Staying competive

[BJ Laster]

I am having trouble staying competitive. I have had a roller coaster season. Last year was great only had a couple of bad tournys. this year has been not so good. I started off slow then did great and now i am back in a slump. I have blanked in my last 3 tournaments.



What do you do to stay competive



BJ

 

[Tony Payne]

1. I don't fish tourneys, so I'm not sure I can be of much help.



2. When I feel like I'm in a slump, I stop.



I then rethink what I am trying to accomplish and let all of the "pressure" go.



I go back to my strengths, and just have fun.



It works for software development, it works for fishing.



I think when a person fishes "for money/pride", they forget the basics, and put way too much pressure on themselves... they overthink the whole process and foget the basic premise...



Just go fishing.

 

[Jim Brone]

I'm not trying to convince you that I'm in any kind of hot streak. But I have won my last two tournaments. These were on water that I was basically and virtually unfamiliar with. The one thing that I attribute to my wins is my tenacity. I just don't give up. All the way until the time runs out. One thing I can say for sure.....

Do your homework weeks before the event. Put a game plan together and stick to it. Your game plan should include back-up tactics incase the weather turns or the reservoir changes or whatever. Take all the variables into consideration and rule nothing out. Having what you need in your boat to handle any situation you can imagine might come up will provide much needed peace of mind which is an attribute to confidence and competitiveness.

Good luck. Hope that helps.

 

[BJ Laster]

simnitro-i can gaurantee you i am not fishing for money.



Jim-thanks for advice...i don't quit. I am doign exactly what you say...well maybe i need to go buy some more baits so i feel like i have everything covered...lol



BJ

 

[Tony Payne]

BJ,



I truly did not mean to imply that you did, or that it made any difference...



I was simply saying that at times, we let ourselves get overwhelmed with all the choices, or just the "pressure" to catch fish...



I let it happen to me alot...



Then I remember to "just go fishing".



Cant find the bigger fish? Enjoy finding the smaller ones, and let them re-build the confidence.



A tug, even a missed tug, is a sign that "something" is around.

 

[BJ Laster]

thats fine simnitro, i read my post again and i thought i came off a little harsh at you. sorry if it offended you.



BJ



Thanks for all the help you guys!!!

 

[Bryan McDonough]

I think confidence is the key, put yourself into positions that you know you can catch fish in. Its easier taking chances once you have fish in the livewell. Study up on a lake. Always have your favorite confidence bait on. Spinner baits. Fish areas you feel confident in. Sometimes your spot just doesn't turn on. I often a 3 to 4 spots and rotate these spots during the day. Be aware of the weather and what that will do to the fishing. Be prepared for anything. And always pre fish when possible.



I think mind set is the biggest key, this is something we all struggle with. I always have a game plan in mind and a couple of just in case the first idea was wrong ideas. I also find fishing with a partner often helps me in times when my fishing abilities leave me.

 

[Staci Matheis]

I'm in Sales; I've got to compete every single day.



Slumps are part of the game; always have been always will. I just keep on plugging knowing that it's that very roller coaster ride that many of my competitors can't handle and will make them quit.



From the performance standpoint, what I look at is the overall, long-term average. That's the only way to determine your true standing. One or two exceptional days don't make you a Champion; one or two bad days don't make you second rate.



Pick a pace you are comfortable with for a very long run and stick to it regardless.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Pat is right. I spent some time with Gary Klien this weekend and he said that the one thing that keeps the "good angler" from moving up to the next level in competitive fishing, is the mental part of the game. He explained that too many anglers get hung up gear/lures/conditions/baits/weather, etc., and not enough credit to themselves as an angler. He said that if you cast to a laydown and catch a fish, there are no less than 6 lures he could cast in there to pick up the same fish. He explained that it is "you" who catches the fish more than anything else. He also said that too many anglers live in the past....this worked yesterday, I was at this spot last year, Joe Blow's fishing this technique, this is the hot new lure, etc. He said have confidence in yourself, do your homework on a lake and go fish what you have confidence in.



TOXIC

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

BJ - I am in the same kind of slump, when I prefish a lake I get a decent limit. The day of the tourneys I only get 1 fish in the last two tournaments. I think it's just a slump I have to work thru. This past Sunday I had a tourney on a lake I never did good on with my go to bait, so I didn't use it all day, that was probably my biggest mistake. I agree with what Toxic said and will try that. I should be throwing the bait I do best with because "there are no less than 6 lures that I could cast in there to pick up the same fish".

So I might as well use my confidence lure and ignore what the other guys are throwing.

 

[Greg Duggan]

BJ,



evryone is giving sound info, i to would tell you to spend time mapping out your day. do some serious research on the lake. spend a day prefishing. find the humps and drop offs, mark them on your GPS or your map. try differant techniecs when prefishing, make sure you have that go to bait rigged and ready to go. learn to fish deeper water if you have not already. i find most guys in my club fish shallow most of the yr. the few of us that go deep or fish humps and drop offs tend to finish in the top 3 every tourny.

the best advice is believe in yourself, don't get down when the bite is off. we all have bad days. my last tourny i boated my last three fish with 30 minutes to go . my partner was toast, he had given up because the bite was off all day. two yrs ago i would have been the same way.

stay with it, don't give up till the tourny is over.



GregD

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

AND......if you pre fish don't spoil your spots by fishing them too hard before the TX. Kline actually said that he will prefish just to establish the pattern (said he cuts his hooks and shakes them off) then will go to other parts of the lake that fit the pattern for the TX and use his pre fish spots as backup!!



TOXIC

 

[Travis Smith]

Sounds like me BJ-



My Dad and I placed 3rd in our first father son tournament a couple weeks ago and this passed week we zeroed. We only caught 4 dinks the whole time. Ever since that tourny we have not caught my fish while we were out fun fishing. Now maybe its the cooler weather that we have had but I think some of it has to do with lack of confidence on my part.





T.S.