A Little Worried About Joining A Club

[kingmotorboat]

I was all for it but now im a little worried of being frowned down upon. Im 29 dont have much experience nor a boat. Yikes

[Bluebasser86]

What is it that has you worried? Find a good club and everyone will treat you like they've known you all their life. The clubs that treat new guys like outsiders tend to die off because they can't keep new members. 

[kingmotorboat]

that and the fct of my inexperience i dont wanna be the new guy no one wants as a co angler

[Bluebasser86]

I was 16 when I first joined a club and was concerned about being treated differently but I found a good club and was welcomed with open arms. Be courteous, be polite, don't be afraid to ask questions, pay attention, offer to help where you can, and have fun. I learned a ton fishing in a club and would recommend anyone that is interested to give it a try. 

[kingmotorboat]

thanks for kinda putting my mind at ease. The co angler etiquette thread scared me

[Fishes in trees]

To echo what Bluebasser 86 wrote, a club is a good place to start.  In a perfect world, you'll find someone who goes fishing every week and doesn't mind someone tagging along, someone who, in fact, kind of likes teaching a novice and passing along some of the stuff they have learned along the way.  Should that happen, your learning curve will increase exponentially.  Introduce yourself to everyone, chit-chat with everyone and go out of your way to make that happen.

 

I've got no clue how much gear you've got, but I am assuming you know how to use a bait caster.  My advice would be to lay off buying gear for now, until you see how different guys in your club fish.  Then get similar gear, to start with.  Don't go cheap, that stuff will break on you, always at the wrong time.  

 

I got no idea what neighborhood you live in, but you might want to check out the local forum for your neighborhood.  There is a more than decent chance that guys in the club that you're planning on joining post there.

 

If you have space at your house to practice casting, I'd do that.   You can buy practice plugs in various weights or with a modest amount on ingenuity you can create a practice plug in nearly any weight you desire.

 

Be ready to cover your share of expenses, but don't be a dupe and pay for everything all the time.

 

If you go to your first club meeting and it is at a place where beer is served, buying a round is a stand-up thing to do.

 

If you are worried about being the "new guy" - get over it.   You aren't the first new guy and you won't be the last "new guy".  It really isn't any different than interacting with other kids in the playground when you were a kid only this time it is older boys with bigger toys.   Most of the guys, ( really, the vast majority of guys and women) in bass clubs are fun people and you will get entertained.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is how much are you going to progress.  After a couple of years in a local bass club, ( mind you, this was a local club that I was invited in to help start ) I realized that everyone else in the club had the mindset that they were going to put in and spend the day throwing at targets on the bank.  There was nothing else left to learn by continuing to go and throw at targets at the bank.

 

I did the math and found that  costs for gas. lodging, meals and so forth were the same for regional tournament organizations as they were for local club tournaments, except you paid a slightly larger entry fee.  That is when I got into BFL and, while I was still on speaking terms with all the guys in the club, I didn't fish with them all that often.  BFL offered more learning opportunities for me.

 

I don't know about your situation.   Start where you are at and have as much fun as you want to.   If you are anywhere close in Missouri, I'll buy you a beer sometime.

 

p.s. you caught me right after I got home from work and it is beer-thirty my time.   Sorry for the rant.

[irnwrkr]

I was 38 when i joined my first club. Didn't have a boat, and had never fished out of a boat. I did my homework and fished hard. Watched what the other guys like a hawk and learned a ton. Not to mention the friends I made. Believe me it's well worth it. The oldest way of mastering something. Find someone who has what you want. Learn what they know. Go do the work. Jump in and have fun!

[reelnmn]

I enjoy having a brand new guy in my boat.  They are the ones that still get excited over average fish, have a great attitude, and remind me why I love fishing.

[BrianinMD]

I was exactly like irnwrkr, someone took me out 2 weeks before the tourney so I would at least been in a boat. My style of fishing was wading creeks for smallmouth, I was green as it come for tourney style fishing. But the guys in the club were great, just pay attention and listen. You will learn a ton in the first year. By the middle of my second season I was getting some wins.

[kingmotorboat]

I have 3 baitcasters 13 *** on an *** tatula r on a tatula rod and a revo s on a vengeance

[WIGuide]

A club is a great place to learn. Don't worry about being green, you'll learn in time. If the club is decent, you shouldn't have any problems. 

[Sam]

You are exactly what many boat clubs want.

 

A new "donator" to the pots!!!

 

And many guys like to share with you how they fish; what they fish for; and like Brian Williams, make up or embellish fishing stories.

 

It is OK to embellish fishing stories in the fishing industry.

 

So join; keep eyes and ears open and mouth shut; learn where to launch your boat on each body of water for future reference; keep a log on what you and the boater threw; don't get upset when you get back boated; get maps of all waters and mark off where you fished and where you and your boater caught a fish; and be polite and nice and sooner or later you will be fishing on their level.

 

Join that club and learn a lot.

[AllTerrainAngler]

I joined my first club in December. I'm 21. First tournament was 24 degrees. Water temp in mid 40s. For georgia that'd terrible. I was the only person not to catch a fish. And I threw everything. Jigs. Jerkbaits. Crank baits. Nothing hit. I just knew I would be voted out. January tournament I fished with someone different who is sponsored by several companies which just made me more nervous. Same weather. He didn't get a hook up until 2 hours in and I was still at 0. He asked what I thought would work because he was out of ideas. I told him I wanted to fish shallow which nobody ever does here in winter. I ended up catching a limit between a jig and a top water vixen. I threw the top water as last resort but the spots blew up on it and it stuck. We were the only 2 of 15 to catch. Just stay positive. Don't lose your temper. Be polite. Go to meetings or tell them if you can't ahead of time. Whether you're a novice or a pro doesn't matter to most clubs. The one I joined has people from all walks of life.

[bobh64]

I was all for it but now im a little worried of being frowned down upon. Im 29 dont have much experience nor a boat. Yikes

Joined my first club 25 years ago as a non boater not only did I learn a lot I also qualified for the state team as a non boater beating out contenders from the back of the boat to qualify for the B.A.S.S regional's. It's still my proudest moment fishing Now that I have my own boat I am constantly making sure everyone feels at home fishing no matter what skill level they may have.

 

[jaredkelley6]

Listen to these guys! They all have great answers. I joined a great local club earlier this month and was nervous about joining for the same reasons you are. I am used to fishing local ponds so that is all I know other than the basics. Be respectful to all the members and I am sure they'll help you and give all the knowledge and experience they can. I'm fishing as a co angler for now and what I do before each tournament is call and talk to the guy I am fishing with, meet him the day before to help get his boat ready and whatever else you can do to be respectful since he is your ride lol. I also don't hound my boaters about where I think we should fish and where not to. Just be a long for the ride, have fun fishing and ask a lot of questions to gain knowledge. Pay attention to what they're using and what they're doing. Be observant. Most of all just be respectful and have fun a long the way ! My first tournament I was fishin with the club president nervous as crap, he helped me all he could and we're good friends. I also got lucky and finished 2nd in my first tournament lol. Good luck!!

[Sam]

Come on, King.  You would love a club and the guys will show you different techniques and what tackle they like to use.

 

You will also get to fish the various bodies of water the club fishes.

 

And, the best part is that you will have your own personal guide for a very low price.

 

Join a club and go out as a non boater and start to get some hands on experience.

 

I think that in five years you will be fishing the Elite Series.

[Canyon explorer]

KMB,

 

I can't speak for all bass clubs but I can tell you most clubs, especially those that are affiliated with BASS or FLW  State Federations welcome new members. They are also eager to find new boaters without boats; because:

 

• Many are on the draw system whereby boaters must draw partners that are non boaters from the membership.
• They can't select another boater as a partner until all non boaters are paired up.
• This plan maximizes entries and builds the $ pot which is paid out to 20% of the entry field.
• Gas cost to and from the lake and on the water is split improving the economics for both.
• Many club tournaments have a purse for heavy boat which supports the team spirit.
• They are constantly losing non boaters who buy boats in a couple of years.
• You are usually welcome to attend any meeting, visit with members and see which club is in concert with your needs.
• There is no mandatory participation.

 

Hope your area has some.

 

 

C EP

[CDMeyer]

In my experience the fishing crowd tends to be pretty good

[Montanaro]

I joined my first club this year as non boater. Large club with history of success. They embraced me from first meeting. I've learned a technique and have gained experience in all the aspects that go into tournament fishing.

Have also fished bodies of water I never would have otherwise. Hope to be a boater next year!

[brgbassmaster]

I was 16 also when I joined my first bass club. That was 11 yrs ago. I had been bass fishing for about 3 yrs hardcore then. Had a 14ft Camo jon boat and all spinning rods. Flipping Froggin or dropshot didn't matter I was using a spinning rod.  They were singles tourneys me and my buddy would fish outta that camo boat like it was a ranger lol. First day at the ramp was kind of weird especially when all the other kids dads had nice bass boats and everyone looking at us like for real lol. But we had a homemade live well and did work that season. I finished 9th out of 50 guys for the season and made the classic. Don't worry about what others think. Hopefully you meet a good guy and will make a friend and can go out with him and learn some stuff.

[kingmotorboat]

Update fellas I will be joining one in August or September. I have a boat now but will still try to be a non boater tat the moment till I get comfortable with the other bodies of water they fish other than my home river. Thanks for all yalls support. By the way to top Fisher in my area tournament wise and club wise, me and my partner have smoked him so far this year weight and numbers wise. Huge confidence boost

[IndyGlockMan]

I just joined my first club this year.  I started "bass fishing" local ponds last summer and also have limited experience.

It was only $25 to join the club for a year and their charter said the welcomed new members with any experience level and I didn't have to own a boat.

I've fished 5-6 tournaments so far this year and have done OK.  

Learning a lot too.

 

Pick one that's not too expensive and try it for the rest of the season. 

I think that the cheaper clubs are less serious, you will have a better time, and won't get yelled at by some guy who is trying to be Kevin Van Dam.  

I would stay away from any serious clubs like that, but that's just me.

Don't try to be competitive, just go to have fun and learn as much as you can.

By the end of the season you'll know if you want to stay or try another club.