Tough vs easy touneys .

[scaleface]

I'm watching the tourney at Lake Champlain and  everybody is killing it .  Its been that way all year . Limit after limit brought in because of strategic scheduling to try and make it more exciting . Do you think it takes more skill to win  a shootout like this or more skill to win a tourney scheduled when the fishing is much tougher ? 

[38 Super Fan]

Interesting question.

 

Usually those tourneys where everyone is catching them are very close together weight wise, and you have lots of guys all doing the same things. So in my mind, winning largely comes down to luck.

 

I think the tough tourneys generally take more skill. Then again, a tough tourney could be decided by one kicker bite, or maybe some random schooling fish.

 

 

[Attila]

Anyone can catch average fish when they're biting...finding the right conditions that hold the big one in the same water is what is hard to do.

 

Look at what Feider did today...that to me showed that he stuck to a game plan and executed regardless of what everyone else around him was doing.

[Team9nine]

Hard to say. Rick Clunn always said the easiest tourneys to win were the tough ones, largely because so many guys get beat mentally when struggling for bites. That said, in a shootout, whoever can get the bigger bites usually wins, but likewise, just one or two big bites can really determine things in a struggle.  How much is skill, and how much is luck in either case is hard to determine. I'd initially lean toward more skill in a  shootout because you need more big fish overall, or at least better average quality instead of a couple big ones. 

[WRB]

Most pro's like to fish when it's a tough bite because it eliminates a lot of competition.

Aaron Martens won this event coming from 19th place the 2nd, Aaron learned how to bass fish on tough high pressured lakes.

Tom

[J Francho]

I guess personally, I like tough conditions or a tough bite.  Last team tournament I won - Oneida - we had six bites, my five to my partner's one, and half the time we spent hiding from a torrential downpur under the Rt. 81 bridge.  My five won it at around 15 lbs.

[scaleface]

I think the top 51 anglers weighed in 153 limits in three days . Thats unreal .

[Mike L]

I've been in both a few times over the years and imho it's both more nerve racking and pressure filled when you're struggling to get a bite, when you're on the clock and money is on the line. 

Even tho you know everyone is doing the same. 

Every small decision you make about everything you do comes into play as you have to lean on your experience and knowledge of all things Bass constantly for 8 hrs.

 

Granted your skill can get you a kicker in an shoot out, and usually thats how it's won and more times than not by mear ounces. 

It does take skill to find that one fish, I don't want to minimize that....

But if you're landing a fish every 10 min and 50 other anglers are doing the same, a case can be made also that it was more pure dumb luck to stumble on that one bite.

 

I'd much rather fish a tournament in tough conditions, the tougher the better. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike 

 

 

 

[scaleface]

57 minutes ago, Mike L said:

I'd much rather fish a tournament in tough conditions, the tougher the better.

 

Same here .

[Bluebasser86]

I do better in tough tournaments. I think my ability to stay focused and keep fishing when it's tough is a major factor in that. I also think I have a bad habit of rotating through too many things when the bite is good, whereas I stick with what is producing best during tough tournaments. 

 

As for watching them, both have their merits. Watching guys throw haymakers with big fish after big fish is fun, but so is watching them grind out every bite. Those tough ones make every missed bite and every lost fish so much more crucial. 

[Catt]

Depends on if I"m leading or not

 

If ya really wanna find out who's the best then a Megabucks floor mat is the best way.

 

Under a Megabucks format the lake was divided into 10 sections, each angler started in a section & then they rotate through sections until each angler fished all 12 section. Try fishing behind KVD, Clunn, Roland Martin, Gary Klein, Denny Brauer & others. 

 

Larry Nixon was the first to $1,000,000 with 4 Megabucks wins, a feat not even KVD or Clunn accomplished, they never won one.

[scaleface]

In a shoot-out or a grind-out one big fish might win it . Probably the same amount of skill to win either one . 

[Sam]

I split "easy" from "challenging" based on the information the fishermen have.

 

What I mean is that a "challenging" lake or river is challenging for the guys who have not fished that body of water enough to know the best spots.

 

In Virginia, our BASS club championships are on Buggs Island.  Since the guys in my bass club fish Buggs once or twice a year they are at a distinct disadvantage when compared to the Virginia bass clubs who fish Buggs all the time, both in tournaments and for fun.

 

Every few years one of our club members will make the state team but for the most part Buggs remains a challenge for us.

 

Same is true for our beautiful Pamunkey River.  If you fish the 'Monkey for fun and fish the Pamunkey Series you will learn that river.  If you fish it once a year in a tournament you are at a tremendous disadvantage and probably won't do well.

 

That's the way I see it.

 

 

[J Francho]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Depends on if I"m leading or not

 

If ya really wanna find out who's the best then a Megabucks floor mat is the best way.

 

Under a Megabucks format the lake was divided into 10 sections, each angler started in a section & then they rotate through sections until each angler fished all 12 section. Try fishing behind KVD, Clunn, Roland Martin, Gary Klein, Denny Brauer & others. 

 

Larry Nixon was the first to $1,000,000 with 4 Megabucks wins, a feat not even KVD or Clunn accomplished, they never won one.

 

They did this at an Elite event on Oneida years ago.  Conditions were not safe on Oneida, so they moved to the tiny Onandaga for the final day.

[scaleface]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

Larry Nixon was the first to $1,000,000 with 4 Megabucks wins, a feat not even KVD or Clunn accomplished, they never won one.

 

When Larry Nixon speaks I listen .

[Catt]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

In a shoot-out or a grind-out one big fish might win it . Probably the same amount of skill to win either one . 

 

I fished a night tournament back in the early 70s, started at 7 °clock, I had 1 fish in the boat by 7:30 when a severe front hit, temperature dropped 30 degrees, winds picked up to 30 mph, & heavy rain. My co-angler & I rode it out for a hour before heading to my camp 5 minutes away, slept until 6:30 am & trailered to the weigh in. We took big stringer & big bass with 3 1/2 # bass. 

 

Everybody else rode the storm out while we were nice & comfortable!