time I have available.

I used to do pistol shooting very competitively, but because I had to move around Australia a fair bit following work, I was moving from club to club every time I changed jobs - end result is that because of the unwelcoming nature of the cliques in each club, I gave up a sport that I was very good at. And this was when I was able to contribute a lot of my time to the clubs.

I am sure there are some very good clubs around, but until I can commit a reasonable amount of time again I won't try joining any in the near future.

cheers

Mick

[Smithy]

If you are southside I would get along to the Gold Coast Gamefish Club. It is at Hope Harbour/Chancellor Resort/Marina Quays and like the Sunny Coast, I think it is the first Tuesday of the month. If it isn't the Tuesday it is the Wednesday.

http://www.goldcoastgamefish.com/

GCGFC have a paid secretary, Alisa, but she can only do what the members or committee want her to do. They are organised for sure, just not quite at the level that we are. I was a member there before SCGFC and had dual membership and only really just let my membership relinquish.

We meet in the front bar of the Kawana Waters Hotel around 7:30 the first Tuesday of the month.

http://www.scgfc.com.au/

[Jurkyjj]

I don't join any organisation unless I have the available time to give to help make it run. Consequently, I am not a member of any these days after having spent many years as committe member of various sporting groups when the kids were growing up. As Smithy said...no club/group will ever flourish without input from all members..HOWEVER..the group has to have good communication with its members. So there is the gateway for you Shane..go along and offer to do the communication (emails) for the club to keep all members up to date.

I have to agree with Pinhead on this one.
I am in a fishing club, not an offshore one, but, rather an estuary club. The main backbone of the club is through members putting in the effort to help make teh club run.
Whilst I am not saying that you did not make this attempt, the club obviously did not have the structure from the start.
It is truely important for all to contribute.
If it is left for one or two people to do all the work, they soon get pretty pissed off and the club will fall into turmoil.
Best off joining one with solid foundations and a tried and tested structure to succeed.

Cheers, Jason.

[sleepygreg]

How many times do you have to tell people when the meetings are held (they are on the same day each month), the club has a copy of the newsletter available at the desk for at least a week after each meeting, and those that provide their correct email address get one emailed each month, the comps are held on the same day each month (following the meeting day). The Boat club has a register of all office bearers of the fishing club plus their phone numbers. If you have a receipt stating you have paid your fees you ARE a member. It is QGFA you are a member of, not IGFA. (QGFA are an affiliate of GFAA, Which are an affiliate of IGFA). Sportfishing clubs are affiliates of ANSA.) If you go down there twice a week to drink, I cannot possibly see how you could not find out what is happening in the fishing club.....there are always fishing club members there, and ANY board member of the Boating club can contact a fishing club executive member and pass on your concerns. The Licenced club manager has all the contact details of of the fishing club executive, and can give them to you on the spot...they also have a calender of all club activities, including meetings, comp days, events.

Sorry im getting a bit hot under the collar, but im trying to sort out the the calendar for the next year to submit to the club, as well as notifying QGFA and ANSA of those members who have rejoined since the June 30th end of year.

Greg

[captain rednut]

hi shanec bribie island has a great gamefishing club too! based at spinnaker sound marina, contact the office there for more details or myself and i could send you some info.
thanks jim

[ShaneC]

Fair enough Greg,

I see your point, I dont know if you get mine. I HAVE supplied the correct email info, as I said I received an email last time I had a whinge about this but that was it, I never got another one. Every club I have ever joined has at least sent a letter to new members explaining the activities that take place, the wheres and the whens etc etc. Frankly I believe that when paying a joining fee for a club the onus shouldn't be on the NEW member to wrangle information from the organisation. The information should be provided with at least a letter to make new members welcome then the onus is on them to get involved.

I would have renewed my QGFA membership, solely to ensure I got the full years benefit of my membership, but once again, I have found that when a renewal to a membership is owed, you get a letter in the mail, but I received none of that either so had no idea it was due.

Mate I don't want to get into an argy bargey with who should do what, I am happy to discuss these issues with you, feel free to PM me.

Shane