Getting
started in Tournaments
From
the web site of "Real Fishing" www.realfishing.com/index.cfm
By
Bob Izumi
Since
I began my career as a full-time angler in 1979, I’ve come
to associate this time of year with fishing shows. Going to
a show is a great way to spend a winter’s day — you
can check out the latest tackle, shop for a new boat, and catch
some great seminars. They’re also places to get the scoop
on the year’s upcoming tournaments.
People
who have watched my TV show or read this magazine for any length
of time know I’m positively hooked on tournament fishing.
And by the number of people I talk to about tournaments, I’m
not alone. Apart from people wanting to know my tournament fishing
spots (forget it!), I’m amazed at how many folks I talk
to who are interested in getting started in tournament fishing.
The
way I see it, tournaments represent the greatest learning opportunity
in fishing. Tournaments force you to be out on the water for
eight hours a day, for up to three straight days, regardless
of the weather or the fishing conditions, and you simply have
to produce. It’s the ultimate crash course in fishing.
The
ProAm tournaments, which I’m very fond of, are a great
way to get your feet wet in competitive fishing. As an amateur
in one of these events, you can draw local or big name pros
as your daily partner, giving you an opportunity to see first
hand how other people catch fish. And because you’re in
a tournament with big prizes up for grabs, they’re not
going to hold anything back. You learn all their best tricks.
Even
better, the entry fee for these events is normally a lot less
than what you would pay a top-notch guide for just one day on
the water, much less two or three days.
I’ve
fished ProAm tournaments since the late 80s and it’s unbelievable
now how some of my top competitors today started out as amateurs
in these events. By being able to pick the brains of various
anglers from different regions, they were able to really fast
track it into the world of competitive tournament fishing. Where
some of us might have taken 25 years to develop a technique,
they learned it in a day.
There
are probably 200 or 300 tournament fishing organizations in
North America, and they’re not all focussed on bass. There
are pike tournaments, walleye tournaments are huge, even muskie
tournaments and events focussed on panfish. Getting started
in tournaments now is easier than it ever was.
My dad,
the late Joe Izumi, ran the first bass tournament in Canada.
I still have the poster at home that boasts “Over $300
in prizes.” Today, that’s a very low prize even in
smaller tournaments. It’s come a long way since then.
It’s
surprising how tournament fishing attracts people from all walks
of life. Your partner could be just about anybody. I once fished
in a ProAm tournament with NHL hockey star Bryan Marchment,
who plays defense with the San Jose Sharks. It wasn’t going
well, and we only had a nine or 10 pound limit for the day.
Finally, in the last hour and a half, we got into some better
quality fish. At one point I watched Brian unhooking a three-pound
smallmouth. His hands were shaking and I asked him if he was
all right. He was so hyper and said that even with all the years
he had played professional hockey, the adrenaline rush from
tournament fishing was incomparable.
That’s
why I love tournament fishing — the exhilaration is incredible.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like, pick up some
information from the event organizers you’ll see at the
winter sports shows and try a ProAm event. Even if you decide
it’s not for you, there’s no question you’ll
come away a better angler.
www.realfishing.com/search.cfm?categoryid=100
Good
Livewell Care Can Aid Long-term Survival of
Tournament Caught Bass
·
More and more, the use of non-iodized salt is becoming recognized
as very beneficial to the long term survival of tournament caught
fish. By adding up to 1/3 of a cup for each 5 gallons of water
(or up to ½ cup per full livewell) you can greatly reduce
the effects of stress on bass. This salt can be purchased at
low costs at most farm-supply stores.
·
In order to maximize long term survival, encourage your anglers
to keep their livewells full when bass are in them. This is
especially important in our draw style tournaments when each
side of the well could have as many as five bass in it. Keep
the aeration on 'constant'.
·
Fill livewells from cool, fresh, highly oxygenated main lake
water instead of the warmer, more stagnant water from back bays.
·
Keep in mind that large bass consume more oxygen and excrete
more bodily wastes than smaller ones. Try not to keep all the
large bass on one side of your well and the smaller ones on
the other side. Add fresh lake water periodically throughout
the day to flush out excrement and keep the bass happy, happy,
happy.
·
Remember that smallmouth cannot tolerate the same warm temperatures
as largemouth when they are in your livewells. I would like
to suggest that OBF anglers purchase a $3.00 pool thermometer
from their closest Cnd. Tire so that they can monitor their
livewell temperatures. When water temps begin to rise above
approx. 72 Degrees F., and you have smallies in the well -add
some ice to maintain cool water temps. Even largemouth can benefit
from adding ice to livewells when temperatures approach 78 Degrees
F. A basic rule of thumb in either case, is to ensure that your
livewell temps never exceed 5-10 Degrees above the surface temp
of the lake your are fishing. Cool water has a greater oxygen
content and helps reduce stress and increases long term survival
perhaps more than any other factor.
·
Landing nets are permitted in B.A.S.S. Tournaments. We strongly
encourage either rubber nets, rubber coated nets or specially
coated nets which minimize slime coat loss to the fish. Good
nets reduce stress on bass by allowing you to bring them into
the boat quicker and result in less injury to the fish.
