After reading Joe's newsletter, I had a question about #4.  It stated:  "Travel arrangements are up to the boater and co-angler, as a boater you are responsible to arrange a ride for your partner if you want to go earlier then they can leave.  If this arrangement can’t be made you must wait for them(with in reason)"

My question is what are the expectations for a travel tournament?  I've always thought that prefishing was the norm and to be expected for a travel tournament which requires overnight lodging.  Obviously, if a boater can't get off work he can't prefish but as a nonboater if I entered a draw for a travel tournament it was because I could get Friday off of work.  I figured if I couldn't prefish on Friday I would have to find my own arrangements to get there.  I did not think it was my boater's responsibility to find me a ride since I couldn't prefish.  Now if the boater wanted to get their on Wednesday and fish for several days that is different but I just always assumed Friday is practice.  I realize that these situations almost always take care of themselves and guys find rides based on their schedules.  I guess it comes down to what is the expectation?  How does everyone else feel about this?    Paul

Paul once you are paired up after the draw it is up to the two guys to plan travel arrangements and 90% of the time it all works out, But some times you get a guy that wants to go down early and prefish cause he does not have to work on Friday but his partner does not have the option of taking off work on Friday, then arrangement have to be made so the coangler can get down there when they get off of work. if a ride is available and it usually is the co angler will ride with them, but if there is no ride available for Friday evening the the original partner must wait as long as it's with in reason not like 7 or 8 at night and it's 4 hours to the lake. A few time guys were told they would have to drive down on there own because their boater wanted to go down early in that case gas for travel is not split if the co angler agrees other wise the boater must wait. So please don't think you have to take off work on Friday to travel with us if you ride down with some one you don't pay there gas you still only split gas with assigned partner. Hope to see you at more weekend tournaments