Want to earn a couple thousand dollars the easy way? Buy yourself a bass boat, enter a few tournaments, and start counting your winnings.
Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Tournament bass fishing is a grueling, exhausting, sometimes heartbreaking experience. If you’re thinking about entering one of these tournaments, the following tips will help you avoid some of the common pitfalls.
The first thing to consider is the type of event you wish to enter. A good choice would be a “buddy” tournament, in which the combined weight of you and your angling partner’s eight best fish represent your total catch for the day.
After you’ve gained some experience, the next step would be a “draw” tourney, in which your partner is randomly selected the day of, or the night before, the event, and your catch is kept and weighed separately from his or hers.
There are several rules that may or may not apply to some or all of the events you might enter. Be sure to obtain and memorize a copy of the official rules of each tournament. Keep them with you on tourney day, and don’t be afraid to consult them regularly.
Tools of the Trade
Although some tournament circuits allow “riders,” or non-boaters, it makes sense that you or your angling buddy may need a boat to compete. If you live towards the north and enjoy fishing the larger lakes like Greenwood and Hopatcong, a good idea would be to invest in a larger, 17 to 18-foot tournament-rigged boat that will handle the rough water you may encounter and can quickly change locations without losing valuable fishing time. If cost is an issue, a used Ranger bass boat, tops in its field, will only cost you about $6,000 – about the same cost as a new, smaller aluminum boat.
On the other hand, if you plan on fishing the smaller, electric motor only lakes, the bigger, heavier boats may actually be a hindrance to you. A 14-foot aluminum, 9.9 horsepower rig will fit the bill perfectly. To ensure you will have enough power to fish all day, you should set it up with three electric trolling motors, one up front and two in the back. Make sure you have more than enough battery power to last for eight hours of fishing. To address this, three batteries are not out of the question.
Regardless of the boat you choose, it must have reliable and have roomy live wells so your fish are kept lively and healthy for the weigh-in and subsequent release. They should have good aeration, an intermittent switch, and rounded corners to prevent further injuries and stress to the fish. Although depth finders and temperature gauges are not entirely necessary, most tournament fishermen would rather stay home than go on the water without a good depth finder and temperature gauge to aid them throughout the day.
Now that our boat is rigged, we need to fill it up with plenty of rods. At least about five or six rods should be on board so a different lures can be kept on each one, and valuable time is not wasted changing offerings. All your reels should have fresh line on them, and it goes without saying that your hooks have to be razor sharp. If this means burning the midnight oil the night before to sharpen all your hooks, burn it. One strike can make or break your tournament day.
With this in mind, a landing net is a must to avoid near misses right at the boat. Make sure you check the rules closely and be sure to purchase one with rubber mesh that does not remove the fish’s slime layer like nylon does. Also, be sure that landing nets are allowed in the tournament.
I know common sense dictates that anyone who fishes a tournament would bring a watch, but you’d be surprised. Not only should you have a reliable watch that gets you to the weigh-in on time, you should also have a back up just in case. If you don’t make the weigh-in, you’re out of the tournament.
Be sure to have a ruler on-hand to ensure that all the fish you keep in the well are indeed “keepers.” Most tournaments will hit you with harsh, insurmountable penalties for weighing in “short” fish. Measure your fish several times if you’re unsure that he’ll make the grade. One-eighth of an inch short may as well be 6 inches short, so let him go and try to catch another one. A scale is also useful when you already have a limit of fish in the well. This allows you to start culling (or simply put, throwing back) the small ones and replacing them with bigger ones.
Mind and Body
In tournament fishing, confidence and concentration separates the haves and have nothings! Always think you’ll get a strike on the next cast. Always be ready for the strike. Tournaments are sometimes won by an ounce – you can’t afford to miss strikes because you’re watching a shiny new Ranger bass boat fly by. My buddy is constantly amazed at my concentration and optimism that my next cast will be the one.
Regardless of your preparedness, optimism and fishing skills, there will be times when the tourney is half over, and you still haven’t had a strike. It’s either time to adjust and change game plans based on the available information, or bear down and realize that it’s a tough day. On tough days like this, it may only take two or three fish to win the tourney.
In addition to mental toughness, you also have to be physically fit to effectively and consistently fish tournaments. Eight hours in 90-degree heat and humidity is not for everyone. Stay in shape, exercise, drink plenty of fluids, and be sure to eat during the day. Energy bars are great ways to restore energy in pinch. Also, don’t hang around the week of the tourney soaking up the air conditioning. Try driving with the windows down to acclimate your body to the present weather conditions.
Finally, don’t skimp on foul weather gear. Rain dates, unless a monsoon is present, do not exist, so you must be comfortable in all weather conditions to be successful. Practice in all conditions – rain, snow, fog, wind, or whatever else may come your way. You never know what will happen on tourney day.
Winning Strategies
Getting out and doing some practice fishing on the tournament lake is a must for all serious tournament bass anglers. Although some like to do it the day before the tournament (if allowed), I prefer to do it two or three days ahead of time so I can allow my fish to cool off before tourney day. Since the events are usually held on Saturdays or Sundays, midweek practice fishing can be rough for the weekend angler. It might be best to go the week before the event, then monitor the weather conditions and adjust accordingly.
When practicing, the key is to eliminate water and establish a milk run of quality spots. Try to fish with a buddy, and use two different presentations to unlock the feeding pattern as quickly as possible. Of course, don’t try to catch all the fish in the area – just enough to be sure they will be there when you need them. Some anglers will even go as far as bending their hook points or cutting barbs to minimize their effect on the next day’s fishing.
Once you eliminated enough water and have established a few areas with good potential, the next thing to do is to map out your strategy. Even if you know the lake like the back of your hand, a surface map, even if drawn by hand, is an invaluable tool for pre-tourney strategizing. Mark where and when you want be at certain spots, and also note how long it will take to return to the ramp from each spot.
In terms of actual fishing, make sure you don’t get locked in on one pattern. For example, if practice fishing yielded good results on Rat-L-Traps across shallow weed beds, know what to do if that technique fails on tournament day. Be ready to move deeper and to change lures.
It’s okay to be a great rubber worm angler, but if conditions dictate the use of a crankbait, you must be able to throw one with skill and confidence. Learning to use many lures and techniques will allow you the flexibility to be competitive if someone is in your spot or if your sure-fire pattern fizzles.
Inevitably, especially on smaller lakes, you may be forced to fish “used water,” a bank that another boat has just fished. Some anglers are turned off by this and seek bluer waters, but this is foolish if you’re confident the area holds fish.
Observe the other boat. What are they throwing? What is their skill level with the particular lure that they’re throwing? How fast are they retrieving their lures? After assessing the situation, start right in behind them with a different lure, or the same lure with a slower retrieve. Another good idea is to back off the bank a few feet and try a bit deeper. Some lakes are just too small or do not have enough quality fish-holding areas to completely ignore good fishing holes.
Give your catch TLC
Most tournaments assign stiff penalties for weighing dead fish. Be sure to constantly monitor the conditions of the bass in your well. In midsummer events, keep the water iced by the hour, and change it frequently. Keep your aerator running continuously, and add a spoonful of “Catch N’ Release” to reduce the stress on your fish and help replace their protective slime layer. In addition to being your key to landing a few bucks, these fish represent the future of our sport, so every effort must be made to preserve their health.
The money
Are you ready to start cashing those first place checks? Only those who pay attention to detail, are physically and mentally fit, and can catch fish under a wide range of conditions will be making that trip to the bank. Who knows; with a little luck and determination, we could see you be lifting a few lunker bass from your livewell on one of ESPN’s Saturday morning fishing shows. It could happen!
