Tournament Tips for a Rookie by a Rookie

Steve R. Smith

12-06-02

Fishing Bass Tournaments, whether they are an Open format or affiliated with a B.A.S.S. Club can be an intimidating adventure for those new to the experience. The goal of this article is to let those interested know that it is not impossible to be competitive and have some real fun at the same time. This article is not based on years of tournament experience, but is the exact opposite. It is a guideline for beginners to follow to make the experience less nerve racking and depressing. These elements made for a successful rookie season for me and you do not have to be a professional angler to utilize them to help you in tournaments or recreational fishing.

1) Seasonal Patterns- There is a ton of information available on this important component to Bass Fishing. Get on the Internet, go to the magazine rack, or head to the library and read up as much as you can on this subject. The easiest way to start catching Bass is to understand where they will be at certain times of the year and what they will be eating.

2) Lake Maps- Having learned a little bit about seasonal patterns, now you need to get a hold of as many maps as you can on the Lake(s) you are fishing. Seeing the high percentage areas on a map will further narrow your search. Most maps will show depth contours, which can be important in the early spring when you are looking for Shallow Flats near deeper water.

3) Techniques- Try not to be one-dimensional. Learn to fish with a variety of baits and techniques. Work on your casting mechanics, Bad form can lead to aches and pains that are not noticed in normal fishing outings. Fishing for 8 hour straight was not something yours truly was used to doing, at least not at the level of intensity involved with money or season points on the line. If your mechanics are rough, your body will let you know about it. Try to make cast with as little wasted motion as possible. Time Management which will be number 4 is an important part of tournament fishing. And with efficient casting, your lure spends more time in the water.

Learn about Flipping and Pitching and practice by doing each into a coffee can! These two techniques can make or break a season.

4) Time Management- One of the most important components to being a successful tournament angler. This section will only include Pre-fishing and formulating a Game Plan. Before you pre-fish a lake for a tournament. Sit down with your maps and break the lake down into the areas discussed above. Based on seasonal patterns, where might the fish be? Using this information, write out a rough draft of spots to hit on your practice day and also include the baits you are going to throw. This draft will optimize your practice time by providing you with some ideas when you hit the water. A good draft does not leave you standing in the middle of a lake staring at your maps during valuable practice time. At the end of the day, Keep a log of all pertinent information: Weather, # of fish caught, and baits used. Time Management on the day of the tournament is too in depth to include in this article. A simple rule would be to follow the same procedure you did for your practice day, only remember that time is much more important when you only have 8 hours.

A veteran angler will look at this article and notice that there is information and specifics that are missing. There is much more to say on all the above topics, however, for a rookie tournament angler, the best advice I can give you is to keep it simple and fill in the blanks with your own research and experiences. Most importantly, Bass fishing is fun, and whether you are doing it for fun or plan on making a career of it, these four tips can help you on your way to catching more fish and maybe putting more money in your wallet or purse.