Fishing tournaments

[flyrodfisher]

A simple question....

Why do you enter fishing tournaments?

[walleye guy]

because fishing is fun.
you can meet some really nice like minded people

Why not?

[58thecat]

support the community and area....not a tourney guy....Cold Lake is the first for us...ohhh and just to get out and have fun.

[kbobbeck]

only go to one trout derby in Montana and it for big US $. Take the grandkids , nephews and nieces to kids derbies whenever I can. They all love the whole process even if they dont win anything. Amazing what a hot chocolate ,hot dog and bag of chips will do to ease the disapointment of not catching a fish.

[Freedom55]

And here I was thinking it was for the money. And maybe just a little show boating. Or is that boat-showing? Or the Vanity Cup. Either way, I sure miss following the WCWT but I will keep my hand in it. Going south this coming season. Give old Nate a run for his entry fee.

Free (to choose)

[58thecat]

only go to one trout derby in Montana and it for big US $. Take the grandkids , nephews and nieces to kids derbies whenever I can. They all love the whole process even if they dont win anything. Amazing what a hot chocolate ,hot dog and bag of chips will do to ease the disapointment of not catching a fish.

aaaand if you get one just ask the young'un to hold your rod and pretend to be busy.:sHa_shakeshout:See the look on their face....priceless.

[Outbound]

The only derby I've been to has been the one put on by the church my parents go to. Until I moved to AB about 10 years ago, we would go to the derby every year. I won it once, which was pretty cool. It's more of a get together and fun fishing weekend than serious competition.

[57charlie]

It's just another excuse to get out of the house & on the lake. Last time I actually won something fishing was about 25 years ago for an 18 lb pike I was gonna throw back but fishing buddy says keep it...took 3rd place.

[lromanchuk]

Competitive nature. I enjoy fishing just for the sake of fishing. But just like fishing, golf, hockey, baseball, lawn darts, Pictionary.. every now and then some competition is always fun.

Some of the husbands Vs wives Pictionary games with booze involved get PREEEETTTTTYYYY heated :fighting0074::

[Smoky buck]

Because I like fishing and competition so it’s fun to combine the two sometimes

[walleye guy]

Because fishing is a sport.
So that makes us athletes.
And athletes like to compete!

[Brovacs]

Even when you go up against your buddies for $20/dinner/beers whatever it makes every bite count and so much more intense. It can make catching dink stocked trout a blast when there are stakes

[Coiloil37]

For the competition and prizes. Even in a little boat on any given day anything can happen. Truth be told I don’t enter many but even my local club has five figure payouts in their tournaments along with many other great prizes like electronics packages, rods and reels etc. They had a tournament this weekend but of course I was at work.

Next one I plan on going to will be in April and it’s three days of fishing, camping and trade show.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210207/ac5af1f74b2545bcade09b632b56fc0d.jpg


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210207/c38f35e8964fdcb45ae8f445ff265a7b.jpg

[fish99]

we miss the pigeon lake derby , mostly the prizes .
have competed in the southern alberta walleye trail . great group of fishermen , lots of fun , and you learn new techniques. and fish water we normally would not of. meet new people and share fishing stories .

[flyrodfisher]

Interesting replies that beg a few more questions;

For those who said it is an opportunity to get out/or take the kids out...why do you need a tournament to do that?

For those of you who said it was the competitive aspect/prizes that appealed to you...If you have to compete and keep score....Is fishing still a sport...or is it a game?

[huntsfurfish]

Interesting replies that beg a few more questions;

For those who said it is an opportunity to get out/or take the kids out...why do you need a tournament to do that?

For those of you who said it was the competitive aspect/prizes that appealed to you...If you have to compete and keep score....Is fishing still a sport...or is it a game?


I did because I enjoyed it. Is there another reason?:)


Why do you think people like to fish in tournaments?


Do you need a tournament partner?

Would you make a good fishing partner?

Do you like to talk a lot? Are you quiet? Do you have a good sense of humour? Do you make good sandwiches? If you are not a really good fisherman are you at least good with a net? If you answered yes to the last 4 questions you will make it as a Tournament fishing partner.:)

We have more questions.:);)

[walleye guy]

Interesting replies that beg a few more questions;

For those who said it is an opportunity to get out/or take the kids out...why do you need a tournament to do that?

For those of you who said it was the competitive aspect/prizes that appealed to you...If you have to compete and keep score....Is fishing still a sport...or is it a game?

So did you really think we only fish tournaments and never go fishing with our families?

[58thecat]

Interesting replies that beg a few more questions;

For those who said it is an opportunity to get out/or take the kids out...why do you need a tournament to do that?

For those of you who said it was the competitive aspect/prizes that appealed to you...If you have to compete and keep score....Is fishing still a sport...or is it a game?

It is whatever you make it and do for your reasons.

[Freedom55]

Not to mention 24 out of 28 days in the boat.

And I was only kidding about the money. We need to take first place in two major tournaments to get back most of the cash spent over the past number of years. Gas, bait, and lodging are crippling expenses; so are restaurant food and drinks. Did I mention entry fees?

Boat envy can get you a divorce when you come home with a brand new boat and 250 hp engine. $5000.00 sonars galore and several 200$ rods and even spendier reels are the norm. Your basic Ugly stick and Mitchell 300 gear is not going to make it and 2000$ in crank baits is a good start.

Leaving the wife alone for a month could be risky, especially if the pool guy is young and virile. Your razor gets kind of lonely and your kids don't recognize you when you return home broke and surly. With a broken 1200$ windshield and balding trailer tires (don't forget to check the welds on your trailer's trailer hitch) you have to get another job just to pay to get your equipment ready for the next trip.

There's some other stuff. Hours of self-doubt and woulda-shoulda-coulda and grand ideas about how to get it done the next time. Hours of YouTube videos to learn from the pros. A plethora of coneheads. But no regrets.

Free

[Smoky buck]

Interesting replies that beg a few more questions;

For those who said it is an opportunity to get out/or take the kids out...why do you need a tournament to do that?

For those of you who said it was the competitive aspect/prizes that appealed to you...If you have to compete and keep score....Is fishing still a sport...or is it a game?

I just like to fish and it doesn’t matter to me if it’s a sport, game, pass time or lifestyle lol

I will go by myself, I will go with friends/family, I will fish the odd tournament/derby, and I will go just because I want to go fishing

Basically I like to go fishing any other reason is just overthinking it :)

[58thecat]

Not to mention 24 out of 28 days in the boat.

And I was only kidding about the money. We need to take first place in two major tournaments to get back most of the cash spent over the past number of years. Gas, bait, and lodging are crippling expenses; so are restaurant food and drinks. Did I mention entry fees?

Boat envy can get you a divorce when you come home with a brand new boat and 250 hp engine. $5000.00 sonars galore and several 200$ rods and even spendier reels are the norm. Your basic Ugly stick and Mitchell 300 gear is not going to make it and 2000$ in crank baits is a good start.

Leaving the wife alone for a month could be risky, especially if the pool guy is young and virile. Your razor gets kind of lonely and your kids don't recognize you when you return home broke and surly. With a broken 1200$ windshield and balding trailer tires (don't forget to check the welds on your trailer's trailer hitch) you have to get another job just to pay to get your equipment ready for the next trip.

There's some other stuff. Hours of self-doubt and woulda-shoulda-coulda and grand ideas about how to get it done the next time. Hours of YouTube videos to learn from the pros. A plethora of coneheads. But no regrets.

Free



If your a pro and supporting your family then that is great but if your simply not producing and the family is doing without well ya gotta change it up and get a real job and pick away at tourny fishing....I use to blow a gasket in the lunch room when a fella would brag about all his gear 100k etc and then complain about his kids wanting to play sports etc....dam eh.

Not saying your one of them but just saying this is one of those things that rubs me the wrong way.....family first....some don't learn and thier spouses leave them and rightfully so....selfish deadbeats!

[liar]

Because fishing is a sport.
So that makes us athletes.
And athletes like to compete!:sHa_sarcasticlol:
I'm an avid fisherman and most of the people I meet fishing i would not call " athletes" (myself included). Thanks for the morning chuckle .

[Freedom55]

If your a pro and supporting your family then that is great but if your simply not producing and the family is doing without well ya gotta change it up and get a real job and pick away at tourny fishing....I use to blow a gasket in the lunch room when a fella would brag about all his gear 100k etc and then complain about his kids wanting to play sports etc....dam eh.

Not saying your one of them but just saying this is one of those things that rubs me the wrong way.....family first....some don't learn and thier spouses leave them and rightfully so....selfish deadbeats!

That is a lot of drama for one guy. It appears you have let the comments of a guy you probably didn't like to begin with affect your judgement to the point where you are judging all men against your perfectness. it's fishing for riced sake!

Free(to make a funny)

[58thecat]

That is a lot of drama for one guy. It appears you have let the comments of a guy you probably didn't like to begin with affect your judgement to the point where you are judging all men against your perfectness. it's fishing for riced sake!

Free(to make a funny)

huh...breath...not including all pro's with the same swipe of the brush here...jeepers eh...I did like the guy...worked with him for 8 years..just didn't believe in some of his morals is all...family was second fiddle to him is all...and like I said not all are like this and thankfully so.

[Walleyedude]

I'm sure it won't be the answer the OP is looking for to fit his narrative, but here's my thoughts.

1) For the social aspect. It's a weekend getaway. My tournament partners are some of my best friends, and just getting to spend that time together is valuable to me. I've made a lot of really good friends beyond that through fishing the tournaments as well, and I've gotten to know a lot of good people that I otherwise wouldn't know. It's always nice to see people at the tournaments and catch up. A lot of people I've met through the tournaments are guys I fish with year round.

2) The Challenge. Tournament fishing is TOUGH. You're not just competing against other fisherman, you have to beat mother nature. The weather rarely if ever cooperates, and the bite can be brutal. You don't get to pick your days - wind, rain, snow, cold fronts/low pressure, 35C and flat calm, doesn't matter, you go out and you have to put fish in the boat, BOTH days. There's no greater test of your endurance and your abilities.

3) Competition. I would fish the tournaments if the 1st place prize was $1. It's all about the challenge and the ability to measure yourself against the best for me, the money is really pretty irrelevant. Don't get me wrong, it's an expensive hobby, and cashing a cheque now and then sure helps to cover some of the costs, but I view it more as a recreational expense, no different than going on a vacation somewhere tropical. Fishing is never about "making money" or "making a living" to me, and quite frankly, if you think that's what it's about, you've been grossly misinformed. It's not really even possible to make a living at it, especially in Canada. I would venture to say there are VERY few guys that are in the black when it comes to fishing, VERY few, and they are the best of the best.

4) Constant learning. Nothing forces you to constantly learn and evolve like tournament fishing, and nothing else gives you the opportunity to learn that tournaments do. No one is going to tell you when, where, and how, but paying attention to what's going on around you and forming some friendships will open your eyes as to what truly goes into being a top tier fisherman, and it will make you better. It motivates me to get out there and experiment and refine my technique, and I'm always trying to learn, at no point do you ever know it all, or even know enough.

5) I just like fishing, and it never hurts to have another excuse to get out on the water. Having it circled on the calendar in advance means it's FAR more likely to happen.

[huntsfurfish]

Great post Walleyedude!

[thenaturalwoodsman]

A simple question....

Why do you enter fishing tournaments?


Simple Question..... Do You Personally Fish Tournaments?

[flyrodfisher]

Why do you think people like to fish in tournaments?

I honestly don't know...that's why I asked the question....

[flyrodfisher]

I'm sure it won't be the answer the OP is looking for to fit his narrative,

?

[flyrodfisher]

Simple Question..... Do You Personally Fish Tournaments?

Simple answer....never have.
Didn't even know there was such a thing for flyfishing.

[thenaturalwoodsman]

Simple answer....never have.
Didn't even know there was such a thing for flyfishing.

Cute

[Coiloil37]

Interesting replies that beg a few more questions;

For those who said it is an opportunity to get out/or take the kids out...why do you need a tournament to do that?

For those of you who said it was the competitive aspect/prizes that appealed to you...If you have to compete and keep score....Is fishing still a sport...or is it a game?


Considering the web can’t even decide the difference between a game and sport what criteria do you use to define them? For an example though, here’s one of many charts trying to differentiate between the two.


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210211/e1a7ee802961e0d313f2b2353936cdb2.jpg




Being as fishing involves the aspect of chance or luck, by that table it’s always a game. It could easily go either way though and I consider it a sport. Why the need for a label though?

Tournament fishing for me just adds a few more layers of rules, the competitive atmosphere and the prospect of a financial win. The time around the hotel drinking with the boys and learning stuff is nice too but our club members meetings are the same deal so it’s not as though that’s an exclusive perk to a tournament.
I’ll fish any day that ends in ‘y’ if the swell is calm enough and I don’t need a tournament to have me drag the boat to the water.

Now as for a fly fishing tourney, that one I posted about that I’m going to in April has a fly fishing category so they do exists if your a die hard fly snob.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210211/99fda4bfb07d29563b74e0dfa7c8452a.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210211/05a4bb9d34eefba4dc259db23797a387.jpg




It would be easier if you told us what you were fishing for here with your line of questioning...

[flyrodfisher]

Now as for a fly fishing tourney, that one I posted about that I’m going to in April has a fly fishing category so they do exists if your a die hard fly snob

That would be interesting!
Doubt they would let us out of the country here by then though...and Aus probably won't let us in either....

[Gbuss]

I had the chance when I was 16 or 17 to fish the kenora bass international. 200 teams/boats. I think I fished it in 2000 or 01. 3 days on lake of the woods in early august chasing smallies. 1 place back then was 30 grand plus a boat and motor from lund x2 one for each team member and a leased f150 for a year if you won the tournament.

Each morning you would launch your boat at 530 am. Proceed to the check in and they would check your boat make sure you didn't have any live bait and then you would stage just out of the bay at the starting line and wait for your flyte to start. 4 flytes of 50 boats 30 mins apart (depending on your placement from the previous day is when you would start). When they called your boat number you waved and well it was peddle to the floor going 70mph down the lake in a 17.5 champion bass boat. Then the grind of the day. I would eat breakfast befor we launched and would not eat till we got back just drink water all day. It was the best most exciting fishing of my life. I was really glad I got to experience it we didnt win but it was a blast.


Gbuss