TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL ANGLERS

Written by Bill Payne
Aug 2017

As young tournament fishermen, you are starting at the grass roots level and are the future of competitive bass fishing. High school fishing has exploded onto the scene and it will continue to grow. In all the excitement and rush of emotions when you begin fishing large tournaments, it’s easy to be overwhelmed . Some of these tournaments have 300 or more boats and that alone can cause confusion and anxiety in young or less experienced anglers. Don’t fall into the trap of letting it be too big for you. Remember, you are only after five fish and it’s something you’ve done before! It is you applying what you already know and it is not about you against 300 boats. You only control what you can do and not what anyone else does.

Number one in my experience is that you need to prepare yourself for the morning of the tournament. You do this by getting on the water days before the event and get familiar with a small section of the lake and practice. When you practice before the tournament, always fish to your strengths. For example, if you are comfortable with a shakey head, start with that. It might be that you have great confidence in shallow running crankbaits. Whatever the case may be, look at the water conditions and utilize what you have confidence in. You want to gain some confidence that you can at least catch a few fish and identify some active areas. You want to find as many as possible so that you don’t panic tournament morning when you arrive at your 1st spot and a boat is already there. Do not let dock talk and buzz about how many giant catches are being caught get into your head. Just fish within your capabilities and fish the way you know how. If you’ve heard about a tournament winning catch on deep running crankbaits but you’ve never done it, tournament day is not the time to start experimenting with it. You will need just a little time to learn a new technique and gain some confidence in it, THERE’S THAT WORD AGAIN….. CONFIDENCE !!!!!

As you grow as an angler, you’ll learn that confidence and mental toughness will be your biggest asset in competitive fishing. At a young age is when you need to start developing these skill sets. Yes, I believe that even if some people naturally are more confident than others, you can learn and work at believing in yourself and through hard work and preparation on and off the water you can match or surpass any of your competitors mental attitude. Work at keeping a positive mental attitude in all situations and especially when things are not working out as planned. Never give up !!!! Be a grinder and work for what you want. If you don’t know what that means, it means keep casting and working until the final moments. Tournament fishing is hard work. No one ever said it’s easy. Keep at it and you will gain success.

Successfully pursuing tournament fishing means that you must try to spend as much time on the water as you can. I know that you are relying on the good will of volunteers and parents who work and may have limited time to take you out fishing. Network with friends who may have better access to boats and people who take them fishing. Also network with family friends who maybe avid fishermen and try to earn their interest in taking you out to teach you a little of what they know. Always jump at the chance to fish with better fishermen. You always have the chance to see learn how others approach a lake or technique. Internet research can be a valuable part of your preparation as well. Keep up with local fishing reports, water conditions, prevailing seasonal patterns and current hot techniques that may be working, all from your computer.

Think about joining a local bass club that is in search of non-boaters. Some clubs will accept younger anglers and are often have more boaters than non-boaters. You can learn a lot from the back of the boat so take advantage of the opportunity. The more different people you fish with, the faster you will learn and build your own style and your own strengths as an angler.

Remember 2 things for sure: Keep a positive mental attitude and above all else, have fun and enjoy this exciting time in your growth as a tournament angler.

TIGHT LINES …..