If you don't fish tournaments, why do you fish for bass?

[Swamp Girl]

I don't think that nostalgia has been specifically mentioned. I love the piney forests of Maine, but when I return to flinty gorges in Ohio, with ridges topped with beach trees, that familiar rock and flora of my childhood plucks my heartstrings. So do bass, which I caught as a kid.

 

Also, because bass are so abundant, they were within reach of a former 1969 kid with a Zebco 404 and a steel pole on a used bike.

 

Now I catch 40 bass instead of the one I might have managed in 1969, but inside, I'm still that kid, so I thrill to such abundance. 

 

[Catt]

If you don't fish tournaments, why do you fish for bass?

 

There are more non-tournament anglers than there are tournament anglers. So the question should be why fish tournament?

 

As far fun fishing vs tournament fishing. I'm a bass fisherman, my preparation is the same if I'm going to the bayou across the street or the Bassmaster Classic.

[JHoss]

Man, I had a feeling this thread would get some action, but I didn't expect 4 pages in just a day.

 

It seems that the title I chose may have been a bit more provocative than intended. A better title may have been "Why are bass your favorite species to target?"

 

I've enjoyed reading some of the stories about experiences that got people hooked and the discussions I've had with others to better understand why they love bass fishing so much without competing. It's made me think about how I got here to the Bass Obsession.

 

Like many, my dad got me into the outdoors- hunting and saltwater fishing mostly. We live on the Chesapeake Bay and folks who live here tend to prefer the salt over the small lakes we have nearby. I imagine if I had grown up on the shores of Lake Guntersville, I likely would've been a bass head all along. It makes me wonder if things would've been different if I had gotten hooked on these fish sooner. Maybe I would've fished on a collegiate bass team and be fishing bigger tournaments now. Maybe some of y'all wouldn't ever fish for bass if you grew up on the salt. We all got here different ways, but we've found common ground with this fish that's found nearly everywhere.

 

Where I stand today, I can 100% say that I would not be as obsessed with bass fishing if it weren't for tournaments. I would still bass fish occasionally, but my angling would be far more diversified across fresh and salt. The melding of a sport (fishing) I've always loved with the competition I've always craved, is the perfect hobby for me at this stage in my life when I can't compete on a baseball diamond or football field at the same level that I did a decade ago. That same competitiveness is what drives me to become a better fisherman and fuels the fire to spend too many hours fishing or learning about bass fishing. If I was just a fun fisherman, I wouldn't care if I was an average angler or great angler on a given day. But as with everything I've been passionate about in my life, I want to be the best. When I compete against a field of others it helps me check on that progress and not winning motivates me to keep working so hard at perfecting my craft. 

 

It's awesome that chasing bass can mean so many things for so many people, and there's no wrong answer to why. The same way we all have our favorite techniques to catch these fish, we all have our favorite reason for why we chase them. 

[ww2farmer]

I grew up in the 80s watching Bassmaster on TV. Bass fishing got it's hooks (no pun intended) in me very early. It's about the only species of fish I have ever pursued going on 40 years now. I never fished a tournament until I was in my mid 30s, did very very well on the local scene for 15 years, gave it up when things in my personal life were in transition,  but kept on recreational bass fishing. A few years later, other than the comradery with my friends,  I 100%  DO NOT miss tournament fishing,  but I'm still just as, if not more passionate about bass fishing as ever.

[Catt]

@JHoss I like this type of thread, it let's us get each other better.

 

 

Edited November 12, 2024 by Catt
Fingers faster than the brain

[Swamp Girl]

@JHoss: Tournament fishing would make me shudder. Loud speakers and loud boats wouldn't float my canoe. However, I once loved competition, so I get that.

 

Being old, I want to fish the quiet places, although when ospreys screech, geese honk, loons sing, and beavers whap the water, it's not exactly quiet. 

 

And I agree with what @Catt just wrote!

[tholmes]

I fish because I enjoy it. I fish for bass because they are one of the most accessible fish in my area. 

I don't fish tournaments because I don't feel like I have to prove that I'm a "better" fisherman than anyone else. I'm 72 years old and count myself very fortunate to be able to get out at all.

 

Tom

[tholmes]

26 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@JHoss: Tournament fishing would make me shudder. Loud speakers and loud boats wouldn't float my canoe. However, I once loved competition, so I get that.

 

Being old, I want to fish the quiet places, although when ospreys screech, geese honk, loons sing, and beavers whap the water, it's not exactly quiet. 

 

And I agree with what @Catt just wrote!

Exactly this^.

 

Tom

[JHoss]

29 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@JHoss: Tournament fishing would make me shudder. Loud speakers and loud boats wouldn't float my canoe. However, I once loved competition, so I get that.

This is another aspect of tournament fishing I hadn't considered as a pro or con, but now realize could go either way depending on the person. I love the peace and tranquility of being on the water or in the woods, and I still get to experience that for 95% of a tournament day. Some folks probably love the sound an ol 2-Stroke 250 makes at WOT. To each their own.

 

We do shotgun starts in the trail I primarily fish and that has become something I really enjoy. Maybe its just another opportunity for my competitiveness to come through or maybe its just fun going fast. Maybe I would like it far less if I didn't have one of the faster boats on the trail.

 

One thing I bet 99% of us here would agree to dislike is conflict on the water. And in some ways I suspect that may be more prevalent in tournaments. But on the flip side, the most head-scratching invasions of space or violations of basic etiquette have all come from non-tournament anglers... at least since I've been in the boat. When I was fishing from kayaks, the worst violators were glitter boat tournament anglers who thought they were more entitled to a spot than me in my plastic kayak. 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

When I was fishing from kayaks, the worst violators were glitter boat tournament anglers who thought they were more entitled to a spot than me in my plastic kayak. 

 

Sad, but I believe it's true. I wonder what they'd think of me in my scuffed canoe. 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

This is another aspect of tournament fishing I hadn't considered as a pro or con, but now realize could go either way depending on the person. I love the peace and tranquility of being on the water or in the woods, and I still get to experience that for 95% of a tournament day. Some folks probably love the sound an ol 2-Stroke 250 makes at WOT. To each their own.

 

We do shotgun starts in the trail I primarily fish and that has become something I really enjoy. Maybe its just another opportunity for my competitiveness to come through or maybe its just fun going fast. Maybe I would like it far less if I didn't have one of the faster boats on the trail.

 

One thing I bet 99% of us here would agree to dislike is conflict on the water. And in some ways I suspect that may be more prevalent in tournaments. But on the flip side, the most head-scratching invasions of space or violations of basic etiquette have all come from non-tournament anglers... at least since I've been in the boat. When I was fishing from kayaks, the worst violators were glitter boat tournament anglers who thought they were more entitled to a spot than me in my plastic kayak. 

It’s not just your plastic kayak, they  also feel more entitled to a spot than other glitter boats, metal v bottoms, and anything inbetween 

[Catt]

One misunderstanding about tournaments is the thought process of proving you're better than someone is completely wrong. 

 

If your mindset is you're competing against the other anglers, you're probably gonna lose.

 

It's you against the body of water, the conditions, & dem green/brown fish with a brain the size of a pea.

[Swamp Girl]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

It’s not just your plastic kayak, they  also feel more entitled to a spot than other glitter boats, metal v bottoms, and anything inbetween 

 

I wish nothing but the best for the butt-in-skis. By best, I hope they hook a beast beyond their imagining, like this:

 

 

1 minute ago, Catt said:

One misunderstanding about tournaments is the thought process of proving you're better than someone is completely wrong. 

 

If your mindset is you're competing against the other anglers, you're probably gonna lose.

 

It's you against the body of water, the conditions, & dem green/brown with a brain the size of a pea.

 

Hey, I also have a brain the size of a pea, which is likely why I'm pretty good at finding bass.

[JHoss]

15 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Sad, but I believe it's true. I wonder what they'd think of me in my scuffed canoe. 

 

8 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

It’s not just your plastic kayak, they  also feel more entitled to a spot than other glitter boats, metal v bottoms, and anything inbetween 

 

In those kayak days I often had one rod dedicated to a really obnoxious bait I could throw a mile like a 190 Whopper Plopper. If a glitter boat invaded my space, I stopped fishing and started bombing that thing right across their bow until they got the hint and moved on.

 

8 minutes ago, Catt said:

One misunderstanding about tournaments is the thought process of proving you're better than someone is completely wrong. 

 

If your mindset is you're competing against the other anglers, you're probably gonna lose.

 

It's you against the body of water, the conditions, & dem green/brown fish with a brain the size of a pea.

I disagree. I think you have to think of it as competing against the fish AND the other anglers. I'd also argue that PGA players have to compete against the course and the field of competitors. 

 

Figuring out how to catch fish is only one part of the formula for winning a tournament. I find that I often have to out-strategize the other anglers with things like when to hit a certain spot. If I'm hitting every spot after multiple other boats hit them, then my odds go down. If I can be the first person to fish each spot, my odds probably go up. Most of our local lakes we compete on our less than 1,500 acres, so I may have to consider what other anglers have already shown the fish and give them something different. On the bigger lakes and rivers we fish, we still have a HP restriction, so now I have to decide if I stay close and maximize my time fishing or do I sacrifice half a day to run to a spot with no pressure.

 

I've said before on here that figuring out the puzzle is part of bass fishing I love. Adding a tournament to the mix is like going from a 500 piece puzzle to a 1000 piece puzzle. 

 

 

[Catt]

I can not control what the other anglers are doing but I can control what ole Catt is doing. 

[Texas Flood]

I only fish a few tournaments a year but I agree with @Catt You can only control what you're doing. 

 

In golf the players know what the leaderboard is and can make adjustments on the go. With bass tournaments, you only know the results at the end

 

Im not saying to ignore other anglers but the more you worry what they're doing the less you're focused on catching a limit IMO

 

[JHoss]

14 minutes ago, Catt said:

I can not control what the other anglers are doing but I can control what ole Catt is doing. 

 

4 minutes ago, Texas Flood said:

I only fish a few tournaments a year but I agree with @Catt You can only control what you're doing. 

 

In golf the players know what the leaderboard is and can make adjustments on the go. With bass tournaments, you only know the results at the end

 

Im not saying to ignore other anglers but the more you worry what they're doing the less you're focused on catching a limit IMO

 

Just like bass fishing in general, every angler approaches tournament strategy in their own way. I try to account for every possible scenario and plan accordingly. I can't control what another angler does, but if I beat them to a spot first thing, the balls in my court for at least that spot. I had a tournament earlier this year on a 1,000 acre lake with relatively little structure. There is one saddle that everyone knows about. I chose to run to that saddle first thing and camp on it for a couple hours- I caught a limit and kept other boats from being able to fish it until I had worked it over to my satisfaction. I even heard other anglers grumbling as they went past that I was still on the same spot. I finished top 4 and dumped what would've been the winning fish boat side. I can't say I would've done that well with a different strategy. 

 

While you may not know what other anglers are doing on a given day, with experience you can have a pretty good idea what it will take to win or place. Then you can use that inference to decide if you need to chase big bites or look for 2 pounders. 

 

You even hear stories of high level pros playing the strategy game in practice. They find a hidden gem and have to decide if they want to camp on it to keep others away or stay far away from it to avoid drawing attention to it. If you really want to get into you could even look at things like sharing info (ie: Johnson brothers or Wheeler and DC). The "strategy" of sharing info with a friend may help you in some events and hurt you in others.

[Junk Fisherman]

17 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

I would submit that people who fish in bass tournaments do it because they like catching bass.  It's not that they fish for bass because they like tournaments.

I'm not so sure about that- at least in my neck of the woods.  A couple of the big tournament spots around me have significantly less fishermen when there aren't any tournaments going on.  Spring is an exception since everyone is itching to get out but the water is definitely more empty in the summer and fall when there are not any tournaments going on.    

[AJ in PA]

I don't fish tournaments, nor do I keep any fish.  I do eat fish, just not the ones I catch.  I personally love not knowing what you'll pull out of the water each day.  Mine are usually not too big, so the larger ones are exciting, and IMO nothing beats an explosive topwater smash.  I know that other fish will do that, but there's just something about how largies hit - although my Dad is always targeting largemouth so maybe it's just what I picked up from him.

 

Going for a double-digit largemouth is the goal that keeps me willing to get up hours before daylight to get ready each time.

[Darth-Baiter]

if I had to fish tournaments only, I would start golfing.  unless I had to play golf tourneys only.  

 

I jog as well, and I aint doing marathons.    4 pages?  maybe the point eluded me. hahah.

 

 

[r83srock]

Tournament fishing doesn’t drive me. I enjoy it, but I know where my lane is and that’s as far as I care to go. I keep it to club/local level stuff and take preparation as seriously regardless if I’m fishing a tournament or taking a day trip somewhere. I could fish a 100 boat tournament and later that evening I could be fishing the bank with a simple selection of gear, I just love to bass fish and I thank my dad he introduced me to fishing an taught me.

 

Bass are far from the hardest fighting, but they can be pretty sporty and at times surprisingly strong. They are plentiful in my waters and the pursuit to figure out their ever changing behavior never gets old.

[Bryon Shepherd]

I fish because it's what I do . I do not necessarily enjoy fishing around a tournament crowd. I have fished since I was very young and I won awards and tackle galore . as I got older I traveled as a professional musician therefore having the opportunity to fish all over the country . when I settled down , I played in the amature team billiard championships in Vegas twice and qualified for and ran in the Boston Marathon eight times . all of that info is online if you care to doubt me. I don't have the desire to compete with youngsters and technology. I prefer to fish out of the way and work on the puzzle myself. I have issues with tournament anglers thinking that their fishing is more important than mine . No mal intent here just stating how I feel .     

[Peddiesake]

Maturity in life, sort of changes your perspective as your age. I won a club tournament and a state tournament in my 30s. Today at 75 years of age it’s about enjoying what God made and doing battle only with the fish. Just my take presently.

[Swamp Girl]

3 hours ago, Bryon Shepherd said:

all of that info is online if you care to doubt me.

 

Cool that you did all that, Bryon. We're a pretty easy-going group, so don't expect a lot of doubters. 

[Bryon Shepherd]

I was not trying at all to imply that I was better than anything or anyone, just that I spent most of my 59 years being Hyper competitive and now prefer to play the game with Mother Nature rather than fellow humans......