Most of our tournaments use an ease off system in flights. It is definitely too dangerous for 50 boats to take off out of one holler at the same time. I fished a 330 boat tournament 2 years ago. Back then I was fishing from a 76 Astroglass with one of those old inline 6 Merc's on it. It was pretty fast, but still pale in comparison to the Bullet crowd. We had 32nd spot in the first flight of 50. I looked back in the holler and it was solid bass boats. You could walk across the lake on the bows of rigs without getting wet. I told my partner if this engine coughs once, we have had the lick. Fortunately we made it out. About a mile from the marina, one of the 90 mph Bullets came screaming by me. He had to be at least 10 spots behind me. However, even with an ease off type start, when you get around these 150 boat + tournaments the water gets extremely rough around the starting line, and on some of these tight turns the lakes have in Tennessee it is a little unnerving.<P>Skipper
