Biggest reason you don't fish tournaments.

[FishingFreak13]

I saw on another forum a couple months ago on topic of why people don't fish Bass tournaments and with the new about the FLW coming to Canada and me wanting to take part in it but knowing that my actual chance of winning it is probably less than 1 percent with where I am in regards to equipment and boat etc entering for me would just be wasting my money. Now i do plan on fishing a couple shootout series tournaments this summer weather it be in my boat or as a partner with someone who needs one as I am on the partner list. I also plan on taking part in the Renegade Pro-Am. So my question to the people of fish-hawk what turns you off the most about fishing tournaments. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons would be interesting to see how some coincide with others.

Brian

[tbone1088]

I'm poor and no boat...lol No I guess the real reason is fishing isn't a competitive sport to me, it is more like an art form that evolves constantly. The point of tournaments is to win, and that's just not what I want fishing to be about for me. I would have no problem entering in a couple here and there to test your skills, but to put the pressures of money into fishing consistently would ruin the joy of it for me. Man vs. fish is all the competition i'm looking for

[MLR]

Didn't know I needed a reason not to, I just don't.

Fishing is just something fun to do and get out of the cave once or twice a week when the weather permits.

[ShawnD]

I'm poor and no boat...lol No I guess the real reason is fishing isn't a competitive sport to me, it is more like an art form that evolves constantly. The point of tournaments is to win, and that's just not what I want fishing to be about for me. I would have no problem entering in a couple here and there to test your skills, but to put the pressures of money into fishing consistently would ruin the joy of it for me. Man vs. fish is all the competition i'm looking for

I believe everyone entitled to their opinion, but I'll be the first to tell you tbone1088, tournament fishing, to some extent, isn't ALL about winning..
It's about learning, shortening the learning curve and in the long run being able to find fish consistently when you're out on the water.

I remember in 2011, I participated in my very first Renegade Pro Am, we finished last due to his outboard breaking down but he taught me how to flip 5'-8' deep grass flats, what to look for, baits to use.. etc..
A few years later I bought a boat and joined a grass roots club called OVSB, low entry fees, I didn't know ANYONE...For a "small club" it's pretty competitive, but the comradery is the best part.
Non-boaters I've met in the past year or two have taught me plenty! About Drop shotting, fishing structure and because my old boat broke down a lot I got to be a non-boater as well.

Not to mention there's always an aspect of luck in tournaments, just being at the right place at the right time..

To answer your question, Bryan, to the best I can because I do fish tournaments..
I go with what I can afford, if I feel I can't fish a tournament(s) because I can't fit it into my budget , then I won't.
I do what I can with what I have.

Make sure you attend those seminars Brian I heard they are great and very informative!! (They are free for anyone who has signed up for the renegade pro am)

Shawn.D

[Fishoholic]

FREEEEEEEEEEDDDOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

[fishin mission]

FREEEEEEEEEEDDDOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

lol 100% on that !!

[Heisenbass]

I very much agree with ShawnD. Tournaments are not all about winning and they add a whole new element to fishing. If you don't win, you learn. I understand that it might not be for everyone, but I find competition brings fishing to a whole new level. Instead of simply going out there and sticking with techniques I know and prefer, tournaments push me to diversify my arsenal and master every technique for every condition (even the techniques I don't like as much, or that I'm bad at). I also find that fishing can be as simple or as complicated as one wants to make it, and competition pushes me to consider every possible aspect of fishing, basically creating this obsessive search to understand anything and everything about it, even though that's impossible. But that is what makes it fun; constantly thriving to get better, not necessarily compared to other anglers, but compared to yourself. Plus, you have that extra competitive edge; that overwhelming sense of urgency that hits you at 2:00 pm when you know you only need a few more pounds to crack the top ten. Again, it is not for everyone, but for me, these are just a few things tournament fishing can bring to the table. Yes, money can sometimes be an issue. But, at the same time, I consider it an activity that I save up for and pay for to have a good time, just like going to the movies (a really expensive movie I suppose ). Except, if everything goes perfectly, you can bring home some money, which can also be a thrill. If anyone reading this has been considering tournaments but has never tried one, just give it a shot! It's definitely a great experience, even if you decide it's not for you in the long run. Oh, and as for the freedom aspect, you are still free to fish outside of tournaments of course!


What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?

[Fishoholic]

I agree with ya they aren't for everyone. I've never fished any tournaments outside of little fishing derbys but I get where you guys are coming from since I played on hockey teams and tournaments my whole life. A ton of fun traveling with the team and I'm sure you kinda get that feeling on tournament day.

I also agree that you do probably learn stuff too but for guys like me, just because we don't fish tournaments doesn't mean we don't constabty have to evolve and learn new techniques for different conditions etc. I'd say we have to learn and adapt even more because we aren't only targeting one species (cough cough bass). Have to get all kids of different gear not only for multiple techniques but also different species. We don't all just sit there with one presentation as hope it works time and time again.

As for the freedom I just like being able to choose where and when I want to go and not fishin tournaments allows you to change your mind or game plan last minute of need be depending on weather, how much you drank the night before etc etc etc.

To each their own, I just love fishin period and who knows maybe one day I'll try the tournament scene. Good luck to the op of you decide to join some this year!

[Fishoholic]

Ps sorry for all the typos, wrote it on my phone.

[OutdoorActionOntario]

For me, there are a couple of reasons why I never ventured into a tournament for all the years I was fishing (until last year.)

The first was the intimidation factor. All I ever heard and read about was how awesome tournament anglers were, had the best gear, boats and everything else needed to compete. For me, prior to last year, getting back into fishing after years sunk into other interests was a costly thing and getting the best equipment and expanding my own personal skill level across a variety of techniques was more important.

Secondly I just didn't know about tournament fishing and the fear of the unknown was a factor to me, I think. There were also horror stories about dead fish after weigh-ins, poor sportsmanship and other issues I had heard from various tournament trails over the years that had built up over time to give me a cynical view of tournament fishing.

However, over the past few years I upped my game in terms of actual "technique", specifically drop-shotting (which was a game-changer for me in targeting smallmouth bass that I love to fish for) and learning some other new tricks made me feel more comfortable with my own skill level. At the same time, I was also learning about some of the Tournament groups around East Ontario and what they did to give back to the sport and how important conservation was becoming to the sport, overall.

Hence, the intimidation, fear of the unknown and concern about skill level were important factors that fell to a level where I could at least "consider" what fishing a tournament would be like.

I am very lucky, because when I was thinking about tournament fishing even though I didn't have a boat, I just happened to venture across the contact info for the Ottawa Valley South Bassmasters, and their President at the time.

The very first thing I noticed at my first meeting was the camaraderie, the joking, the great anglers in the room and the respect shown to one another. I was immediately welcomed by all members of the group and I would even say that with so many members and different personalities, everyone still gets along because there is a basic level of respect to one another in the OVSB. This took the intimidation factor down another notch.

Next, the off-season showed me the preparations taken by a club and its membership towards the next season. I was able to ask questions and have them answered by seasoned tournament Veterans, including some of the most respected Anglers in Canada who happen to fish with OVSB. I'm not going to name names but there are some incredible anglers amongst this group and I'm glad to have gotten to know them.

Financial concerns were something I had, as angling can be an expensive sport. Some people have lots of money, others maybe not so fortunate. I realized in our club, there is a good mix , and everyone is still welcoming even if you don't have a $75,000 bass boat or even a boat at all (hence you compete as a non-boater) and also they are still nice even if you are not as seasoned as some of the other members. All my personal concerns ended up being for naught as the guys in our club were just so gracious and open and welcoming.

I fished 3 out of 5 official tournaments last season and finished at the halfway point of the overall Standings for the Club's season. I had one very good tournament, a so-so tournament and a tournament where I would say I did disappointing. I learned what "fishing hard" means, I learned so many tips and tactical approaches from other anglers that it was worth gold to me personally, and I made so many connections in the angling industry and met people that I will probably know for a long time moving forward that I have nothing negative to say about it.

The best part about fishing in tournaments last year is that I was on new bodies of water to me on each excursion. The only way you will get better is by taking yourself out of your "comfort zone" and by fishing these lakes with other anglers who had literally years of experience on them, it really opened my eyes to understanding a system of water and how to approach fishing that particular lake or river system... this was invaluable to my own personal development in terms of angling abilities.

So, different strokes for different folks, but I must say that after a season under my belt, I am back for 2015 and looking forward to fishing all 5 events to see how I do in the overall points standings, and also my fears of intimidation and money etc. were all taken care of as soon as I got involved with the group and found out more about what tournament fishing actually is all about.

Tight lines


~OAO~

[lape0019]

I would assume that most people who don't fish tournaments just don't want to. It's not for everyone.

The remaining few who do want to fish them, but don't, have a few good reasons as well.

Skill: I jumped into doing OVSB as an entry into a tournament series. I am now comfortable enough with how to catch fish that I believe it will be fun. I didn't always feel this way and am fairly certain I am going to learn a tonne more this year, but this was a key factor into why I hadn't tried a series before.

TIME: This is the big one for me (and probably most). I am fishing 5 events with OVSB and the MSBASSIN event this year. On one weekend, I fish MSBASSIN on Saturday and then Franny on Sunday. That doesn't leave a lot of time with the family. With OVSB, I am hoping this isn't as bad as say, Renegade where prefishing for at least another day is almost needed to be competitive. I am going as a non boater, so I really do not know what I am getting myself into.

Money: No matter how you look at it, Tournaments costs a lot of money. The entry fees can be low, but you also have gas to get there, gas for the boat ( I intend to chip in some money towards my angler's gas for the boat). plus the cost of gear. You don't have to have the best rods and reels but even terminal tackle and plastics are getting pricey. Especially in the amount that most of us carry them in.

Boat: I have a boat and I am comfortable driving it most of the time. I have gotten stuck on Franny in bad wheather and wouldn't want to have that happen on the day of a tournament. You have no control over the whether so the boat you have may not be the best option for tournament fishing. For this reason, I have decided to join OVSB as a non-boater. If all works out and I can afford a boat that is more trustworthy at a later date, I will more than likely give back to the club and become a boater later on.

I'm sure there are more but those are what I can think of off of the top of my head.

[RJ]

Having fished Renegade for 3 years and then quit cold turkey I can tell you why....

Low attention span in my case. I love ALL the options we have in Eastern Ontario and fishing Bass for 3 or 4 months straight became kinda old. While of course I love to Bass fish but I often found myself with a wandering curiosity for what else could be going at that time.

Alot of the other reasons listed above are bang on for most, making the time commitment is likely the largest hurdle for most.

RJ

[Jimmy_1]

Cuz I already was 1/2 of the TOY for BAOO in 2010...

[tbone1088]

rj makes a good point in tourneys you have to specialize and when I fish I like to choose what to go for, or if you shore fish you have to take what the water gives you. Shawn you also make a good point that it's not all about winning it is also about learning new things and applying them. Pros and cons to this question for sure!!

[Christian Gervais]

The biggest reason that I don't fish tournaments is because I like to just relax on the water and getting a tan. Just being in the water is paradise for me.