WhiteMike1018 Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 I don't know about yall...but the night before a tournament and sometimes just a regular day of fishing I find it near impossible to fall asleep. All I have going on in my mind is my setups, where im going to be fishing, my tackle, visions of me catching fish the next day etc. Does anyone else have this problem and what are some of your counters to it? 4 Quote
FlipnLimits Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 Oh yes, the anticipation is Murder! I must admit that it's gotten better for me but I still find myself staying up late because nowadays I don't go to bed unless I'm already tired. It's a rule of mine. I get so wound up sometimes, I get a stomach ache and you know what's next! Usually at the ramp, I must find the nearest toilet, lol. My partner still laughs that I'm like this. After we get rolling, it all goes away. In another thread I mentioned having to fish and concentrate very hard the first hour so I can calm the nerves. Wish I could suggest something to help you with this but when you figure it out, let me know. When the feeling leaves, it's time to quit tournaments. We live for this feeling! I look at these feelings as something that will make you successful because you're hungry for it FL 1 Quote
Super User AK-Jax86 Posted March 5, 2014 Super User Posted March 5, 2014 This weekend I am not going to get any sleep. My girl and son are going away for the weekend so its all weekend fishing trip! Friday afternoon doing some bank fishing then at night taking the boat out with my buddy at one of our hot spots. Saturday morning taking the boat out to a new spot. Then heading out to Lake Santa Fe for some all day fishing. Rest for a few hours when we get back around 7-8ish. Then going to hit my golf course ponds in the boat at night. Then Sunday morning go out again to one of our hot spots, his wife comes back early afternoon... so I will be hitting the bank then and wait for my girl and son to come back Sunday night! Gonna be a long weekend lol Quote
WhiteMike1018 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Posted March 5, 2014 This weekend I am not going to get any sleep. My girl and son are going away for the weekend so its all weekend fishing trip! Friday afternoon doing some bank fishing then at night taking the boat out with my buddy at one of our hot spots. Saturday morning taking the boat out to a new spot. Then heading out to Lake Santa Fe for some all day fishing. Rest for a few hours when we get back around 7-8ish. Then going to hit my golf course ponds in the boat at night. Then Sunday morning go out again to one of our hot spots, his wife comes back early afternoon... so I will be hitting the bank then and wait for my girl and son to come back Sunday night! Gonna be a long weekend lol Sounds like your going to have the nap of a lifetime after that trip sir Quote
Global Moderator Mike L Posted March 5, 2014 Global Moderator Posted March 5, 2014 Mike When I first joined a bass club I was the same way. I rigged and re-rigged the night before thinking I had the wrong bait, with the wrong weight on the wrong rod... I ran the last 20 ft of line through my fingers feeling for any kinks or fray's... Tied and retied every lure and ever hook...twice... Used a Q tip in the last 3 guides... Cleaned the raceways and tabs of all the reels... Set the alarm on my clock and cell phone for 3:00, even tho I didn't have to leave till 4:30 just in case the alarm didn't go off... I'd lay in bed for an hour trying to think of what I missed... I did this every month Now that I started to fish in TBF, Bass Nation and BFL's where the prize and the competition is much higher, along with my confidence level you'd think I'd be able to relax a little more...NOPE Now I find myself thinking about what If the boater want's to do this, I'll have to be ready to do that... What if he back boat's me... What if he's late for take off and the frog bites dies.... You see it never ends, I can't relax. Never could. Now I just roll with it and pass out when I get home. Mike Quote
fishguy613 Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 i used to have this problem, felt like christmas eve when i was a child lol. i fish so often now this isnt an issue, i think about fishing all day long but when its time for bed i pass right out Quote
Fish Murderer 71 Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 Sleep? Whats that? I'll get all of that I need when I'm dead. Quote
Wbeadlescomb Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 Maybe when I first started fishing tournaments. I'm confident in what I know how to do and I go out there and fish my strengths. Deep clear water is my weakness I don't go out there and try to throw Dropshot's with the guys that know how to do it. I find a couple of areas that have dirtier water and key in on that spot all day it takes patience and confidence. You can't be second guessing yourself all day. Every time we have a tournament I already know where and how I can get 6-7 good bites a day and I stick to that spot the entire day. It's hard to fish a 200 yard stretch of bank for 8 hours but I know the fish live there and they will bite at some point. Yeah I do strike out sometimes but in a single say tournament there's no sense in running all over the lake trying to do a little of this and a little of that. You don't have to catch 30 fish you've got to catch the 5 right fish Quote
Super User Catt Posted March 5, 2014 Super User Posted March 5, 2014 I still find it hard to disengage my brain before any trip! I've made changes to my game plan during the middle of the night. Quote
plumworm Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 At "68",I need my sleep. 2oz. of good sippin whiskey works, well maybe 4 oz. once in a while and the night before a good fishin trip maybe 6 oz. and then another touch just because. Like tonight, I've had just a touch or two. Maybe one more before I have that final touch. You see, I'm leaving for a 2 week trip to Guntersville tomorrow. I may have just one more. You see, I'm "68" and I need my sleep. The only time I have a problem with booze is when I run out. 2 Quote
mjseverson24 Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 My first season tournament fishing i was a wreck before tournaments, trying to get everything done just right, and having a hard time getting asleep, now I make sure I do some good pre-fishing, have an idea of how the lake is fishing, get my gear ready plenty of time before I should be asleep, then I sleep and just go fishing... I actually find pre-fishing to be more stressfull then the actual tournament, as I am still trying to develop a pattern and find some key areas. plus it is not always than much fun to find a spot catch a few nice fish, then mark it on gps and leave to find another... Mitch Quote
Super User Oregon Native Posted March 5, 2014 Super User Posted March 5, 2014 The joy of anticipation. I find as I get older it's easier to sleep the night before. I just visualize where I'm fishing on the lake. One of my favorite parts is getting tackle ready the day before and visualizing what will work. But now ... much more patient. 1 Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted March 5, 2014 Super User Posted March 5, 2014 Happens to me before every tournament. Believe it or not I just try to settle into bed even earlier than I normally would to let as many of those thoughts to run through my head as possible. I even go as far as to visualizing me using the rigs I have setup for the next morning. I find that this helps settle me down a bit and I eventually fall asleep. I still wake up before my alarm but at least I am a bit more rested than normal. One epic fail is to try and tire yourself to sleep. This will work to get you to crash but waking up is nearly impossible. Quote
TrapperJ Posted March 5, 2014 Posted March 5, 2014 Sleep? Sleep? Whats sleep? Maybe a nap if im lucky haha What usually happens things never go according to plan on tourney night for me. Some of its my fault i like to make a last setup/organization run the night before. guess i should plan to do that earlier. Or it never fails baby decides to stay up late with me that night too. ha Last week by the time i got all geared and rigged and got the little one down (daddys girl goes to sleep faster if i put her down), i stayed up till 1:30am, sleep by 2am up by 5am out the door by 5:45am and practiced casting all day lol but even if i was ready and in bed early i know id be setting on my iPad cruising the forums i just dont get sleepy early plus with the thoughts of going fishing and being excited im wide awake. Quote
Super User WIGuide Posted March 5, 2014 Super User Posted March 5, 2014 I get way too excited the night before and I can't sleep. It's not because I'm nervous, just excited to get out there and compete. One thing I know works to help put you to sleep is a drink called Neuro Sleep. You can find it at a lot of grocery stores and I've yet to last an hour after downing one of those. 1 Quote
cbass12 Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 If its the first trip of the year I have a hard time sleeping, same way with hunting as well. Same thing would happen to me when I was in college with the start of our baseball season. The night before our first game I usually didn't sleep a wink. Just way too excited. Quote
Super User jbsoonerfan Posted March 6, 2014 Super User Posted March 6, 2014 I have been this way for as long as I can remember. My first memories were when I was about 10. I couldn't sleep because I was getting up early to go to a baseball card show. Then I remember as I got older it was baseball tournaments on the weekends. Then it turned to hunting and fishing. I have a hard time sleeping anyway and the anticipation of an event the next day only makes things worse. I have tried Benadryl, Nyquil, a few beers, etc, etc, and it seems as though nothing works. The bad thing about it is, I hit a wall about 10:00 in the morning and feel like crap till I can get some fluids and food in me. Quote
WhiteMike1018 Posted March 6, 2014 Author Posted March 6, 2014 I have been this way for as long as I can remember. My first memories were when I was about 10. I couldn't sleep because I was getting up early to go to a baseball card show. Then I remember as I got older it was baseball tournaments on the weekends. Then it turned to hunting and fishing. I have a hard time sleeping anyway and the anticipation of an event the next day only makes things worse. I have tried Benadryl, Nyquil, a few beers, etc, etc, and it seems as though nothing works. The bad thing about it is, I hit a wall about 10:00 in the morning and feel like crap till I can get some fluids and food in me. This is exactly why the problem is bad, because fishing is a very physical sport, we need to be at our full physical potential when on the water to really make results, the same goes with the mind, when the mind is low on sleep neuro functions are restricted which could cause for any number of different problems on the water. Its great that a lot of you share the same problem, I guess it just means were all fired up to go fishin! Quote
gripnrip Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 What is sleep? I have a toddler. I won't be able to fish competitively until May. What I do about an hour before bed is no and I repeat no computer or cell phone. I take some melatonin. I read a book. Something preferably non fishing related. I usually don't have a problem after those steps. Although I do think and anticipate the next day but I'm ready to go to bed. Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted March 6, 2014 Super User Posted March 6, 2014 If I am going to a lake that I have fished before, and that I know, I do not have any problem sleeping. If I am going someplace new, then I will be awake all night. Quote
Super User Sam Posted March 6, 2014 Super User Posted March 6, 2014 No. the day before the tournament everything is set up and ready to go. All I have to do is get in the SUV and take off with the boat after putting breakfast in the vehicle. I sleep easily and need the alarm clock to get me up. Quote
nbowen419 Posted March 6, 2014 Posted March 6, 2014 You know now that spring is almost here I find myself laying awake all the time thinking about fishing . Wondering if this will work or should I try this because I haven't yet. The night before a tournament is the worse. I hope maybe if and when I finally get a boat and can fish when I want without having to rely on someone else maybe it will calm down. Quote
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