I have only been bass fishing for a few years and never fished a bass tournament before, how ever a guy I know who has been bass fishing for over thirty years and fished the FWL for a short time has talked me into not only fishing a tournament with him but a six tournament series.
I figure I have an opportunity to learn something from this guy. The reason for the question is I have never fished with this guy before and I have only fished the waters where these tournaments are held two times.
Neither, it's a GREAT idea you will lern a lot from him sounds like he will be a very expierenced fisherman. Sure it would be nice to win but you can't put a price on what you will learn. He asked you to fish with him so I'm sure he will let you know what he's doing and how to catch fish on that body of water. Good luck!
Maybe fish with him first before signing up.
To late first tournament is the 21st of this month
Go got it!
Keep eyes and ears open and mouth shut.
Learn all you can.
Get maps of the waters you fish and mark then with the locations you fished.
Learn how to use the net. In fact, ask where he keeps the net so you will be ready to help net his fish.
Meet the movers and shakers in your area's fishing industry. Listen to the stories and names of others. Look at the other participants baits but don't let them know you are sneaking a peak. Don't show anyone your baits. Either cover them up or rig them as you wait to blast off. Learn to remove the light sticks and where to store them to get them out of your way. Take in the beauty of each lake and river and the wildlife.
Relax and have a good time.
Let us know about each tournament and what you learned.
Tight lines!
Sounds like fun.
On 3/13/2015 at 9:54 AM, Big C said:Sounds like fun.
That remains to be seen. I hope so
Go for it! Don't worry about experience. Just fish the moment.
Some good advice for previous posts, watch what your partner and others around you are doing. Look at others boats and what is tied on their rods. But don't get caught up too much, and fish your strengths. You will learn a lot fishing with new people, save the good stuff and disregard the rest. You will master new techniques before it is all over.
Enjoy you are going to learn a lot and have even more fun.
2 things I would say:
Best of luck on the tournament trail.
Remember, he asked you to fish with him. That put you in a position to ask him all kinds of questions re: what he expects of you. Where he wants you to cast?, what lures he thinks you should use?, do you net his fish?, I am assuming this is a total boat weight tourney so he would want you to do well. Sit down with him a few days before the event and ask him all the questions that are bothering you. Have fun and good luck.
On 3/13/2015 at 9:25 AM, reb67 said:I have only been bass fishing for a few years and never fished a bass tournament before, how ever a guy I know who has been bass fishing for over thirty years and fished the FWL for a short time has talked me into not only fishing a tournament with him but a six tournament series.
I figure I have an opportunity to learn something from this guy. The reason for the question is I have never fished with this guy before and I have only fished the waters where these tournaments are held two times.
Your post brings up way more questions than it does answers, so here goes.
Q. Are these a "Team Format" series of tournaments? If so, many of these types of tournaments restrict the number of partners a person can have during a season. You need to find this out and to be fair to this other guy, you need to make a decision soon about making the full commitment. Which brings up more questions!
Q. Has he ever fished this series before and what happened to his last partner? If this is going to be the first year for both of you, then it may not help in your decision making. If he did fish them last year, you may want to find out why his last partner isn't fishing this year. If possible, ask both of them!
Q. What does this guy expect from you and can you meet those expectations? If you can't measure up, you need to confess to him that he may want to look elsewhere for a more seasoned partner.
Q. How much is this going to cost? In a team tournament format, both partner should have the same investment. You need to know how much are you paying, and how do the two of you split up any winnings.
Q. Inclement weather, what do we do? From my own experience, I can tell you there are certain people I will not fish a tournament with for no other reason than these guys don't see any reason to seek shelter in a thunderstorm. You will likely be expected to fish during a day long rain storm, but are you going to be comfortable when the static electricity lifts your line off the water.
The Bottom Line: You two really need to have a good long face to face talk where both of you lay all your cards on the table. There's nothing worse than being stuck in a bad situation, and there's no reason to miss out on a golden opportunity. The title of your thread is prophetic. It could end up being either or both!
All of the questions that you bring up have been addressed except the weather. We seem to be on the same page but only time will tell.
I like fishing team tournaments and have gone to fishing just those. I like knowing who my partner is and how he fishes. It may take you two the first year to get to that point but this may end up being a good partnership. Learn each others strengths and fish that way. If he's better at flipping then when your flipping he's in the front. Or you my be better at cranking. When your a team it doesn't matter who catches the fish. But remember you need to bring something to the game or all you are is a net boy. My partner and I both have boats and a lot of the times have different days off through the week. So we share information so the guy that hits the water later in the week doesn't hit the same water. That's why we're a team. So my advise would be not to put so much thought into it. Just go out and fish like you always do, look for patterns, look for bait and find ways to catch fish. Remember two things. You don't have to be his best friend you just need to help catch fish. And two help split the cost of fishing. Nothing splits up good teams faster then only one guy putting gas in the boat and truck.
OP, why are you so apprehensive? What are you doubts?
Great idea. Have fun, and don't put pressure on yourself. It's just fishing.
I'm not being sarcastic when I write this post. I truly thank you as I've had a friend wanting me to join a club and hit a little circuit with him. I've been very leary in doing so for a multitude of reasons,but you have just helped me make up my mind. First off let me say when I fish I go at it mighty hard and just like any other human I want to catch fish. I'll fish in any weather that's safe and pretty much go anywhere, BUT ME personaly I fish to relax. I don't need a third job. I've trained bird dogs for a good number of years now and have seen first hand how some people can have something that's pretty nice and NEVER and I mean NEVER be happy. They always have to have a champion instead of being happy with a dog that will d**n near kill itself to go find a bird. Give it a try. If it's for you than you learned what makes you happy. Different strokes for different folk. Whatever you choose I wish you luck and HAVE FUN!!! Remeber something an ole timer told me once, he said boy, you're dead for long time.
Go fishing...learning something new...have fun and relax. Teaming up is kind of like a marriage....a lot of give and take. Your doing this to learn and increase your knowledge of this sport I assume so go to class....listen,learn, and have fun.
Yoda voice: learn much you will
Sounds like a great opportunity to me, I would do it.
On 3/13/2015 at 7:01 PM, reb67 said:All of the questions that you bring up have been addressed except the weather. We seem to be on the same page but only time will tell.
Sounds great!
Here's to hoping that you guys have a fun and successful season.
Its only 6 tournaments, you are not marrying the guy. Sounds like a great way to learn some things about the areas and fishing in general. Could be the beginning of a long relationship so pay your share, try to get along and enjoy. If it works out you may have found a partner for years, if not you still can learn a lot.
Hey, I can't think of a better way to be introduced to competitive fishing. Two things to keep in mind; Learn and Contribute. 'Student become teacher Grasshopper' is just as true as 'I owe all I know to my mentor'. Dont' be hesitant to ask questions or offer up a bit of your own knowledge.
Worst day of fishin is better than the best day of workin. How could it possibly end poorly with a man that I assume has a wealth of knowledge? Pay attention, ask questions. Be helpful and mindful and you'd be surprised how much you'll learn in a six series tournament
On 3/13/2015 at 9:25 AM, reb67 said:I have only been bass fishing for a few years and never fished a bass tournament before, how ever a guy I know who has been bass fishing for over thirty years and fished the FWL for a short time has talked me into not only fishing a tournament with him but a six tournament series.
I figure I have an opportunity to learn something from this guy. The reason for the question is I have never fished with this guy before and I have only fished the waters where these tournaments are held two times.
Never turn down an opportunity like that, just dont go anywhere without a morakniv on your hip haha
I wish someone would make that offer to me. I'd jump all over that. My old partner (dad) just isn't into it anymore. This year we will fish a few 'Big Bass' events; but those just don't get my competitive juices flowing.
Seems that as long as he knows what your limitations are as someone who hasn't fished tournaments, you have discussed all of the logistical stuff, and he seems like a guy you can be isolated on a boat with for hours and hours without any issues; go for it.