Following is a letter sent today to the editor of the R.I.
Dispatch/Argus:

Dear Editor,

     On Saturday May 30 a local bass fishing charity tournament took
place on the same day as the last day of the recent FLW All-American
bass tournament.  Both of these tournaments were in the planning stage
for over a year but neither knew about the other until less than 2
months before the events took place.  My club did not plan the charity
tournament but many of the members of my club participated and helped
raise $3,500 for the local Red Cross.  As a tournament organizer for
many years I personally know the effort it took to organize and conduct
this event which was very professional in the way it was run.
     On Thursday May 28 I found out that Dispatch/Argus outdoor editor
Bob Groene went to the local Red Cross headquarters and informed them
that there could be a public relations issue for them if one of the FLW
contestants thought that they were slighted by another tournament being
conducted two river pools from their launch site.  I called Mr. Groene
that day and expressed the following views to him: That the FLW
organization takes pride in being considered weekend anglers just like
the members of my club.  That the organizers of the charity tournament
planned for over a year, already had over 30 boats entered and that the
tournament could not be called off two days before it was scheduled.
That fishermen anywhere can't expect to have over 100 miles of river
available to only 10 boats, which the FLW tournament had competing on
the final day of their event.  And that the FLW contestants themselves
run into this same scenario every weekend, no matter what part of the
country they came from.  At the end of our conversation Mr. Groene and I
agreed to disagree on our viewpoints and I thought that was the end of
the story - until I read Mr. Groene's column in the June 3 Dispatch
wherein he stated that he felt like he "MUST hand out an unfortunate
jeer" aimed at the charity tournament.
     Let me state that I have lived in the Quad Cities all of my life
and love the area.  The FLW was a great event to bring to the Quad
Cities and many members of my club supported their effort by
volunteering at the event itself, attending the weigh-ins and assisting
many of the out of town anglers in the effort to catch fish.  I
personally attended the FLW weigh-in two days and commend the efforts of
their organization in a conducting a very professionally run event.  I
feel that most of the anglers in this area feel the same way and did not
or would not want to interfere with the FLW event.
     The efforts of the organizers and participants of the charity
tournament did not give the "the Quad Cities an embarrassing black eye"
nor was there "a major lack of respect to the FLW anglers" as Mr. Groene
stated in his column.  Instead, the charity organizers and participants
were promoting their sport and aiding a great charitable cause in the
process.
     I feel that a retraction of Mr. Groene's comments is in order.  I
realize that Mr. Groene's view was just that, his view, but to put it in
the public forum that is the Dispatch was totally unacceptable.

Sincerely,

Thomas Laake
President, Quad City Bass Fishermen's Club
563-355-2758
bassinbluz@mchsi.com