Tournament Slumps

[Shoop05]

Hey guys, just kinda wondering, what do you guys do about tournament slumps? I am currently in one. I am catching bass, but not getting the finishes I would like. I have made some mistakes and lost a fish here and there, but it seems like the more I press, the more it happens. Anyways, any advice??? I have fished tournaments as both a boater and non boater, same results. Usually 1 fish out of the money, or a big bite away from winning.

 

Thoughts?

[slonezp]

Prefish. Prefishing allows me to find fish and eliminate non productive water and I believe the latter is more important. Come tourney day I'm not wasting time. I spent 3 days prefishing last week for a tourney this past Sunday. My plan of attack was to hit what I thought was the most productive water first, the guaranteed water last and run and gun the rest of the spots where I had found fish. Ended up 5th out of 51 boats and 3lbs short of 1st. Not my best finish, but it sure beats a goose egg.

 

In the past, my slumps have always not being able to bring in a limit. Countless numbers of times I have been in the money with 4 and would have won if I had a limit. The more time on the water the better the odds.   

[FD.]

YEP - Prefish to eliminate water is the most effective thing you can do to increase production.

[Shoop05]

I have pre fished, I guess I should crank it up a notch. Some of the tournaments are difficult to prefish much due to distance and my schedule. I know how important prefishing is, so I stress it when I can get to the lake and really dissect it. It's not like I am zeroing, but there are those days when it feels like every bite I get I am scratching out. Im just going to keep my head down and charging along. Keep working hard and hopefully things begin to fall better into place.

 

Thanks guys

[J Francho]

Prefish, prefish, prefish.  Once you have things somewhat figured out, get some good rest.  On tournament day, just relax.  Have fun.  But stay focused and confident. Above all else, enjoy the fact that you are fishing competitively.

[tbone1993]

beer... In all seriousness prefish and practice. Also have good gear and have everything ready to go. Do your research before you even leave for the trip. Own a great net. Don't have a bullcrap $15 net that will tangle your baits. Spend money on an eco pro slider with a rubber insert or the frabil nets with rubber inserts. Learn how to net properly as well. Friends have lost tournaments because coanglers could not net properly.  Never give up keep fishing. Slow down or speed up. If you get a call saying jerkbaits are on tie on a d**n jerkbait. We've had people on our team be hard headed and it cost us tournaments so be open to everything.

[ww2farmer]

I am going to suggest just the opposite. Forget pre-fishing, unless it's a body of water you have zero knowledge of. But if it's a place you know well, just go out and "go fishing" on tournament day. Fish your strengths, and see what happens. Don't be bummed out if you lay an egg or two, it's not personal, it's just fishing, and you have to realize that some days are just not "your" day. I have been tournament fishing for about 10 years now. The first year, when I didn't know any better............I just went fishing and put no pressure on myself. And we won one, and cashed often. The next few years, I put a ton of pressure on myself to do well, and just struggled. The last two years I pretty much said F-it, and treated tournament day like a regular day on the water, fish the way I want to fish, and have returned to cashing often and winning a few. If I made a living fishing I would worry about it, but I don't.................so I won't.

[mjseverson24]

it sounds like the more you press the faster you fish and you will probabily loose your patience. This alone can cost you big in a tournament. My advice besides prefishing would be to slow down and give yourself a chance to succede. somedays fishing fast burning baits to get that reaction works, but almost everyday you can get a great limit together with a jig or t-rig worked very slow through an area that you know holds fish. 

 

Mitch

[MichBassMan]

Prefishing is important prior to a tournament. Then the day of the tourney, don't listen to pre-launch B.S. from the other fisherman, they'll get in your head. Slow down, fish your strengths, tell yourself your competing against the bass, not against the other anglers. Have fun and the wins will come.

[BuckMaxx]

We all have slumps. I just go into it with the attitude of I am going to catch fish. If they won't "win" a tournament, atleast I am bringing fish to the scale. Every bite may be the one your waiting for. Just keep doing a productive pattern and let the cards fall where they may. Even the best in the world don't win everything but the gates in every tournament.

[Shoop05]

I am going to suggest just the opposite. Forget pre-fishing, unless it's a body of water you have zero knowledge of. But if it's a place you know well, just go out and "go fishing" on tournament day. Fish your strengths, and see what happens. Don't be bummed out if you lay an egg or two, it's not personal, it's just fishing, and you have to realize that some days are just not "your" day. I have been tournament fishing for about 10 years now. The first year, when I didn't know any better............I just went fishing and put no pressure on myself. And we won one, and cashed often. The next few years, I put a ton of pressure on myself to do well, and just struggled. The last two years I pretty much said F-it, and treated tournament day like a regular day on the water, fish the way I want to fish, and have returned to cashing often and winning a few. If I made a living fishing I would worry about it, but I don't.................so I won't.

Good stuff. I had one last weekend and said, "F" it. I was a co angler and just went fishin. Smoked the boater. We had a good time just laughing and joking around. The water got incredibly nasty and we were giggling like school girls while crashing through waves all the way into the ramp. It was a tough day, but we managed some keepers, I caught a bunch of short fish, but did manage to bring a couple to the scales. Overall it was a really fun day. Made me remember why I do this in the first place.

[slonezp]

Good stuff. I had one last weekend and said, "F" it. I was a co angler and just went fishin. Smoked the boater. We had a good time just laughing and joking around. The water got incredibly nasty and we were giggling like school girls while crashing through waves all the way into the ramp. It was a tough day, but we managed some keepers, I caught a bunch of short fish, but did manage to bring a couple to the scales. Overall it was a really fun day. Made me remember why I do this in the first place.

Don't take this the wrong way. Why do you fish tournaments? If you are fishing them for fun, then why not just fun fish? Why spend the extra money? Tournament fishing is work and for me takes much of the fun out of it. I fish tourneys for 2 reasons. My son(my partner) and money. He want's to fish more local tourneys but the numbers don't add up. I'm involved with a larger club and it's a gamble. It could, and has, paid off big. For me, the smaller clubs IMO are a waste. By the time. I figure in entry fees and fuel(including prefish) and I'd be way ahead fun fishing.    

[Shoop05]

Don't take this the wrong way. Why do you fish tournaments? If you are fishing them for fun, then why not just fun fish? Why spend the extra money? Tournament fishing is work and for me takes much of the fun out of it. I fish tourneys for 2 reasons. My son(my partner) and money. He want's to fish more local tourneys but the numbers don't add up. I'm involved with a larger club and it's a gamble. It could, and has, paid off big. For me, the smaller clubs IMO are a waste. By the time. I figure in entry fees and fuel(including prefish) and I'd be way ahead fun fishing.    

I didn't say I fish them strictly for fun. I said I decided to have fun in the last one. I fish for the money. I didn't mean in my post that I started fishing tournaments for fun, I meant I started fishing in general for fun. You can be very serious and focused in a tournament but still enjoy it. Too many guys are trying to be "hard A$$es" out there and they end up miserable all day. Don't get me wrong, it's game on when that horn blows. I just meant that I actually enjoyed fishing my last tournament. Sorry if my post was misleading.

[Shoop05]

When I say "F" it, that doesn't mean I am screwing around all day. I just mean that I am going fishing. Trying to relax myself while catching fish. If I gave the impression that I am partying in the back of the boat with a keg, I didn't mean to. It's just a way of approaching it. Letting things come to me as opposed to forcing them.

[slonezp]

I didn't say I fish them strictly for fun. I said I decided to have fun in the last one. I fish for the money. I didn't mean in my post that I started fishing tournaments for fun, I meant I started fishing in general for fun. You can be very serious and focused in a tournament but still enjoy it. Too many guys are trying to be "hard ****es" out there and they end up miserable all day. Don't get me wrong, it's game on when that horn blows. I just meant that I actually enjoyed fishing my last tournament. Sorry if my post was misleading.

Guess I misunderstood your post. I try to keep it fun as well. I don't have the competitive nature my son has. He takes it personal.

[Shoop05]

Guess I misunderstood your post. I try to keep it fun as well. I don't have the competitive nature my son has. He takes it personal.

It's cool. I am a very competitive person too, there are just times when I have to step back and breathe a little or else I start to get in my own way.

[Sam]

Shoop, let me tell you the problem I have with prefishing.

 

We go out and see the water clarity and temperature; its current; the depths we catch fish; topwater, wake baits, all depths with crankbaits and spinnerbaits and all types of colors to catch the bass and of course, looking for structure, blowdowns, holes, trees, brushpiles, docks, piers, etc.

 

We go home and rig our rods and reels to match the most productive presentations we found and get ready to rock and roll on tournament day.

 

So what happens on tournament day? Everything that worked when you prefished doesn't work at all.

 

The weather has changed; water clarity has changed; the water temperature is a little colder or warmer; too much fishing pressure from others; the places you caught fish are now inhabited by ten competitors; the bass have moved off from the bank and are a little deeper; and the list goes on.

 

And what about those beautiful ladies you caught when prefishing? They are shell shocked and are holding deep or in the structure and are not interested in the same baits that they ate when you threw them while prefishing.

 

Prefishing does have its place in tournament fishing. You can learn a lot by prefishing. One of the things I have learned is to use your electronics and to make notes of the water conditions; weather; structure you see; duck blinds; what the map of the body of water shows; and anything else you think important for you to create your Battle Plan A.

 

Then you create Battle Plan B to have ready when Battle Plan A falls apart.

 

If you are fishing a body of water where the others in the tournament fish it more often they will race to their honey holes and get there first and clean up what is biting before you even slow down and set up your trolling motor.  So watch where the guys who fish the waters go first and mark them on your map for future reference. Go back to their honey holes after a few hours and note if other bass have moved into that area.

 

When prefishing you can also try to find the best bait color and type with the understanding that these options may change on tournament day.

 

I'll give you a real life example: I prefished the Potomac on a Wednesday before a Sunday tournament. We caught 8 beautiful bass, with my big one being 3.5 pounds and my friend landing a 4-pounder. We did this on black and blue and green pumpkin colored baits.

 

Sunday rolls around after two days of cold fronts and rain (Friday and Saturday morning).  I run back to the area we caught the 8 bass and proceed to throw my black and blue everything plus green pumpkin plastics.  No bites. No interest from anything including snakeheads. The other guys fishing around us are throwing the standard white spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits and green pumpkin plastics and no one is catching bass over 15-inches. In fact, no one is setting the world on fire.

 

Nonboater finally gives up with his baits after five hours and ties on a 3-inch pink Senko on a drop shot and throws it into the grass and drops it into the holes.  The bass go nuts over that small pink bait.  He finishes 4th out of a club of 25. I finish 13th. Go figure?

 

The guy who won the tournament threw a pink fluke. We noticed other fishermen throwing pink plastics as the day wore on. I think many of them noticed the pink colored baits we were throwing and they changed to pink for the afternoon.

 

Remember, we clobbered them on black and blue and green pumpkin colored baits when we prefished and then had to go to pink to catch our keepers.

 

That is the fun of bass fishing: trying to solve the mystery and outsmarting a wild animal with a brain the size of a pea.

[J Francho]

Prefishing and practice are two entirely different things.  You go and prefish a lake long before your tournament.  You learn how the lake fishes, and try to unlock it's secrets. 

 

Practice is done the day before.  You make a plan, check your spots for bites, map out logistics like running time, gas, and develop backup plans.