Fishing tournaments....why? or why not? 2024
5bass reply :
I read and read all these threads about tournament fishing and alot of those threads draw in members that don't fish or have negative perceptions of tournaments and tournament fisherman. It makes me wonder.....those of you who do compete, what drives you to enter a tournament? And to those who don't, what keeps you away?
Personally, I love competition. I like the challenge of being on the clock and having to put fish in the boat. It's the constant battle within to figure things out and show up with a good bag. Competition makes me a better fisherman.
RobbyZ5001 reply :
I love competition been involved in competing every since I was 5. Tournaments are a rush I am a huge adrenaline junky and I get a rush from tournaments. I am a young guy and I love suprising these older guys. Even when I take someone out to fish for fun in my mind I am still competing. Five years ago I tore my ACL and have been tearing my miniscus since. So it is very hard for me to get back into sports that involve speed and endurance so I needed another outlet. Fishing is it. I love striving for things as well and fishing is this HUGE puzzle with 1,000,000 peices that all of us try to figure out.
TI_Bassin reply :
I love competition. I played all kind of teem sports when I was young. Then I started golfing state amateur tournaments and fell in love with the competition of just you verse the other competitors and having to figure out the course until I heart my back 3 years ago. I know fish tournaments and love the competition of you verse the other competitors and having to figure out the fish.
frogtog reply :
All my life I have been a highly competitive person. I never was all that good at sports. So I started hunting and fishing, the hunting got kind of easy for me, so I pretty much gave it up. So I started bass fishing in the mid 70's and got to where I could win a club tournament every now and then. I left that behind and started fishing tournaments for money. There is nothing I love as good as walking up to the weigh-
in with a nice bag of fish. And God knows it's not about the money. I have spent 10 times or better than I will ever win. And I think what helps me the most is having a Darn good partner. You could look half your life and not find a partner like I have. He is always on time, never worry about entry fees, always steps up when I'm having a bad day and best of all we curse each other out all day ;D Worst part of it is my partner is getting a little older now and can't go like he use to so I have to take'm on by myself sometimes. And another thing is you have got to have a good wife and family to tournament fish, and I have both. No I wouldn't take any thing for my tournament fishing, Just hope Heaven has some good lakes.
MattStrykul reply :
I just sat here and thought about it and came to the conclusion that I just love competition. I have competed in everything that I have ever done, from rollerblading competitions, wakeboarding competitions, to fishing tournaments. I love trying to out do others, especially when I'm the youngest tryin to beat the older guys.
Fishing tournaments are fun to me because I never know what I'm going to bring in, if ANYTHING! I love being out on the boat with my younger brother for 7 hours and be fully concentrated and testing myself. It's just a blast. Last year we started fishing these team tournaments in a reservoir that is <10 hp every other weekend and usually about 40 boats with a $40 entry fee per boat. My brother and I are the 2 youngest fisherman that fish the tournaments and the guys that do fish it "have been fishing it for their whole lives"...Do we let that get us down, and not compete? No way...We would pay the $40 (alot for us kids without a job) just to fish even though we knew we didnt have the best chance of getting in the money, and we are going to do it next year, and the year after that, and probably the year after that! It's all a learning experience, and I am one to spend my money on things that allow me to learn/ make me happy
RobbyZ5001 reply :
QuotePosted by: MattStrykul Posted on: Today at 11:24pmI just sat here and thought about it and came to the conclusion that I just love competition. I have competed in everything that I have ever done, from rollerblading competitions, wakeboarding competitions, to fishing tournaments. I love trying to out do others, especially when I'm the youngest tryin to beat the older guys.
Fishing tournaments are fun to me because I never know what I'm going to bring in, if ANYTHING! I love being out on the boat with my younger brother for 7 hours and be fully concentrated and testing myself. It's just a blast. Last year we started fishing these team tournaments in a reservoir that is <10 hp every other weekend and usually about 40 boats with a $40 entry fee per boat. My brother and I are the 2 youngest fisherman that fish the tournaments and the guys that do fish it "have been fishing it for their whole lives"...Do we let that get us down, and not compete? No way...We would pay the $40 (alot for us kids without a job) just to fish even though we knew we didnt have the best chance of getting in the money, and we are going to do it next year, and the year after that, and probably the year after that! It's all a learning experience, and I am one to spend my money on things that allow me to learn/ make me happy
AMEN! 
Painter Dude reply :
I can't pinpoint what it is about tourney fishing that I love so much. It could be a recognition thing. Being associated with those who are in the top of their field wether it be fishing or anything else in life is something I think everyone tries to acheive. The results of my finishes in tourneys are not really what I was hoping for but maybe that will come in time. I look at it as there has to be someone down there to support the guys on top! 
There are many out there whom take it to a level of competiveness that tends to step all over the other guys thus you get many whom get burned and have a bad taste for it. One must just realize that is their way of life and it's like that no matter what you are doing. It's a" Golden Rule thing" as far as I am concerned and the more who relate to that, the better it would be.
my .02 cents!
warmer reply :
everyone seems pro-tournament fishing...
i like having a "golden rule" in another sense... you can compare your day to others who are serious about fishing...
i like because it pushes me into hyper-problem solving mode...
i like it for what it teaches me about myself psychologically (e.g. - 5 in the well by 9:15 and im singing vs. 1 in the well by 11:30 and im selling the boat)
i like measuring my progression as a fisherman.
bocabasser reply :
i love competing against the best anglers in the state of florida. i usually have the slowest boat in the field ( a 17' pathfinder flats boat w/a yamaha 50)and i do fairly well. i have won a couple and placed in the money in several. but mostly i love the competition. i also love the look on the anglers faces who have $30,000-$50,000 boats and spend $200 in gas as i come to the weigh in with a slow boat and a fat sack of fish. it doesn't get any better than that.
fishfordollars reply :
Competition...Most of the tournaments around here draw 200-250 or more boats. It just becomes something in the air. You get to know a few well and make friends that do this every weekend. It's in your blood...
FishinDaddy reply :
My first tourney 3/25/07
I can still smell the 2 cycle smoke....
As most of the other OLD guys above have stated..I can't run, jump, ride, shoot and many other things I did when I was younger...The competitive side in me is satisfied with tournament fishing. I fish against the fish more that the other fishermen. However, finishing in the top 15 out of 80 boats, my son as my partner, is quite satisfying. Like boca, my boat is 15 years old and I only paid 6 grand for it, so when we are weighing fish and there are 50 grand boats being loaded that got skunked.. ;D..well the little evil side in me comes out.
You only have to fish one for yourself....either you hate it or you love it..
Garnet reply :
The best thing about tournaments for me is.............at 4 o'clock we will see who the best anglers is.
Standing in booths hanging around tackle shops generally wearing a shirt don't count.
20 years later I am the shirt with accomplishments.........now I get a kick out of people that love beating me.............just makes me try harder.
Garnet
5bass reply :
Yeah, a bunch of guys showing up at the ramp and throwing down money to find out who's the best that day......competition at its finest.
Catt reply :
When I first started it was the competition; now it's mostly just to shut-up a few cocky youngsters who think old school doesn't work any more.
roadwarrior reply :
My business is very competative. Fishing is a hobby, my favorite hobby.
I fished one, two day club tournament and didn't like anything about it, but I gave it a shot. I would rather spend all my leisure time focused on catching the biggest bass (or striper, catfish, brown trout, etc.) rather than beating the bank chasing little bitty bass. I'm certainly no Fish Chris, but like him, I am after one prize. Seriously, if I never catch another 3 lb anything, that would be fine by me. Go big or go home.
Another aspect which is important to me is the "catching". I really like to "fish", but I like catching more. While tournament fishermen dream of weighing a 30 lb bag, most days on the river my partner and I catch 100+ lbs, sometimes 200+. For me, that's more fun.
Of course, I'd rather catch just one, 12 lb smallmouth, but we all have our dreams!
8-)
5bass reply :
QuoteWhile tournament fishermen dream of weighing a 30 lb bag, most days on the river my partner and I catch 100+ lbs, sometimes 200+. For me, that's more fun. 8-)
RW, thanks for jumping in. I'm curious about these 100 lb + days.....how many fish would you estimate that you guys catch during one of those days?
roadwarrior reply :
You know I spend most of my time during the spring and summer fishing for stripper. If there are just the two of us (me and my partner) we generally catch 10-15 apiece, ranging from about 8 lbs to 30 lbs, with an average either side of 12 lbs. In addition we will each catch a few catfish and drum, maybe another 50-75 lbs of "fish".
In the fall and winter when we're on the hunt for the World Record Smallmouth 
we tend to catch bigger catfish and drum, often over 20 lbs. We also catch (huge) buffalo, striper, sauger, crappie, largemouth, white bass and spots. On a "fair" day, we each probably catch 15- 20 lbs of smallmouth bass and 100+ lbs of "other" fish. On our very best day (January 8, 2005) I caught eight footballs over 5 lbs, something either side of 50 lbs. The two fish in my avatar (January 15, 2005) were a combined weight of just over 15 lbs.
Sometimes the numbers get outlandish. On one very cold January day my partner landed a 43lb blue catfish on a G.Loomis Bronzeback rod (light) and #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid. We were NOT fishing for catfish!
5bass reply :
Okay, I see. I thought you were talking strictly about bass. (LM and SM)
roadwarrior reply :
QuoteOkay, I see. I thought you were talking strictly about bass. (LM and SM)
Not in this part of the world! Oddly, we rarely (never) catch numbers. The Great Lakes guys talk about 40-50-60...100 smallmouth days. Our best day ever in terms of numbers was with four guys, a total of 24 or 25 smallmouth, and just a few over 5 lbs.
So, on the Tennessee River there is an opportunity for a PB and perhaps even the next World Record, but if it's numbers of BASS you're after, this isn't the right place.
RobbyZ5001 reply :
Anyway you slice it those are all very good trips. Sounds like you have a blast. I cannot believe the number of stripers you pull out, you could be a guide.
flippincrazy reply :
Tournament fishing is simply the biggest adrenaline rush that I have ever experienced. To me there is nothing like not being able to sleep the night before a tournament and when you do finally doze off your alarm goes off at 0330 when the other two alarms go off because your freaked out by thought that you might one day sleep through the alarm and miss your fix of tournament fishing, although you know youll never sleep deep enough for that to really happen then you recheck everything that has already been ready to go for hours. You then head to the ramp drinking coffee, pop, energy drink ect. knowing that your going to have to pee as soon as you actually start fishing. take-off is an adrenaline rush in itself with that sweet smell of outboard exhuast and the chirps of new merc pro xs that make me so jealous sometimes, and then 0-60 in a few seconds when they finally call boat 112. I've only been tournament fishing for two years but I still get the trembles the first fish I catch each tournament, because I know I'm getting dialed in. If I ever lose this Ill stop tournament fishing, but thats not likely. If you never tried it go for it.
P.S. Roadwarrior your smallmouth make me sick to my stomach.
NJBassDevil3254 reply :
Its about the comradery between you and the guys that you fish with. Mostly club tournies but I know much guys that come to open tournies too. At the end of the day, I like talking with the guys and compairing the day. What worked, what didnt. I also like weigh-in. I like to see the other guys fish and I like for them to see my own fish, even if its only one or not big. The thing I cant stand is in an open tourny, when guys throw their fish back into the water and chose not to weigh them in because they know they dont have a chance at winning. This really burns me because you payed $60 to get into this tourny and your not even going to get your fished weighed? What did you come here for then? Just the money? Thats what they may say but thats not true. It also bothers me because I will pay the $60 and bring my fish to the scale, get them weighed and get my picture taken, even if its one fish. I am so proud of my fish even when its small. These guys dont even bother and that just really ticks me off.
I also love the early morning, everyone is pumped up ready for the start. Here in NJ, we dont usually do the numbers thing. We just say GO and everyone rockets away from the launch. I like those kinda blast offs better then the ones that you call numbers.
5bass reply :
I'll have to admit that I sometimes wont weigh if I'm not going to be in the money. I know about what I've got in the bag and if it's not close, I dont waste anyone's time and there's no use carrying the fish around in the bag and all that if I know weighing wont make a difference.....I just put them back asap.
But in a night tournament, I always weigh in. There's something about being in the dark that takes away my ability to estimate weight. For some reason I'm usually at least a couple of pounds off.
warmer reply :
im with you five bass limit... in fact, if i dont have good fish i often am late for the weigh in, angling for that one last big bite.
NJBassDevil3254 reply :
Quoteim with you five bass limit... in fact, if i dont have good fish i often am late for the weigh in, angling for that one last big bite.
I understand about letting fish go ASAP but the thing that gets me is that $60 is alot for me and if I am spending that much money, I want to have my picture taken and have people pat me on the back and say good job and ask me what I caught him on. At least then I know my $60 isnt totally going to waste.
5bass reply :
Clarification:
In an actual "points tournament" (club or trail) I weigh everything.
In the pot tournaments (no points, just money) I wont weigh unless I have enough to get in the money.
Tin reply :
I'm with Lee, aint nothin' like the smell of 2-stroke in the morning.
It's just an awsome time, I crank up the music in the truck, think about my gameplan. Then when everyone cranks the outboard and buzzes to their honey hole. After that is when the fun and challenge begins, battling the clock, fish, and each other.
My personal favorite thing when I fish from the Tracker, beating guys in z21 Comanche's with 225 E-Tec's.
warmer reply :
QuoteIn the pot tournaments (no points, just money) I wont weigh unless I have enough to get in the money.
im with you on that fivebasslimit...
if i fold my hand in poker, i dont show anybody what i had, then when that fish story rolls out about how i had a "decent limit, but nothing big" hey... who knows
warmer reply :
why does everyone hate the guys w/ 225's?
-proud new owner of a used 225, gimme some love.
michbass reply :
I too love the competition, being around other fisherman, being on the water, having a chance to learn something. The relieved feeling you get when you get your first keeper, and so on until you have a good bag.
Tokyo Tony reply :
I have a question for all of you tournament fishermen:
Do you find that when you're not fishing a tournament, but just out for a day on the water, that you enjoy fishing less because you're not in a tournament? And when you catch a huge fish recreationally, does the fact that you're not in a tournament at the time detract from the pleasure you get by catching the fattie?
Be honest please, because this is one of the reasons I haven't wanted to tournament fish. I play a lot of golf tournaments, and when I'm out on the course, it's rarely ever recreationally (unless I'm playing a scramble and boozing), but almost always in preparation for the next tournament. I enjoy hitting shots, but mostly in order to be prepared for the next tournament. I'm not sure I want this to happen with fishing, just because I enjoy fishing for what it is so much right now.
Garnet reply :
If I'm just fun fishing I usaully fish for gaints. I can get distracted looking at houses, birds, dock birds just enjoying the day.
If I'm working towards a tourny I am looking for patterns and spots.
When it's game day I'm focus and bring out my "A" game.
I see lots of guys that only have "A" game they can't separate game day and fun day.
Garnet
RobbyZ5001 reply :
I might be one of those guys. I try to bring my A game period. Especially when you fish with people that know you do tournaments and dont know you very well. You have a bad showing they think you are blowing smoke up there ***. That is a sitiuational thing of course but I really enjoy catching fish period. I can have fun fishing for anything anywhere.
Tin reply :
A Game can be a good or bad thing. You can get way to serious and get stressed out a lot easier imo. Have a gameplan and relax. I think when I relax I fish better then when I'm up tight and on a schedule.
5bass reply :
Tokyo Tony has made a real good point. I am guilty of not being able to separate the two no matter what I do. When I hit the lake I'm running from one spot to another, checking this, graphing that, etc....even if I only get a few hours out, I'm fishing it like a tournament and I'm trying to catch as many keepers as possible.
"Fun fishing" just doesnt happen for me anymore. I expect myself to catch a few fish every time out, even if its only a 2 hour trip. I am hard on myself when it comes to catching fish. I wish I wasn't.
Tin reply :
Quote"Fun fishing" just doesnt happen for me anymore. I expect myself to catch a few fish every time out, even if its only a 2 hour trip. I am hard on myself when it comes to catching fish. I wish I wasn't.
Same here unless I'm out with 5.0 or LBH. I dont look at as work but prefishing can be a pain sometimes. Going out to LOCATE fish and canceling out areas.
I also wish I wasn't so hard on myself. Even if I do great and win or do real well in a tourney I always look back on that one error and it haunts me. I always want to fish flawless, but it hasnt happened yet and I doubt it ever will.
flippincrazy reply :
I think that i am pretty good at seperating tourney fishing from just fishing, but I enjoy both. I think that I actually get less time to enjoy fish I catch in a tourney because its to the livewell and thinking about the next one to catch, but I'm happy either way.
roadwarrior reply :
This is another aspect seperating recreational fishermen from tournament guys. I never really think about catching "a fish". I (we) have lots of days when that just doesn't happen. I don't consider that a bad day, just not the right day. On average, I think I catch one decent bass every 4-5 hours on the water. Of course, sometimes I get lucky, but that just balances out the skunks. I doesn't bother me, I really don't care as long as I catch a biggin' or a goodin' every now and then!
On the Tennessee River we're always going to catch some "fish", but if we don't boat a 5+ smally, it doesn't count. In 2005 my partner and I put 50+ in the boat. That was a good year! I'll need about 45 to get even this Saturday.
cajun1977. reply :
i to always move around from spot to spot trying for keepers ,but fact is that is whats relaxing to me. i cant just sit there and fun fish anymore ,i hardly ever eat anything when im on the water cause im trying to get as many cast in as i can. when i go out in someone elses boat i tend to relax quit a bit morebut when im in my boat its game on
cart7t reply :
QuoteTokyo Tony has made a real good point. I am guilty of not being able to separate the two no matter what I do. When I hit the lake I'm running from one spot to another, checking this, graphing that, etc....even if I only get a few hours out, I'm fishing it like a tournament and I'm trying to catch as many keepers as possible."Fun fishing" just doesnt happen for me anymore. I expect myself to catch a few fish every time out, even if its only a 2 hour trip. I am hard on myself when it comes to catching fish. I wish I wasn't.
20 years or so ago, when I was fishing T's, I never noticed that that is exactly what I was doing when I wasn't fishing in a tourney.
It just so happened that my young bride at the time brought it to my attention when she and I would go out for fun fishing trips. Unfortunately, it wasn't much fun for her. I was in that mode and was fishing more like a machine vs. just out on the lake for a day of enjoyment.
It was her observations that made me realize that I wasn't really deriving that much enjoyment from tournament fishing and that being in that tournament mode was spilling over into my other time on the water.
I basically quit fishing T's all together. I found my time on the water is more enjoyable and I'm more likely to take each day, regardless of what I catch, as it comes and not turn it into some sort of athletic pre-event.
I enjoy the BFR get together type T's now where there is little on the line (money wise). Folks actually get out there and relax and have some fun. I fished a couple of dinks tourney's he had at a local lake and had fun. Again, small entrance fee and not much money on the line but who cares, it was the fellowship and good natured ribbing that made those little T's fun.
I also love the fact that while you tournament guys are bobbing around waiting for your number to come up for the take-off, I'm already on the water fishing, hopefully with at least one good fish caught already. That's what I was missing most, fishing those quiet pre-sun up waters and as the sun was setting and into the early evening.
ga_hawghauler reply :
I love fishing tourneys because of the competition not only against the the other anglers but tagainst myself to drive myself to do better. Another reason for fishing tourneys is I have a great partner who I enjoy fishing with and just hanging out with. My son.
Tokyo Tony reply :
I guess for now I'll hold off on tournaments then - it does seem like it detracts from your recreational fishing, if "recreational" fishing is even possible at that point. HOWEVER, in the overall scheme of things, I'm sure tournament fishing may enhance the whole fishing experience for a lot of people: competition, enjoyment, etc, but I'm talking specifically about the impact tournament fishing has on the days when you're not fishing or prefishing a tournament, but just out to fish.
I know myself pretty well, and I really believe that the whole nature of fishing would change for me if I started doing tournaments, which is why I'm hesitant. I still really really really enjoy competition when I'm fishing, whether it's against my brother, myself, or those little green scoundrels, and I can be pretty intense on the water (especially when competing with my brother), but that's kind of a friendly competition that doesn't mean all that much. If I'm looking for serious competition, I can always head to the golf course or the poker tables. At this point, I can still go out and hang out at a pond or lake or river for a couple hours and lazily cast, or take a 20 minute break to eat lunch out there or have a couple brews and think nothing of it. I don't want that to change, although some day I'll probably end up fishing tournaments anyway. I'm in no rush though.
So if I'm not fishing tournaments, how do I measure myself against other anglers?
By height, of course ;D
5bass reply :
TT, you have made the right choice if you feel you cant seperate fun fishing and tournament fishing. My whole mindset changed after I fished my first tournament a lot of years ago. There is always pressure to get that first fish in the boat, then the pressure of getting #2, then #3 and so on.
Even when I go by myself and nobody knows or cares whether I catch some fish or not.....I know what went on and the mind starts racing if I have a bad outing. And if I do have a bad outing, I tell myself "everyone has days like that sometimes" but that really doesn't help at all.....I push myself way too hard mentally when things dont go right on the water.....and when I'm not in a tournament, I'm competing with nobody but myself. It's tough.
Then tournament day rolls around and it's all good......just gotta get a limit.
CJ reply :
Good question 5Bass!
I love tournament fishing and everything about it!
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