I Know People Get Tormented to Death...

But I also have to wonder if they maybe sometimes get "toUrNAmented" to death. I say that because Wayne called me earlier this morning and said only one boater had showed up at Pungo Ferry for the launch of another scheduled open tournament. That's after only three boats showed up for the open tournament two weeks ago.

Admittedly, there could be a host of other factors playing into these dismal results, starting with the fact we are entering the holiday season. With Thanksgiving next Thursday, followed the next day by, of course, all the big sales associated with Black Friday, it's entirely possible people's minds are on other things...besides fishing, that is.

No matter what your interests are, stores are clamoring for your business. Just a quick look around the Internet this morning revealed sales flyers...for everything from soup to nuts, so to speak...promising up to 50, 60 and even as much as 80 percent off on some goods. And, naturally, fishing gear is included, so it's entirely possible anglers are busy figuring out how they're going to gear up--not so much for the rest of this season, but for the next one.

Saw one prediction online this morning that said an estimated 140 million Americans plan to shop the pre-holiday sales (such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday) in 2022. And with an average spend of $362, Americans will part with roughly $51 billion total this year, trying to score a deal.

Of those "big spenders," it's estimated that approximately 55 percent of them will be men, compared to 52 percent of them being women. Not only do more men say they'll be shopping, but they also plan to spend more money than women. The average man plans to hand over $465, while the average woman plans to drop only $300.

All that being said, I'm left to ponder how many, if any, anglers may show up at Pungo Ferry on Dec. 10th for the third and final open tournament in the series Wayne has been hosting. He assured me this morning that he plans to be there, irrespective of what happened this morning, so if you're not "toUrNAmented," he would welcome your participation. Oh, and here's hoping all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving and that you land some delightfully good deals in your Black Friday purchases.