Bay of Quinte Fishing

Tournament Tips: Part One
By Tim Allard

Over the years I've had the chance to fish with and interview several tournament anglers who fish bass, walleye, and northern pike events. I find the sport psychology, pre-fishing and practice strategies, and on-the-water tactics fascinating, which means I'm often peppering competitors with questions. What's great is their tactics work with any type of angling. This article’s the first in a two-part instalment on tournament tips that are sure to improve your angling game.

The Power of Practice
When first place is within reach, mistakes aren't an option. Competitors must deliver results right the first time whether it's pitching a jig through the tiniest opening under a dock or flawlessly setting up a planer board spread in a walleye event. Granted, there's an element of talent that contributes to results but practice is essential to consistency and long-term success.
It’s a good idea to practice “dry land” casting by setting up some targets in your backyard or at a park. Train a few hours a week and you'll soon see results on the water. When fish are fussy accurate casts with a quiet entry will improve your ability to coax bites.

Hook sets are another skill to hone. My friend and tournament angler, Mike Benkie, tipped me off to his winter routine. He fills a milk crate with weights and connects a rod-reel combo spooled with heavy superline to the box. During the off season he practices his hook set in his basement. Beside the therapeutic spin-off benefits, his rehearsing works. Mike's got a boat rocking hook set. Be sure to loosen your drag and use an inexpensive rod to avoid excessive wear on your good equipment.

Improve the Mental Side of Fishing
The mind games we play on ourselves when things "aren't going right" can dramatically impede our angling abilities. Mental discipline's critical to success. These tips will improve the cerebral-side of your angling game.

Don’t get flustered about things you can't control. Instead, direct your energies on what you can. As one example, there's nothing you can do about the weather. A friend of mine has a major grudge against wind. He hates fishing in anything over a light breeze. The difference in his angling performance on a dead-calm day versus a blustery one is staggering. If bad weather tests your mental resolve, I encourage this paradigm shift - learn to love it. View wind, waves, and rain as opportunities to elevate your angling game and not as roadblocks to sticking fish.

Related to this, some tournament anglers intentionally fish when the weather's bad. Ottawa’s Steve Barnett is one of them. He once explained to me that downpours and cold fronts don't rattle him on tournament day because he's put in his time pre-fishing in bad weather. In his eyes nasty conditions can be advantageous as they can sometimes eliminate the fair-weather fishermen from the competition.

Loosing a fish is also tough to shake off. Although it can make for some good natured ribbing with buddies, don't dwell on it when you're fishing. Obsessing on the one that got away distracts you from being ready for the next bite. Learning to let go takes time, but you'll be a better angler for it.

You also can't control time. Often we wish we had "just a little more". A common error when feeling crunched for time is overworking lures and fishing too fast. Always be aware of your fishing speed. Fast can be good, but not at the cost of proper presentation.
Another tip when things aren't going well is to take a break. This might seem counter-intuitive, but I find I sometimes think more clearly without a fishing rod in my hands. I give myself 5 to 10 minutes to collect my thoughts, have a snack, and assess the situation. You loose a bit of fishing time, but it's a worthwhile investment to refocus. Expect the quality off your angling to improve once you start again.

Maintenance, Preparation, and Organization
For starters keep your boat organized and tidy. Searching for gear wastes time. You’ll fish confidently too knowing any item you need is easily accessible. There's also less chance of equipment getting damaged in transit when your gear's stored and properly secured.

Regularly maintain your gear too. Knowing everything's in top-shape means you won’t be distracted worrying about equipment failure when you're fishing. At home, create a space to service your equipment. Also configure a storage system to keep your gear organized. Stock it with your go-to baits and you'll always be ready for your next adventure.

Make Boat Control Your Specialty
Become an expert at operating your boat. This begins with flawless towing and launching, which starts your outings off on a positive note. Navigation's also critical. Learn how to handle your boat in rough water and in high traffic. Become an expert with your GPS and sonar units as well.
Micro boat positioning on spots is a skill of a master angler. This includes factoring in wind and current conditions. Although you need to constantly tweak your location, going against these two forces often gives you more control. When you hook a fish, the breeze or flow will push you back. This let's you move off the area you're fishing, land the fish, and then return on a good path to your target. Doing the opposite and drifting has it's moments (such as stealthily working a large flat), but not when it comes to precision boat placement to fish specific spots, like lay-downs for largemouth or a current seam for walleye.

Also, learn to maximize your boat's surface area. During a Renegade Bass tournament I watched pros David Chong and Doug Brownridge work a shoreline. They'd alternate skipping a stickbait under a piece of cover, and then walking to the back of the boat to give the presentation time to sink. When time was up the angler would reel in, walk to the bow, and repeat the process. They osculated constantly and each would tweak the boat's path with the trolling motor during their turn up front. At one point, one of them changed to a flipping jig and stayed at the bow quickly hitting high-percentage spots, while the other continued the bow-to-stern dance. It was a well-tuned mix of thoroughness without wasting fishing time.

Next month I’ll continue this feature, and share more top-notch tournament tactics you can use to improve your angling game, whether you’re a competitor or a weekend warrior.