first time fishing a major tournament any advice

hawkeyejr · Post by **hawkeyejr** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 5:33 am

I'll be fishing a New York state BASS federation tournament for the first time this year and a Citgo BASS pro am also along with 2 BFL tourney's this year anybody have any good advice they can pass along i fish club tourney's and have been doing so for 3 years now with The Erie County BASSMASTERS in Buffalo

Don House · Post by **Don House** » Wed Mar 26, 2003 12:58 am

Hank, congrads on making state been there a few times myself and will be there in Oct for Missouri's. Biggest thing about state is don't get caught up in the size of this tournament and number of fishermen. Fish your own tournament, keep that in mind and you just took out three quarters of the tournament field.

Pro/Am's which side are you on, Pro or Am.? Both are alot of fun. I fished a few years on both sides, but AM side I will admit was the most fun. Learning from a Pro that is fishing for his food and gas money home, let me tell you these guys can find fish and make them bite.

There is one thing I keep telling myself Just go have fun the rest will fall into place.

Good Fishing let me know how it goes love to talk to other Federation Guys!!!

EAT SLEEP FISH

JT_BAGWELL · Post by **JT_BAGWELL** » Wed Mar 26, 2003 8:24 am

Here is the best advice I can give you. Learn as much as you possibly can. As soon as a guy/gal thinks they know everything, they are no longer competitive.

I had a friend that got into tournament fishing after just a year or two of actual bass fishing. He of course knew everything about everything and his stats showed it. He blanked in his first 8 or 9 tournaments. You heard me right, he caught NOTHING. At first I thought it was funny because of his attitude but after about the first 5 events I started to feel sorry for him.

So I told him one day that I wasn't trying to be rude but honestly trying to help him. I told him that he would be a lot better off if he "knew less and learned more". Whether or not it worked or if he even listened I don't know but he did finally catch a bass in his last tournament of the season. It was even a keeper.

A friend of mine who is on the FLW and Bassmaster tours told me once that the reason I have done well in so many tournaments isn't because I am lucky. He says I am like a big sponge. When I am with guys that have been in the sport a lot longer than I have, I don't talk much. I just sit there and absorb every bit of information that I can. The key is to take it all in and then eliminate any information that won't help you achieve your desired objective.

Ok I am done rambling.

Good Luck

johnnie crain outdoors · Thu Mar 27, 2003 4:30 am

Hank, my advice, is fish your strengths, you know what you do best, and a bass is a bass, no matter where it lives. Do not let anyone intimidate you. If you think you are ready for the big time, you're ready. If conditions are such that your strong points aren't working, check out what your partner is doing differently and adapt. Don't put a lot of thought into it, you are not competing against a hundred other anglers, you are competing against the bass. It makes no difference what the rest of the field does if you are on your game and focused. Good luck, from Iowa. Johnnie Crain

britchie · Post by **britchie** » Thu Mar 27, 2003 10:45 pm

Hank, will you be fishing as a boater or non-boater in these events.
With you just getting started, my suggestion would to go as a non- boater, listen and learn everything that you possibly can.

You'll learn the water more efficiently, learn several different techniques that will catch fish and save a bundle of money in the process.

Speaking from experience. If I would have set aside my ego several years ago and done just what I have told you, I would've picked up on all the fish catching ways allot quicker, saved one lower unit and had a little more money in my pocket.

Keep us posted on your success.

hawkeyejr · Post by **hawkeyejr** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 2:45 am

thanks for the advice guy's i'll be fishing as a non boater and as a amature during the pro am this way i can also use it as a learning exsperiance and make myself that much better in the process i'll keep you all posted on my tournament succes for the year in all my tourney's club and federation events and pro am's thanks again