Hoosier Open Tournaments

HOOSIER OPEN TOURNAMENTS, INC. WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY PAUL JOLLY, A RETIRED SCIENCE/PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER AND COACH OF 35 YEARS AND MARGO JOLLY, WHO 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 THEM TO START THER 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.  THEY 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 DECIDED TO RETIRE FROM DIRECTING TOURNAMENTS.  PAUL AND MARG0 THEN BECAME THE SOLE PROPRIETORS OF THE CIRCUIT FOR THE NEXT 13 YEARS.

                                

THEIR MISSION WAS TO PROVIDE THE ANGLERS WITH PROFESSIONALLY RUN TOURNAMENTS AND OPTIMUM PAYBACK.  THEY PRIDED THEMSELVES IN BEING HONEST AND FAIR AND ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS FROM THE ANGLERS.   

 

JEFF AND TERRI RUDE ASSISTED THEM FOR THREE YEARS AND AFTER 13 YEARS OF HOOSIER OPEN AND NEARLY 30 YEARS OF DIRECTING BASS TOURNAMENTS, PAUL AND MARGO RETIRED FROM THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTING BUSINESS.  AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2009, JEFF AND TERRI BECAME THE SOLE OWNERS OF THE CIRCUIT AND CONTINUED OPERATING HOOSIER OPEN TOURNAMENTS FOR 16 YEARS UNTIL JANUARY 1, 2026.

 

A NEW ERA FOR HOOSIER OPEN TOURNAMENTS IS BEGININNG IN THE 2026 SEASON WITH NEW OWNERS AND NEW VISIONS FOR THE CIRCUIT. BRYAN MCCUTCHEON AND KELLY HOOK PURCHASED THE TRAIL FROM JEFF AND TERRI AS THEY LOOK TO SCALE BACK AND ENJOY RETIREMENT. BOTH BRYAN AND KELLY HAVE MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TOURNAMENT WORLD WITH BOTH COMPETING IN MANY CIRCUITS OVER THE YEARS. IN ADDITION, KELLY HAS SPENT MANY YEARS AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE INDIANA BASS FEDERATION AND HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY PROJECTS SUPPORTING THE SPORT SUCH AS CONSERVATION EFFORTS, FISH STOCKING AND HABITAT IMPROVEMENT.

BRYAN HAS SERVED AS THE YOUTH DIRECTOR FOR THE INDIANA BASS FEDERATION PROGRAM AND IS ALSO A NATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE BASS FEDERATION AND RUNS EVENTS IN NUMEROUS STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY. RECENTLY HE WAS ALSO APPOINTED THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL BASS ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION AS WELL.

BOTH ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY OF HOOSIER OPEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION THAT PAUL AND MARGO STARTED  30 YEARS AGO.

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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.  WE MUST NOT FORGET HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO LIVE IN COUNTRY THAT AFFORDS US THE PRIVILEGE TO PURSUE OUR PLEASURES.