Bass Boats And Tourneys?

[UpstateAngler29]

So I have only fished a few local tourneys. I have been looking into the BFLs and was curious, do all these guys that fish these events have souped up fiberglass bass boats? I mean I have a really nice tracker with a 75 merc, which is great for what I am doing now.,,But what is the ratio of "pro" boats that you would normally see at an event like this?

[slonezp]

You need to check the HP restrictions. Some trails don't allow anything under 150hp. Some don't allow anything over 250. Some have no HP restrictions

[WIGuide]

Not all of them, but most will be fiberglass bass boats. People who get serious about tournament fishing will usually end up buying one just because they are the best tool for the job. Does that mean you can't compete without one? Absolutely not! A 20' bass boat with a 250 on it isn't going to make you a better fisherman. There are advantages to them sure, but not so much that you can't stay competitive without.

[Fishes in trees]

Besides being more comfortable to fish out of, the primary thing a big boat does is extend your range and fishing time.   You can be 15 miles away from the ramp at 3:00 and check in is 3:30, and with a 20 footer and a 250, that isn't a problem.  The big fiberglass boats offer you speed when you need it.

[Goaltender]

I speak from experience on this topic! I fish the Lake of the Ozarks and last year decided to start fishing tournaments. Because I had limited space to keep my boat on the water I had to keep my boat under 18' and 6' wide. I found an excellent boat - an aluminum Sea Nymph with a 90HP set up just like a bass boat. The tournaments I fished had on average 60 boats. I fished 8 events and on only one occasion was there another aluminum boat. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little embarrassed but I fished them anyway. I ended up finishing 16th overall for the year and by the end I met some great guys. And yes vanity got the best of me - I sold the Sea Nymph and bought a Triton TR186 with a 150 Merc. I don't fish any better but I look AWESOME!

[Crookedneck]

Check the rules in the leage or club.  Most around here have a minumum length of 16' because of the possibilty of going on big water.  Lake Michigan or Green Bay.  Usually the other is requirement is a working livewell.  Probably the most important necessity, in tournement fishing is a good livewell.

 

With that being said, fishing a smaller boat has it's advantages and disadvantages.  Like said above though, the boat doesn't make the fisherman.

[Koofy Smacker]

If Im not mistaken, Rick Clunn took his smaller aluminum boat to one of the Elite tournaments a few years back because of the areas he was fishing in. I think it had a 115 on it and everyone was busting on him but he did well

[Crappiebasser]

BFL has a 250 hp max but no minimum. I suggest joining as a co angler the first season then becoming a boater if you want. It would suck to be the guy that got paired with a newbie boater in a small boat.

[jbsoonerfan]

Fish within your means. It's just like anything else in this world. You don't need a big glass boat and a 250 to compete. You may have to fish closer to the weigh in, or take it slower, but you can be successful out of a small aluminum boat. My buddy and I fish out of a Tracker Pro V18 with a 115. We placed 5th last tourney out of 26 boats and we are 11th out of 30 teams in AOY standings. There are guys fishing our trail with $50K plus rigs who don't do very well. I would hate to know I had a $500 a month boat payment for 10 years and still couldn't catch fish. At the end of the day, we are fishing in a boat that is paid off and we are fishing to see how we can compete against other anglers, even if those guys look like better fishermen than we do.

 

Let me edit this post a bit. Some people think they need a 2,500 sq ft house to raise a couple kids in because they are trying to impress someone else. I have been GUILTY as charged with trying to keep up with the Joneses as they say, but I have really changed my ways.

 

I saw a great quote that said.... "We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like"

[HomersTomaco]

I would be very surprised if there was any other boat like yours entered in the tournament. And I agree... I would be ticked if I was the coangler

[jbsoonerfan]

I would be very surprised if there was any other boat like yours entered in the tournament. And I agree... I would be ticked if I was the coangler

 

 

Then you shouldn't be a co-angler. Go buy a boat.

 

You sound like other people in this world who want to ride the coat tails of others. It's like "I don't want a boat payment, but I will be ticked if I have to fish out of an aluminum boat."  

 

I would be ticked if you were my co-angler and if you said anything, you better be a good swimmer.

[JayKumar]

You do not need a $60K boat to fish a tournament, and don't be embarrassed for fishing within your means. That said, make sure your boat will be safe for the lake and weather, and practice/fish accordingly.  Good luck man!

[tbone1993]

My buddy fishes our club tournaments out of a 50hp tracker and does pretty well. Sure he cant go far but at least he is fishing 

[ww2farmer]

I have been known to routinely take the money of guys with "better" gear than me. I have a 16.5' aluminum boat with a 25hp on it. We don't get anywhere fast, but we go to where the fish are. Of course I wouldn't fish the great lakes in my boat, but it's fine on any of the finger lakes, bays off of the great lakes, and just about anywhere I want to go. I had guys look down there nose at me before, no one does anymore.

[WIGuide]

Never be embarrassed to fish with what you have! The important thing is that you get out there and give it your best shot.

[Amarley]

Fish within your means. It's just like anything else in this world. You don't need a big glass boat and a 250 to compete. You may have to fish closer to the weigh in, or take it slower, but you can be successful out of a small aluminum boat. My buddy and I fish out of a Tracker Pro V18 with a 115. We placed 5th last tourney out of 26 boats and we are 11th out of 30 teams in AOY standings. There are guys fishing our trail with $50K plus rigs who don't do very well. I would hate to know I had a $500 a month boat payment for 10 years and still couldn't catch fish. At the end of the day, we are fishing in a boat that is paid off and we are fishing to see how we can compete against other anglers, even if those guys look like better fishermen than we do.

 

Let me edit this post a bit. Some people think they need a 2,500 sq ft house to raise a couple kids in because they are trying to impress someone else. I have been GUILTY as charged with trying to keep up with the Joneses as they say, but I have really changed my ways.

 

I saw a great quote that said.... "We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like"

I take the approach that fishing in a boat that is paid for is much more enjoyable. It is, afterall, a hobby.

[Crookedneck]

Lol! I will add a few things to this. I fish a 1983 Starcraft bass 170 with a 1975 Merc 650 (65 horse). I really started tournement fishing hard last year. I fished 3 tourney trails last year. One other guy had a 18 foot tin. Every one else glass boats. There were a few guys chuckling, scoffing. I believe the term live baiters was thrown in there.

In the end I finished 1st in one series, and second in the other 2. And wrapped up angler of the year in the one. No one talks about it now.

My boat is what I can afford. And inside that boat is good gear and a boat that is well taken care of.

Not so easy to say you would be upset about riding in a small boat when you are beating the bank or riding in a big boat with no fish.

That all being said I would love to have a bigger boat. It just isn't a priority or me or my family.

[wnybassman]

You can catch great fish out of a canoe and compete with any kind of boat doing so, but you specifically mentioned BFL which is basically a step up from a small club type setting and generally means larger waters for at least some, if not all of the tournaments.    Safety would be the biggest concern.   Know the limitations of your boat.  

[HomersTomaco]

Then you shouldn't be a co-angler. Go buy a boat.

 

You sound like other people in this world who want to ride the coat tails of others. It's like "I don't want a boat payment, but I will be ticked if I have to fish out of an aluminum boat."  

 

I would be ticked if you were my co-angler and if you said anything, you better be a good swimmer.

 

 

 

I have a nice boat, thank you. You certainly missed the point.

[jbsoonerfan]

I have a nice boat, thank you. You certainly missed the point.

 

 

I guess I did miss the point. You said you would be ticked if you had to fish out of an aluminum boat, so I took it as you were a co-angler. Maybe you should word your posts better if you don't want to be misunderstood.

 

You are probably one of those guys with a nice boat who can't catch fish, but at least you look like you know what you are doing. When all else fails, play the part.

[Coopdog72]

Then you shouldn't be a co-angler. Go buy a boat.

 

You sound like other people in this world who want to ride the coat tails of others. It's like "I don't want a boat payment, but I will be ticked if I have to fish out of an aluminum boat."  

 

I would be ticked if you were my co-angler and if you said anything, you better be a good swimmer.

AMEN brother listen how can you be ticked doing something you love. I wouldn't care what kind of boat I was fishing from, and I bet there's fish all over those lakes we don't have to go that far.JB I'm with you and I'll bring a paddle so when the battery is dead we can still fish

[robdob]

BFL has a 250 hp max but no minimum. I suggest joining as a co angler the first season then becoming a boater if you want. It would suck to be the guy that got paired with a newbie boater in a small boat.

To fish a BFL your boat has to be 16ft, have a 500gph bilge pump, have steering wheel steering, and have an aerated livewell with a divider.   I've fished a dozen or so BFL's and have saw maybe a total of 4 aluminum boats the whole time.  If your boat met all the rule requirements you will be fine, the only thing I would worry about would be a mid-summer tournament with hot water and your llivewell being too small to keep 2 limits of fish alive for 8 hours.