Tournament Wins

[bassmanohio]

I've fished 2 tournaments with my 3rd coming up July 6 th. I am winless in my first two tours. Is this normal to struggle your first year tournament fishing? My club members say to just use the first year as a learning season. I'm very competitive and want to win. How long did it take to get your first tournament win?

[jhoffman]

Swindle noted in a seminar that KVD wins 6% of the time, this is the most losing sport you will ever participate in! To break that down, that would mean IF you were as good as KVD you would win 6 out of every 100 you fish.

[KC5TTC]

I have been fishing tournaments as a co-angler for 6 years now and have yet to win a tournament.  In fact, this year, I am 7th in points out of 152 in BFL Arkie and have yet to even win any money.

[slonezp]

I'm kinda like Aaron Martens. I just can't get better than 2nd place

[Dave P]

It took a year or two. You have to learn that first year.

[Brian Needham]

I won the first one I ever entered, never fished another.

but as fishing a trail there is a learning curve, you gotta get your head kicked in for a year or two, then break out!

[ww2farmer]

Not including this year,I have been fishing tournaments on my home lake for 6 full years (2008-2013). These are open tournaments, team format. Some are 8 hour 5 fish limit tournaments, some are 3 hour, 3 fish limit tournaments. Here are the "stats"...........yes I keep them LOL.

 

Total # of Tournaments 2008-2013: 54

 

Money Finishes:

 

Wins: 4

 

2nds: 9

 

3rds: 6

 

4th: 4

 

Other money finishes when there have been enough boats to pay more than 4 spots : 1

 

Lunker: 3 (twice with wins)

 

So.....out of 54, my team mates and I have cashed in  25 tournaments....that's less than 50%. Some days you have it some days you don't. Sometimes you go on long cashing streaks, sometimes you go a LONG time between cashing. The longer I do this the more regularly I do well, but I am not immune from sucking....I have not started well this year, I am 0 for 2 in case your wondering LOL.

[Lund Explorer]

I've fished 2 tournaments with my 3rd coming up July 6 th. I am winless in my first two tours. Is this normal to struggle your first year tournament fishing? My club members say to just use the first year as a learning season. I'm very competitive and want to win. How long did it take to get your first tournament win?

 

There are only two things that will determine how many tournaments you win.  The first is your ability to catch fish, and the second is the ability of your competition to do the same.  Depending on what your goals are, you can actually control both aspects.  That may or may not be a good thing that only you can determine.

 

If you look hard enough, you'll be able to find a group whose skill level allows you to dominate them.  In my honest opinion, doing so is a complete waste of time.  The very essence of competition should drive you towards tournaments where your skills are tested to the maximum and rewards you when you finally earn a victory in them.

[bassmanohio]

That's what I'm talking about Lund . I'm against guys who have been fishing for 25 years or so with the exception of like 3 people. They know what to throw where to throw their baits . I'm tested for sure. I've only been bass fishing for a year and a half to two years. I came in 5 th in my last tour .

[slonezp]

That's what I'm talking about Lund . I'm against guys who have been fishing for 25 years or so with the exception of like 3 people. They know what to throw where to throw their baits . I'm tested for sure. I've only been bass fishing for a year and a half to two years. I came in 5 th in my last tour .

But this is not the real issue. Yes, there are guys who can just flat out catch fish but, having 25 years of fishing the same body of water everyday is the issue, not 25 years of experience. It's really difficult to compete in local clubs that do not travel because there are guys on the water every single day. That doesn't mean you can't win or cash a check. It' just means you have your work cut out for you. The odds are more equal in a traveling club.

[bassmanohio]

I'm from a small town in ohio. We fish different lakes in ohio all year but we don't travel out of state

[slonezp]

I don't mean to travel out of state necessarily. Just different water. I fish in a club, and have for 10 years that fishes the same body of water all season. The lake is an hour away and because of my current work schedule, I might get out to practice once every weekend to every other weekend. The guys who are consistently in the money week after week live on or near the lake and are fishing 7 days a week, and some compete in other clubs as well on the same body of water. I win money every year. Normally enough to cover expenses for the season. Just never got a W   

[Lund Explorer]

That's what I'm talking about Lund . I'm against guys who have been fishing for 25 years or so with the exception of like 3 people. They know what to throw where to throw their baits . I'm tested for sure. I've only been bass fishing for a year and a half to two years. I came in 5 th in my last tour .

 

Fifth place out of how many?

 

There should be at least one positive though, in that you aren't going to these lakes with pre-conceived notions of what happened last year, or 5, 10, or 20 years ago.  You simply need to concentrate on finding fish, and then finding what they'll bite on.  Success will come as you gain experience, just like all of these old timers had to do in their day.  Before you know it, someone else is going to post on here about just starting out, and you'll be the guy that he is talking about.

 

One last piece of advice is the same I've given out many times before.  Be gracious in defeat and humble in victory. 

[bassmanohio]

I hope so Lund. I'd like to be the guy on tv winning the bassmaster classic and have kids go " wow I'd love to be like him" ! If I ever make imma do all I can to help kids learn to fish and anyone else that want to learn and I want to help anyone in need that I can

[ColdSVT]

ive been tourny fishing for three years now and ill tell ya what!! it is humbling!

 

i have yet to get a top three finish in the dozen or so tournys i have been lucky enough to fish ( work, school and family life keep me busy).

I have however finished 4th 3 times, lunker once, and have had fun each and every time!

 

my partner and finished 4th yesterday in a buddy touny and missed the cash by one ounce...one ounce!

but we had a d**n good time and thats what matters!

 

just be happy to out fishing and having a good time!

[slimshad]

I have had to stop and think about the winning thing lately.  Me and my partner got on a roll getting paid in 6 straight tournys.  Then we struggled and it was brutal.  We started bickering and was mad on the ride home. I have to figure out how to balance the competitive edge and ticked off attitude.  My partner wanted to sell his stuff and quit fishing.  I was like dude we just won money in 6 straight.  I think its called spoiled.  Anyone have any helpful hints for me.  I did take a weekend to go panfishing with my son to get the bad taste out of my mouth.  Left all the bass fishing gear in the garage.    

[jhoffman]

But this is not the real issue. Yes, there are guys who can just flat out catch fish but, having 25 years of fishing the same body of water everyday is the issue, not 25 years of experience. It's really difficult to compete in local clubs that do not travel because there are guys on the water every single day. That doesn't mean you can't win or cash a check. It' just means you have your work cut out for you. The odds are more equal in a traveling club.

 

The club I just left was exactly like this. I liked the guys but when it came to fishing we were in different areas. You could usually count on who would hold the top three spots, guys without kids who fished the lake non stop or who had done it for 20+. Guys with the fastest of the fastest boats ignoring speed limits and drawing last place but still getting the hole they wanted. Then they would just stay there all day knowing that eventually those fish would turn on and eat. Every time we were due to fish a new lake it was a new excuse. It was too muddy, the moon wasnt right. What it was I think was not knowing where to go and being so dialed in you might come to the scale with nothing. In the end I decided that due to the fact they were not willing to share their knowledge that something had to be up. I knew what holes they were sitting on all day/night. When you change locations you even the field, home lakes will never ever be the best of the best. The guy who can fish every day WILL find a pattern of some sorts.

 

Theres a reason a lake becomes off limits for tournament anglers and has a number of days of practice. I bet I could take the worst guy on the lake and give him two weeks with any bait he wanted to throw, pull in one of the better pros(maybe not the best) without any practice and the rookie would win. Especially if he could grind it out and fish all day every day, theres no doubt that he would make something happen.

[buzzed bait]

ive been tourny fishing for three years now and ill tell ya what!! it is humbling!

 

i have yet to get a top three finish in the dozen or so tournys i have been lucky enough to fish ( work, school and family life keep me busy).

I have however finished 4th 3 times, lunker once, and have had fun each and every time!

 

my partner and finished 4th yesterday in a buddy touny and missed the cash by one ounce...one ounce!

but we had a d**n good time and thats what matters!

 

just be happy to out fishing and having a good time!

 

i don't fish tournaments, never have....  BUT if i ever do i hope i have the attitude of coldSVT.....  i am not very competitive so just having fun is the #1 priority for me.....

[ColdSVT]

^^ dont get me wrong dude i am very competative and have left the lake mad as hell but not because i lost lol

I am just very critical of myself and i keep replaying my mistakes in my head. But im learning and getting better each and every outting.

One of these days the stars will alighn and ill win...its just a matter of time

[J Francho]

I consider finishing in the top third of the field a decent showing. I have a few wins, many, many 2nd and 3rd place. Even have a few dead lasts. Never blanked in a Tx though. That would be tough.

[ColdSVT]

. Never blanked in a Tx though. That would be tough.

 

same here...my rig has never not weighed something!...some were not pretty but they weighed! lol

[Catt]

Slightly under 300 tournaments entered over 46 years with 27 wins. If I'm high enough in the money to pay expenses I don't take to hard.

I've spent way more than I've won

[slimshad]

No Blanks?  You must have way better fisheries than we have in southern Indiana.  Our club AOY is won pretty much with the one guy that doesnt have a blank.  Right now it is down to three guys after 4 tournys.  I blanked the last one and took myself out of AOY.  I won on the same lake last year....  happens

[mjseverson24]

I typically don't worry about how the other teams do in the tournament, I am competing against the fish. I set a goal weight that is a realistic goal and determine my success based on that number. I have had days when I cashed a check, but I felt i underperformed, and i have had days when I have exceeded my goal and have finished in the middle of the pack, but I was very satisfied with the results.  The more time and experience you get on a lake the higher your expectations should be... I wouldn't worry too much about wins and losses, just improve your skills, and continue to develop your tournament strategy, the W's will take care of themselves... 

 

Mitch

[Lund Explorer]

Slightly under 300 tournaments entered over 46 years with 27 wins. If I'm high enough in the money to pay expenses I don't take to hard.

I've spent way more than I've won

 

Yikes!

 

Just a rough estimate, but I'm sure I was in more than three hundred in half that time.  It's no wonder I burned out!

 

And in case you're wondering about how much money I'm saving.  Not so much with added addiction of camping and all the gear that requires.