Tournaments

[J Francho]

It looks more like work than fun and for me work means a return on my investment and time.

Your only exposure is probably what you may have seen on TV with the pros. It is what you make it. My method is to have fun first. I keep it loose on my boat. When you are relaxed, you are able to fish better, with confidence. The only time it can be work, is when the weather doesn't cooperate. Some might go home, and wait for better weather. I'd probably be fishing anyway. It's basically going fishing with a bunch of buddies, except at the beginning of the day, you put some money on the table. You'll learn new things, meet new people, and you might win a couple bucks once in a while.

[NoBassPro]

My point is for me only. I think tournaments are just fine, just not for me. It looks more like work than fun and for me work means a return on my investment and time. I competed in the business world, now my fishing is strictly for R&R. If I can fish at my leisure, come and go as I please, catch quality fish, I'm more than content with that.

I'm not in the least bit negative on tournaments, I just don't want to do it.

I understand, its just that I've spent a few dollars on guides so I could learn new techniques and bodies of waters, and, while there are some great ones out there, I have come to the conclusion I may learn more and enjoy myself just as much fishing some tournys at a comparable or even lower cost. Heck, I don't know if you can get two fishermen in a boat without it evolving into a competition of some sort or another, but there is a difference between friendly competition and ultra serious I wanna take your money or die type competition.

[SirSnookalot]

I agree about friendly competition, I always played golf in a group, we always played skins and a Nassau, in the end it was only win or lose 10 bucks or so.

Never fished a tournament but I have been in quite a few golf tournaments, fierce competition.

Lee Tevino " Pressure is playing a $ 10 nassau with 5 bucks in your pocket."

[flippin and pitchin]

I fished my first tournament about 7 years ago. It was a team event, the venue I prefer. I have fished as the boater and the back seater. I love both. It's about helping each other come up with five. I don't fish for the money but haven't turned a check down either. The events have been small opens and the guys that fish them are repeat guys so you get to make friends. I like the bar-B-Q after and just getting to know other guys. My wife and daughter even come out to the weigh-ins at the local events. Just fish one on a body of water you know and go with an open mind. Fish your strengths, fish the fish and not the other's out there and have some fun. You might really enjoy it.

[jeremyt]

I fish my local club, and the local poor boy tournaments on Sundays. I enjoy it because it has forced me to learn different techniques.

[redboat]

Just wondered how many of you fish tournaments. Out of those that do, what do you feel the pros and cons are?

I fished a few local tourneys over the last several years but not any more. We have a lot of "working man's" tournaments in this area, late afternoon takeoff, night weigh in.

My buddy and I fished one regularly, every Wednesday. Not too expensive, $30 a boat which included $5 for big bass.

After a few weeks I noticed this typical pattern:

15 boats entered; 11 weigh zero; two weigh one fish (about 2 lbs); one weigh two fish (about 4 lbs); one boat weighs 5 fish, total 15 lbs, big bass around 8 lbs. And the same two guys won it every week.

So I was convinced they must be cheating, had a bunch of bass in a dog cage sunk somewhere. Not so - a Lake Fork guide straightened me out. He told me guys would buy those artificial plastic brush piles at Bass Pro and sink them around the lake. Using GPS they could get right back on them. He said they'd typically sink 15 or 20 of these. Only 4 or 5 would actually hold fish. In the tournament they'd go back to the brush piles that held fish and reel 'em in.

"You can sometimes beat those brush pile boys," he told me, "but not very often. They're gonna win most of the time."

Nice little business those guys had going. That particular lake had three of those working man's tournaments every week; average 15 boats in each, $30 per boat, that's $450 in the pot each tourney. First place was usually around $300, sometimes "winner take all"; and they always took big bass too.

Since I was just contributing money with no chance of winning any of it back I stoped fishing those tournaments.

[NoBassPro]

Why doesn't anyone ever follow those guys around and punch some gps coords if that is true?

[J Francho]

Or just stop fishing them altogether? Find a different trail, if that's the case. Or learn how to beat them.

[NoBassPro]

I'd want to try to move the artificial cover honestly. Just to see the reaction.

[J Francho]

That would be awesome, LOL.

[tstone]

Or learn how to beat them.

Sounds like a fun challenge to me.

[FD.]

There are 3 reasons that I have fished tournaments.

1. When I was new to bass fishing in Florida - fished as a non boater in maybe 25 tournaments - It never cost me more than 100 bucks including gas money - I was with the winning boater twice. Where else are you going get a guide for under a Franklin a day.

2. I am a fiercely competetive person and I'm getting old. I played baseball through college, played Polo until I was 38 and have run triathalons. I'm now 45 and my body won't let me do anything but bike and fish. Tournament fishing gets me my competition fix.

3. I fish most of the time with my wife and kids. But occasionally I fish in a team tournament that draws over 100 boats and the best fishermen in the state of Florida just to see how good I am.

[redboat]

Why doesn't anyone ever follow those guys around and punch some gps coords if that is true?

Tried that a couple times; we lost 'em when it got dark.

[J Francho]

So they aren't running a anchor or nav lights in the dark?

[NBR]

I have but now don't fish T's. A reasonable number of them is no problem at all but I do think there are too many. Most T guys/gals are just fine but there a few jerks who give the rest a bad name

[bt fisherman]

i won the indiana bass federation youth tournement 14 and under age group my first year fishing. i weighed a fish in at every tournement

[bassnmike78]

i fished a few buddy tournys and a fed nation tourny as a co-angler . its a tight knit group and your immediatly blackballed for being a spot burner . if your a co-angler and burn your previous boaters spot you will get back seated for awhile until they trust you again .

[Wachati]

I am joining a bass tournament league this year. There are many reasons. I am no where near where I need to be as far as a full skill set, and view it as a great learning oppurtunity. Its another great way to meet other people in your area who have the same addiction as well. I have always been a pond junkie, my schedule never allowed me to have the time to fish regularly. When I had a few hours I would go "wachati" some bass with buzzbaits and that would be that. I am looking forward to learning some things, building my different styles, and seeing where I stack up. I am highly competitive when it comes to anything, but I am pretty sure I will be put in my "place" this year, but that is a good thing, while I hate to lose, I will do whatever it takes not for it to happen again. I am not setting the bar too high, my first goal is to never come in with an empty sack. I am trying to maybe to team tourneys, I don't like the idea of having a co-angler tell me where he wants me to fish in my boat, lol. Go get your own, lol, its a tournament for heaven's sake. Thats like pond fishing, there are certain ponds you can fish, but never speak of, and thats how some spots should be....left unknown to others.

[bassnmike78]

@ wachati : most co-anglers don't really have a say in where to go but they can suggest a spot especially if the lake or river your on is there home lake . you can use them to your advantage sometimes but most times i try to just learn as much as possible from the boater and keep my mouth shut haha . i learned more in one trip just by watching the boater then i could have in a month fishing alone

[Wachati]

@bassnmike78 : Yeah I was just reading the tournament rules, and it says that time should be evenly shared between boater and non-boater on where to fish, so I just assumed. If I was a non-boater I wouldn't care where the heck we fished, I would just be happy I'm out there, and that is probably the case. Heck I might even learn something from the non-boater, lol.

[slonezp]

Letme throw this in...Just because someone can afford to own a boat doesn't mean they can fish...

[bassnmike78]

if your fishing a fed nation tx you don't share time at all . its all the boater and your along for the ride . i wish you would share time but honestly i don't know if i would want to control some guys 30k boat even if its only using the trolling motor

[Wachati]

Letme throw this in...Just because someone can afford to own a boat doesn't mean they can fish...

especially if its 38' Fountain, lol. Buying a boat just to go fast and thats it, has never made sense to me...maybe I'm just jealous cause I can't afford one.

[J Francho]

No one uses a 38' Fountain to bass fish. Unless I'm busy unhooking a fish on a windy day, no non/co is running the trolling motor on my $10K boat. In a team format, it's another story - most of my partners are boat owners, and are perfectly capable.

[ChiCityBasser]

ABA has rules for boat operation and says you basically must discuss sharing time for his/her selected waters prior to ooze-off. Nothing about sharing operation of the boat.