After trying to hold tournaments at two different locations, the Society for Fishing Professionals (SFP) won't be hosting a tournament this year. SFP CEO John Uhler said that the SFP tournament at Georgia's Lake Lanier, scheduled to start at the end of this month, is canceled.
As covered previously on BassFan.com, the SFP's first tournament was planned for the upper Chesapeake Bay in September, but had to be canceled because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. SFP next tried for Lanier, but had to cancel for financial reasons.
Uhler had been seeking an investor to cover expenses at Lanier, and in fact succeeded -- but too late, he said. "There was no way to come to an agreement (in time), and I just didn't have enough entries to pay the expenses," he said. Entries were roughly 25, well short of the 100 needed to cover expenses.
Not A Bad Sign
Uhler has fielded a few calls from anglers wondering whether the SFP's failure to get a tournament off the ground this year means the organization is failing. The answer is an emphatic no, he said. It "isn't cause for worry."
He added that the Lanier tournament was going to be held just to obtain video for promotional purposes, and that "tournaments are not what the SFP is about. We're about fair pay, making a living (at fishing) and benefits for anglers." The SFP is a non-profit organization, he noted.
Another Tournament Soon?
Still, the SFP must eventually hold tournaments if it is to succeed, and Uhler said he's working on "special-event tournaments designed as a promotion for the sponsor and the SFP."
These could take the form of 10-15 handpicked pros with all expenses paid and everyone earning a check, he said. "One of these events could happen right after Christmas."
Upcoming
Two more items are pending for the SFP, Uhler said. One is a new SFP outreach/PR campaign starting in 2002.
The other is an announcement about an alliance with an as-yet-unnamed marketing firm that Uhler said is involved in NASCAR and other sports.
Board Named
The SFP also released the names of its board members, which include two pros. The board members are:
> Uhler -- also owner of Onoatok Bass Outfitters and founder of Warrior Rods, both based in Maryland
> Andy Uhler, Vice President/Treasurer -- Owner ABInternet, Pennsylvania
> Sandy Uhler, Secretary -- office and business manager of Warrior Rods
> Bob Hensil -- SFP's director of Membership and Benefits
> Greg Scott -- VP of CLA Insurance (SFP's third-party insurer and benefit provider) of Maryland
> Garry Riffle -- owner, Terrace Orthotic Prosthetics of Parris, Texas
> Mark Menendez -- pro angler from Kentucky and SFP director of Pro Public Relations
> Pete Gluszek -- pro angler from New Jersey and SFP director Pro Public Relations
> Bob Dillow, host of "Fishin' with Bob Dillow" which airs weekly on the on Outdoor Channel
> Brian Connolly -- marketing director and co-owner of Northern Lights Communications Inc., a Connecticut-based television production company that works, among others, with ESPN
> Ron Galloway, owner of Warrior Rods, is listed as an "at-large" director
