UPDATED:

NOVEMBER 4, 2007

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). THIS PAST YEAR WE CELEBRATED OUR 11TH YEAR. JIM AND BECKI DECEIDED TO RETIRE FROM DIRECTING TOURNAMENTS. PAUL AND MARG0 THEN BECOME THE SOLE PROPRIETORS OF THE CIRCUIT.

WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE JEFF & TERRI RUDE OF KOKOMO, JEREMY & KORI KING OF YORKTOWN ASSISTING US IN DIRECTING HOOSIER OPEN TOURNAMENTS. WITH TWO YEARS UNDER THEIR BELTS, ALL OF US ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO 2008.

OUR MISSION IS 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.

ALSO, WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN THAT OUR NATIONAL COORPORATE SPONSORS (RANGER BOATS, MERCURY MOTORS, MOTORGUIDE TROLING MOTORS, LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, BERLKEY POWER BAITS & TRILENE LINE, EXIDE BATTERIES, SOLOR BAT SUN GLASSES) AND MANY OTHERS HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION.