You Vs The Lake/you Vs The Others

[jbsoonerfan]

As I approach my first tourney of this season I start to question myself. What depth, color, presentation, etc, etc, etc. Then I begin to set goals (I am a big believer in setting goals) Do I want to catch a limit? A 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20lb + sack? Or do I just want to beat everyone else? I kind of look at fishing like I do golf. I have played thousands of rounds of golf, many of which are for money. Most of the time I take conditions into consideration. Wind, temperature, rough length, green speed, course slope rating all play a factor when I think about what I expect of myself for that day. I look at golf as it is "me vs the course". I don't have an impact on my opponent, no matter their ability. We are both playing the same course, so I can only do the best I can do. So, do you view fishing a tournament as a battle of "you vs the lake", or "you vs the others"? Sure, we all want to beat everyone else, but I just wonder if you have a certain expectation of yourself going into a tourney. Do you set a number of lbs? Do you want to finish top 3? I am curious how others view fishing as a sport. This is only my third year competing and I have gone both ways on my thoughts.

[ww2farmer]

I can only speak fro my own exp.......but I started doing much MUCH better in tournaments when I worried about what I was doing, and pretended I was the only one out there, and just went fishing. I have to put blinders on. I don't want to know what everyone else is doing, nor do I care. If I do what I do, the best that I can do it, with no screw ups (broke off fish, bad decisions, etc...).........I hate to sound so arrogant, but...I am tough to beat on my home lake. My goal is to win every single tournament I enter...and win it my way.  It's not always going to happen, but I am not going to worry about what everyone else is doing, I loath that way of thinking, and more than once I had to tell my partner last year to zip it when he started rambling on about how so and so caught fish, and on what they caught them on, and where they caught them. I don't know.....everyone is different, but that's how I fish.

[WIGuide]

It's you vs the fish all the way. Yes you can set other goals but I suggest setting attainable ones. Realistically you aren't going to win every tournament so don't make that a goal. However, with that said you need to come out with the confidence and intention to win every time you fish one. Like WW2 said you need to put blinders on to what others are doing and don't listen to dock talk as about 90% of it is total bs. It's always you vs the fish though. One of your goals should be to bring in a limit in every tournament you fish. If you do that, you're putting yourself in contention every time.  

[FlipnLimits]

I associate with the advise given above.  You'll never know what other teams are doing during the tournament and dock talk is BS.  You will not win every tournament     You must have a limit to have a chance to win.  I know, go for the big ones because that's what it takes to win.  That is great in theory!  But try to catch 5 big-only fish per tourney, lol.   Get a limit!!!  Then work on upgrading.  If you don't catch limits most times you fish, then your goal should be to catch a limit.  If you catch limits most of the time, then you know how to look for bigger fish or how to up your odds of catching bigger fish.  Without a doubt, get your limit first and it should be a goal every tournament. 

 

Around here, in early Spring, 3-4 fish may win a tournament or get you some cash, so imagine what a limit can do.  If someone hunted just the big ones, he'd miss out on catching a regular limit and winning a tournament.

 

FL

[Lund Explorer]

As I approach my first tourney of this season I start to question myself. What depth, color, presentation, etc, etc, etc. Then I begin to set goals (I am a big believer in setting goals) Do I want to catch a limit? A 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20lb + sack? Or do I just want to beat everyone else? I kind of look at fishing like I do golf. I have played thousands of rounds of golf, many of which are for money. Most of the time I take conditions into consideration. Wind, temperature, rough length, green speed, course slope rating all play a factor when I think about what I expect of myself for that day. I look at golf as it is "me vs the course". I don't have an impact on my opponent, no matter their ability. We are both playing the same course, so I can only do the best I can do. So, do you view fishing a tournament as a battle of "you vs the lake", or "you vs the others"? Sure, we all want to beat everyone else, but I just wonder if you have a certain expectation of yourself going into a tourney. Do you set a number of lbs? Do you want to finish top 3? I am curious how others view fishing as a sport. This is only my third year competing and I have gone both ways on my thoughts.

 

Goals are important!

 

Back in my tournament days, I set goals for myself.  They were set by a combination of the body of water, the season, the current weather conditions. 

 

More importantly, I also reviewed what other tournament fishermen had weighed in during prior tournaments.  Knowing what my competitors were capable of gave me a yardstick to measure my efforts against.  If I was on a body of water that produced 18-20lb limits, I wasn't satisfied if the only thing I was catching was 14" keepers.  I might come in with a limit, but I knew I'd be buried way down in the standings. 

 

In the end you are competing against the lake, but more accurately, against the lake's potential.

[Catt]

I'm in it to win it!

I never fish just to put 5 in the boat, I fish to put 5 winning fish in the boat. That maybe be the only 5 ya get!

[Oregon Native]

I too have fished tourneys for a number of years and have had many ideas. Now for me to be more flexible I go with the attitude of one fish at a time. If I prefished and mother nature throws a 180 I'll just try and smile. For the first hour I'll fish what I want and how but if this is resulting in a goose egg I may sit back, eat a peanut butter cracker and think of plan "B" or "C". After all I do have a floating rod locker and tackle box with me so I should hopefully be able to put something together. Hopefully

P.S. If you see just two rods on my deck, in the back of my mind I have a solid finger crossing gameplan.

[BrianinMD]

There is no reason to worry about what the other guys are doing, it is not like you can do anything to affect them. Its just you and the fish, concentrate on what you are doing to get the best bag you can and let things fall where they may.

[Felix77]

I learned very quickly that you can only control one thing in fishing and that is what you are doing and your attitude.  Focus on that and let everything else fall into place.  That doesn't mean necessarily ignoring what is going on around you.  If you happen to observer a fellow competitor/co-angler catching on something then just take it into consideration and logically choose if you want to go there.

 

Doubt will always creep in when your plans don't come to fruition.  This is the mental side of the sport which makes it so d**n challenging sometimes.  

[clark9312]

As I approach my first tourney of this season I start to question myself. What depth, color, presentation, etc, etc, etc. Then I begin to set goals (I am a big believer in setting goals) Do I want to catch a limit? A 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20lb + sack? Or do I just want to beat everyone else? I kind of look at fishing like I do golf. I have played thousands of rounds of golf, many of which are for money. Most of the time I take conditions into consideration. Wind, temperature, rough length, green speed, course slope rating all play a factor when I think about what I expect of myself for that day. I look at golf as it is "me vs the course". I don't have an impact on my opponent, no matter their ability. We are both playing the same course, so I can only do the best I can do. So, do you view fishing a tournament as a battle of "you vs the lake", or "you vs the others"? Sure, we all want to beat everyone else, but I just wonder if you have a certain expectation of yourself going into a tourney. Do you set a number of lbs? Do you want to finish top 3? I am curious how others view fishing as a sport. This is only my third year competing and I have gone both ways on my thoughts.

In golf I always was playing my opponent and people that say they weren't are either lying or they watched tin cup to many times. If my opponent hits one out on 18 and we were tied im probably going back for the 3 wood. In fishing you have no clue what your opponent is doing and you will probably have a lot more on the water.

[wrat]

Me VS lake/fish ...I dont care what or where anybody else is doing...even if you are told exactly what and where you may or may not be able to duplicate  so......