UPDATED:
MARCH
24, 2009
HISTORY
AND MISSION OF
HOOSIER OPEN TOURNAMENTS
HOOSIER OPEN TOURNAMENTS,
INC. IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY PAUL JOLLY, A RETIRED SCIENCE/PHYSICAL EDUCATION
TEACHER AND COACH OF 35 YEARS AND MARGO JOLLY WHO RECENTLY RETIRED FROM TEACHING
SPECIAL EDUCATION AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
BEGINNING IN THE EARLY 80s,
PAUL AND MARGO SERVED AS NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE (INDIANA) DIRECTOR FOR AMERICAN SCHOLARSHIP TOURNAMENTS
LOCATED IN SOME 20 STATES. THEY RAN
TOURNAMENTS IN 12 DIFFERENT STATES FROM FLORDIA TO MICHIGAN AND OKLAHOMA TO TENNESSEE.
IN INDIANA, ANGLERS WERE PROMPTING US TO START OUR OWN
CIRCUIT. JIM & BECKI GOSMAN AND PAUL
& MARGO KICKED AROUND THE IDEA AND IN 1996, HOOSIER OPEN TEAM BASS
TOURNAMENTS BECAME A REALITY. THAT FIRST
YEAR ANGLERS ANSWERED TO THE TUNE OF A 75 BOAT AVERAGE FOR FIVE QUALIFYING
EVENTS AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR THAT FIGURE ROSE TO A 115 BOAT AVERAGE. WE THEN TOPPED OUT AT AVERAGING NEARLY 150
BOATS FOR SIX QUALIFYING EVENTS (INDIANA STATE WATERS HAVE A LIMIT ON BOAT NUMBERS). . IN 2005 JIM AND BECKI DECEIDED TO RETIRE FROM DIRECTING TOURNAMENTS. PAUL AND MARG0 THEN BECOME THE SOLE PROPRIETORS
OF THE CIRCUIT. THE 2008 SEASON JUST
COMPLETED OUR 13TH YEAR.
OUR MISSION IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN TO PROVIDE OUR ANGLERS WITH PROFESSIONALLY
RUN TOURNAMENTS AND OPTIMUM PAYBACK. WE
PRIDE OURSELVES IN BEING HONEST AND FAIR AND ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS FROM
OUR ANGLERS. THOUGH WE CATER TO A
FAMILY-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND WELCOME SPOUSES, CHILDREN, AND LADIES TO JOIN US, WE
BOAST OF HAVING SOME OF THE MOST SKILLFULL ANGLERS IN THE SPORT.
JEFF AND TERRI RUDE (ALONG
WITH JERREMY & KORI KING) HAVE BEEN ASSISTING US FOR THE PAST THREE
YEARS. AFTER 13 YEARS OF HOOSIER OPEN
AND NEARLY 30 YEARS OF DIRECTING BASS TOURNAMENTS, PAUL AND MARGO WILL BE
RETIRING FROM TH E TOURNAMENT DIRECTING BUSINESS. AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2009,
JEFF AND TERRI BECAME THE SOLE OWNERS OF THE CIRCUIT. PAUL AND MARGO PLAN TO TRAVEL, VISIT CHILDREN
(GRANDCHILDREN) IN COLORADO AND CALIFORNIA, AND PAUL WILL CONCENTRATE MORE ON HIS PERSONAL
TOURNAMENT ANGLING. JEFF AND TERRI VOW
THAT THERE WILL BE FEW CHANGES IN BOTH THE WEEKEND SERIES AND OUR NEWLY FORMED
SENIORS’ CIRCUIT. THEY ARE EXCITED TO
BEGIN THEIR NEW VENTURE AND WE HOPE YOU PLAN TO JOIN THEM. THE 2009 SCHEDULES IS LISTED ON THIS WEBSITE.
FINALLY, BASS FISHING CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THE MOST TREASURED EXPERIENCES ONE
CAN ENCOUNTER. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
OF THIS EVERLASTING OBSESSION AND THROUGH THE AGES, ONE CANNOT PUT A PRICE ON
THE MEMORIES. BE IT YOUR FIRST BIG BASS,
TOURNAMENT VICTORY, OR YOUR AQUAINTANCES WITH FELLOW ANGLERS AND THOSE IN THE
INDUSTRY, YOU WILL ACCUMULATE A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES. BUT, WE MUST NOT FORGET HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO LIVE IN COUNTRY THAT
AFFORDS US THE PRIVILEGE TO PURSUE OUR PLEASURES.
