First tournament

[plawren53202]

Somehow having fished my whole life, at age 46 I finally fished my first tournament today. Let me just say in summary, OMG I am hooked, and I have never had so much fun not catching a keeper. 

 

I have never owned a boat, which of course makes fishing tournaments a little difficult. Thankfully I recently met a boater that was looking for a partner for local bass club and Anglers Choice tournaments. 

 

The fishing was tough. It was bright bluebird skies and hot, paired with pretty clear water (4-5' visibility). The only saving grace was a little bit of a breeze to put a little chop on the water. Couple all that with the fact that after about 10:30, there was a huge amount of recreational boat traffic in what is a pretty narrow lake. Meaning, trying to fish any offshore stuff after 10:30 or 11:00 felt like an episode of Deadliest Catch. The winning bag out of approximately 50 boats was only 13 pounds, whereas in the past at this lake winning Angler's Choice bags have been closer to 20 pounds.

 

Having said all that, we did actually catch a decent amount of fish. Problem was that this lake has a 16" minimum limit and most of what we caught was 12-14". First thing after blastoff, there was a decent topwater bite and we had several blowups on buzzbaits. That bite didn't last long . Rest of the day, when we could find a very particular mix of conditions--edge of the weedline on main lake points, where the dropoff was from about 12-14 ft. to about 18 or 20 ft.--the shorts would hit a shaky head trick worm (SK Bull Worm in Moon Juice) or a Carolina-rigged curly tail worm in green pumpkin. We slowly picked them off all day, grinding it out, just couldn't find the bigger fish. But later in the day, the boat traffic and waves just wouldn't allow us to fish a lot of those spots.

 

Despite it being a 2:45 a.m. wakeup call, 8 hours of hard work fishing, and a zoo out on the lake, I came away from this day hooked. What a blast. I also learned a lot, not really about the fishing techniques themselves, but strategy, planning out a run from spot to spot, study and planning ahead, maximizing the number of casts and efficiency of fishing, that kind of stuff. Plus, after many moons of watching MLF/FLW/Bassmasters tournaments and YouTube channels for Wheeler/MDJ/etc., it was so much fun to get out and experience a little piece of that--obviously scaled down a lot in every way, but all the stuff like staging, going through boat check, blastoff, and then all the strategy and thought process out on the water. I'm dead tired, sore as heck, and can't wait for the next one.

 

 

 

 

[roadwarrior]

[Ski213]

Congrats on getting the first one under your belt!  They can be a lot of fun. Make sure it always stays fun. They’ve helped me become a more well rounded fisherman I think. There have been days and places I wouldn’t have fished if not for a tournament. Conditions as well that I would’ve otherwise avoided. I’ve learned a lot that I really don’t think I would have otherwise, most of that by failure. They can take you out of your comfort zone which can be a good thing. Best of luck in your next one! 

[Oregon Native]

Good for you...glad you enjoyed and seems you approached open minded.  Lots to learn ....

[Jleebesaw]

Cool. I just did my first 2 tournaments in the last 2 weekends also. It is fun. The guys i fished with all fish the local B.A.S.S. trails and do open derbies on the off weeks that they organize themselves. 

   The first one we showed up in my tracker and had the only boat that wasnt a big glass boat. It was a tough day but we ended up 4th without a limit. This really helped my confidence. I was so surprised how many teams didnt weigh any fish or didnt have limits.

    Second one was yesterday. We got 3rd and won our entry fee back. This one was on a 10hp restricted lake so not everybody showed up. But i got my 14 footer with an 8 horse out and we fished it. No graph, trolling motor barely worked,  and had cooler livewell. Sill got some nice fish. It was on a lake i have fished on most of my life though. 

       Like you though, we really had fun. The other anglers seem like cool people. Everybody hung out talking for awhile afterwards and i got caught up on who was leading the points and stuff because i wasnt there for the first 4 or 5 derbies.

[Captain Phil]

Tournament fishing adds another dimension to fishing.  You see what other anglers do and learn from their experience.  I remember my first tournament way back in the late sixties.  My boat wasn't fancy and I was intimidated by the big boats and jackets full of lure patches.  Over the years I learned you can't catch bass by throwing money at them.  I saw country boys catch huge bags of bass with tackle I would have thrown away.  The best way to learn bass fishing is to listen to those who catch bass, not just talk about it.  Some people grow egos when they join a bass club.  Take a stealth approach and let your results do the talking.  

[Jleebesaw]

Thats pretty much how i felt too. It is intimidating! Almost didnt fish the first one when i saw all those nice boats and dudes wearing jerseys! Glad i did though. Its a bit of a surprise really. Knowing we hold our own with those guys. 

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

  Over the years I learned you can't catch bass by throwing money at them.  I saw country boys catch huge bags of bass with tackle I would have thrown away.   

Got smoked in my first tournament by a couple guys in a jon boat throwing generic grubs behind pinched on split shot....that was pretty eye opening

[Captain Phil]

Years ago bass fishing was a poor man's sport.  Some of those country bumpkins have been catching bass since they were three.  I like nice boats and quality tackle as much as anyone.  However, anyone with the resources can look like an expert at the ramp.  It's what happens at the weigh-in that makes the difference. 

[TnRiver46]

I’m glad you had a fun time! I fished one tournament and it was my last haha

[dickenscpa]

I fished two tournaments in a bass boat, one as a co-angler and one in my boat. I was MISERABLE as a co-angler and almost as miserable in my boat and my Dad was my co-angler. I love my Dad and we have a great time just going out fishing for fun. I'm also TERRIFIED of speed on the water, did I say TERRIFIED. LOL! My 250 on the back of my boat does me no good when I about wet myself when I hit 35mph. It brings my Dad joy though and he laughs his tail off at the faces I make at every wave and bump.

 

As a co-angler I got back boated bad which is part of the game but just a miserable day. When my Dad and I fished out of my boat I couldn't concentrate on fishing and position right because I was constantly worried that I was back boating my Dad.

 

I bought a kayak last Sept and fished my first tourney this past May. Got absolutely skunked in a two day tourney but had a blast. I now fish the KBFTN trail, Cumberland trail and TNKATT and just can't get enough of it.

 

I realize I'm mainly a donor but it's cheaper than a movie with snacks and I enjoy it way more. Since that first one I've got my 5 fish limit every time but I'm usually just outside the money. I did win a $250 gift certificate to Hook1 which I've bought all my kayaks and accessories from them and probably paid their light bill the last year. But all the sudden they just up and went out of business on 7/31 without warning. Even the employees were surprised. I may have to frame the gift certificate. LOL!

[@reelChris]

To anyone with a boat who hasn't fished a tournament before, you can test your skills for free without the hassle of actually paying the entire fee.  Just fish the same lake at the same time as the tournament and then hang around the weigh in to compare your results with those who actually entered.  You'll learn a lot about tournament fishing and likely be surprised on how high up you score.  

[J Francho]

5 minutes ago, @reelChris said:

Just fish the same lake at the same time as the tournament and then hang around the weigh in to compare your results with those who actually entered.

If I had a nickel for every joe that compared their results to the actual contestants, I'd be rich.  It's not a real comparison.  

[@reelChris]

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

If I had a nickel for every joe that compared their results to the actual contestants, I'd be rich.  It's not a real comparison.  

I get that if they try and compare results from a random day on the same lake.  But, if they're fishing on the same day, starting and finishing at the same times, why wouldn't be a valid comparison to the tournament standings?   

[J Francho]

Because you didn't pony up.  It's different.  Try it sometime, you might be into it.

[RichF]

11 hours ago, @reelChris said:

I get that if they try and compare results from a random day on the same lake.  But, if they're fishing on the same day, starting and finishing at the same times, why wouldn't be a valid comparison to the tournament standings?   

I used to think the same way until I actually started fishing tournaments.  When you're not in it, the whole mental aspect of tournament fishing is removed.  If you have money, points, etc. riding on the event, you will just fish differently.  It's more stressful so you'll struggle to make decisions.  Should I leave this area I caught one in?  Should I stay and grind out a limit?  Do I need to try and find bigger fish?  What are the other guys catching?  Has someone already been through my area and smashed'em?...Is that why I can't get  bite?  Should I make that run?  How much time do I have left???

 

You get the point.  Actually being in the event is just different.  You have to try one to really understand.  

[J Francho]

Dude at the ramp: "Wow, if had entered your derby, I would have one!"

 

Me: "That's awesome.  Prove it.  Here's my number.  Give me a call, and I'll get you set up as a guest at our next event!"

 

Very few even take up that offer.  The ones that did, were gracious donors.  A few stayed and joined the club.  No one ever swept in and won that way.

[roadwarrior]

At our first charity tournament my partner and I won $!00 for 'Smallest Legal Bass".

My buddy was the organizer so we donated our winnings back to Big Brothers and

Big Sisters.

 

The next year I fished with my best buddy. Things weren't going too well, but near

the end I hooked up with a Walmart Girl. The fish was worth $200 for big fish. I had 

been fishing with my friend for 20 years so I didn't think I had to tell him how to net

the fish...I was wrong.

 

Tournament fishing is just different than fun fishing, so I don't do those anymore.

 

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

15 hours ago, @reelChris said:

I get that if they try and compare results from a random day on the same lake.  But, if they're fishing on the same day, starting and finishing at the same times, why wouldn't be a valid comparison to the tournament standings?   

Because this has already happened in real life a million times. People always do this. Success is through the roof, until the day you actually enter the tournament. Then you come in with 0 keepers, it’s almost a guarantee 

[galyonj]

4 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Things weren't going too well, but near

the end I hooked up with a Walmart Girl

[RHuff]

On 9/14/2020 at 10:56 PM, @reelChris said:

I get that if they try and compare results from a random day on the same lake.  But, if they're fishing on the same day, starting and finishing at the same times, why wouldn't be a valid comparison to the tournament standings?   

Pressure, Pressure, and Pressure 

[@reelChris]

3 hours ago, RHuff said:

Pressure, Pressure, and Pressure 

I guess the tournaments I fish are too small and friendly to feel any pressure.  To me, they're just a reason to spend the day out on the lake.  If I place, great, if not, who cares?  Try again next week.

[jbsoonerfan]

I always finish near the top in the tournaments I don't enter. LOL

[Captain Phil]

I fished a lot of tournaments in my life. If your goal is to enjoy your time on the water, buddy tournaments are the way to go.  You don't have the hassle of fighting over the front of the boat, where you are going to fish and you're happy when your buddy catches fish.  Most fun of all is a single big fish tournament.  Our bass club held one on the Harris Chain for a number of years and they were very popular. We raised a lot of money and everyone had a great time.   

 

Each tournament win may require many hours prefishing.  No matter how good you think you are, on any given day someone may be better.  Then there are the sponsors, not to mention your family who may be wondering if you have lost your mind.  Fishing tournaments is very addicting.  Make sure you make time for your wife and family or you may call home late one night and the phone won't be answered.