Tell Me About Your First Tournament!

[OCdockskipper]

June of 1978

Canyon Lake California

 

After a year or so of reading Bassmaster magazine, I decided I was good enough to fish a bass tournament.  Problem was that I didn't know any other bass anglers, had a small boat that was docked in Canyon Lake (no trailer) and was 15 years old, so I couldn't drive anywhere else.  So I sent in an application to BASS to set up a Canyon Lake Bassmasters chapter, with me as the president, my dad (who didn't fish) as VP and my younger sister as Secretary/Treasurer.  With the approved application in hand, I typed up a "Canyon Lake Bassmasters Invitational" sign up sheet, had my VP make some copies of it and got the guy at the general store to let me put them on display near his cash register.  In 2 weeks or so, I got 11 entries and we were in business.

 

I didn't know much about structure fishing, so the tournament was set for Saturday evening (4 hrs) and Sunday morning (4 hrs) to take advantage of the low light conditions.  With two half days, we ended up using a 5 fish limit both days (even though the regulations for the lake was a 10 fish limit).  I met the participants for the first time on the 1st day of the event, all had a good laugh that some kid was the one setting up & running this tournament.  Only 4 of the entries had halfway decent boats, so we ended up with 3 participants per boat.  

 

I can't remember the name of the guy who won, even though I was in his boat (a brand new Skeeter) the first day.  He showed me how to flip and smiled knowingly when I caught a spotted bass on a crankbait (he had been the one who had brought them over from Lake Perris).  I do remember the 2nd place finisher, a man named Bob Dashiel who was a member of a local club called the Ambassadors.  On the 2nd day, in addition to his limit, he also brought in a pair of 15 lb catfish that had eaten his homemade jig, in case anyone wanted a catfish dinner that night.  Bob took a liking to me after that, taking me out in his boat a few times, giving me some of his jigs and teaching me about bass fishing.

 

As for me, I caught fish both days, but didn't limit either day and ended up somewhere in the lower third of the standings.  I learned alot and made friends with some men who were all old enough to be my dad.  I held a second tournament the next summer, which Bob ended up winning and I came in 4th.  That was the last tournament I ever ran or entered, for later in the summer a started dating this cute brunette who I paid a lot more attention to than fishing or anything else.  38 years later (7 dating, 31 married), she still is my top priority 

 

[ohboyitsrobby]

April 1st of this year on lake ouachita. 24 boats for a benefit. Most everybody had more money in fishfinders than I have in my boat. Hadn't caught hardly any fish that week. Also my ole ladies first tourney.  When we all took off we went up the lake while 23 other boats screamed the other way. We didn't win but got 4th. I also got schooled by my girlfriend that day who was throwing a Carolina rig for the first time lol. Was a great time and unless we can't get a babysitter for our son she'll be my partner every time win or lose.

[Bucky205]

When I was in my 20s I joined a bass club called the "Interlachen Bassmasters".  The club had about 30 members, boaters and non-boaters, and we held club tournaments once a month.  In practice I would catch fish, in tournaments I would catch one or two dinks if anything.  Several tournaments later and I'm fishing with a guy named Herb and were throwing identical plastic worms, he's catching fish and I'm not even getting bit.  I can't figure it out, he looks at me and says, "RELAX".  I was like RELAX?, were in a tournament.   He told me  to quit feeling pressured, and fish like I knew how.  I took his advice,  relaxed and caught fish. I think we ended up third or fourth, probably the most valuable tournament advice I ever got.  

[Columbia Craw]

Fished a little 35 boat club sponsored open at the urging of a young guy I know.  The water temp was 41 degrees and the water was dirty.  I caught a 5-11 and a 3-13 in the last hour and we won by an ounce.  The Club's president told me all I could do from then on was go down.  It was fun enough.  I just go fishing and not get to serious about it. I've made some really good friends over the years as a result. That's the best part. 

[PECo]

I fished my first black bass tourney on May 11, 2013. It was a kayak fishing tourney, in which the winner was decided by the total length of each angler's longest five-fish bag. We fished a shallow reservoir separated by a causeway that had to be portaged to be crossed.

 

A field of 25 kayakers was expected, but threatening rain resulted in a field of only 12 boats. I said "boats", because canoes and one trolling motor-powered dinghy were also allowed to participate.

 

A buddy and I helped each other portage our kayaks over the causeway. Only one other boat, a canoe, attempted to portage, but dumped and gave up. It did rain, but it wasn't very windy and there was never any electrical activity.

 

Portaging was definitely the right move. I easily took first place and my buddy took second. My five-fish bag was 82 inches and had four roughly three-pound pre-spawn females, including the 18-1/2 inch lunker. My buddy's five-fish bag was 68-1/2 inches.

 

A great thing about it being an early season kayak fishing tourney is that I released all of the pre-spawn females right back over their bedding area after I measured and photographed them.

 

It was the first tourney ever organized by the guy who did it. He had trophies made for first, second and third place. I still have the trophy. It has the wrong date on it, May 1, instead of May 11, and the fish on it is a trout, not a bass. ?

[huffman1988]

I fished my first tournament this past Friday night. A 6pm to midnight open tournament they hold weekly. Only 16 boats entered. I had 6 pounds by 7pm and thought I was in business. Couldn't catch another keeper the rest of the night. It was a slow night for everyone though. Winning weight was only 10 3/4 pounds. He also had big largemouth and big smallmouth too. Definitely fun and I see more in my future. 

[scaleface]

In the late 70's  I joined a small bass club that had approximately 20 members as a non-boater .There was no major lake around here at the time but several small conservation lakes, so everybody fished from converted jon boats . It was the first tourney of the year and I show up with a   a spinning combo and a spincaster .    Never having  bass fished from a boat before   , I got  skunked.  I may not have even landed a fish ,  cant recall but  I picked up a lot from that tourney  .  I realized that my casting skills were inferior to everyone else and my tackle box was ill-equipped . By the time of the second event I had a baitcaster and few new lures . By the time the season was over I had two or three baitcasters and a victory to boot.

[Sam]

The memory of my first tournament is that when it was over I had no idea where we were or how to get to the main highway to go home.

 

I met my boater at 4 AM at a gas station and followed him to the ramp that morning. I had no idea of where we were going.

 

After the weigh in, I asked one of the guys how to do I get to the main highway and he was nice enough to let me follow him from the ramp to the main artery.

 

Now, I do a recon of every ramp we use during the week and have never had a problem since.

 

As for what I caught? I don't remember. No idea what so ever.

[Fishin' Fool]

My first tournament was on Lk Erie out of Marblehead Bay in May. The weather was real nice leading up to the tournament like mid 70's. Of course the night before the tournament a cold front pushed through and it ended being 30 something in the morning with a high of 50. When my boater headed out onto the big water with each wave he took it was like a bucket of water was thrown in my face. By 7am I was soaked down to my underwear. It was a miserable day I caught 1 drum. However, I did go home and buy a quality rain suit after that :/

[Bulletman20XD]

My first was a club tourney on Belton lake (Phantom Bass Club Killeen TX.). It was a cold, rainy day in mid December, I only caught 2 fish all day but both being over 5 lbs. it was enough for second place. Incidentally, this was also Keith Combs first club. His neighbor (Dave Hogue) had got him started and he was hooked. The following year Dave Hogue was AOY and I was second to him by 1 point. We were a Honey Hole affiliated club which the top 2 in each club qualified for the state Best of the Best tourney on Lake Limestone where I ended up 4th.

 

Keith fished the club for the next couple of years. Fished lots of local opens and up and up and up. If you have not followed his career as I have most would not know he has won AOY in every club, and circuit he has fished with the exception of the Elites where he was 2nd to G-Man last year (neither of which are doing very well this year). I'm very proud of him for sticking with it and doing what he loves.

[Tas1498]

The first tourney I fished I was so worried about getting a 5 fish limit I forgot to catch some kickers. Weighed in 5 for like 5lbs my strategy has since changed lol.

[BrockstaRama]

I fished the bassmaster kid fish in 1992 and won the state championship but when it it came time for the national championship they never called to provide info or anything. I was mad for a long time after that.

[andywbass]

June 21-22, 1975, Big Stone Lake, SD/MN. The first annual Soo Bassmasters Invitational.  26 people, all male, entered.

I (Andy Williamson) went as a non-boater.  All bass weighed in were largemouth.  Total poundage for everyone was 53 lb. 12 oz.

Day one- fished with Ben Overbaugh of Minn.  He got three small keepers off Gapen's Weedcutter spinnerbait.  He was a Gapen's employee.  I got no bass, only perch and white bass.

Day two- fished with the man that won, Jim Hasik, of Omaha, who had 12 lb. 7 oz. the first day.  He and I got skunked the second day, but he still won by nearly 5 lbs.  White bass bit good.  Babe Winkelman entered.  

  I have the entire results, in detail, if anybody wants them.