I finally had some success on the water and placed second at a local tournament. Weighed in 18.25lbs and Got 200 bucks which I immediately spent on more tackle... I was wondering how often some of the guys who have been fishing for years cash a check from their local derby?

Cashed a little over a grand my first year I started tourneys. Been up and down ever since. Some years a few hundred, others have been great!!

Won my first team T with Bob Gross as my partner. Taught me how to C-rig and I caught 5 fish doing it during a 2 day T. Won a little over $650 each. In 2000, I was pretty good. Cashed 37 checks out of 41 Tournament days and won over $28,000 that year, between my partners and myself. Been fishing T's since March of 93. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

Haha. My first big, national event I finished way back in the pack....the second one I cashed a check....third one cashed a BIG check....fourth one is coming up fast. None of my tourneys have been on lakes I fish on a regular basis.

My first two locals I won.....haven't placed in a local since. Lol.

You will write more checks than you will win. I have spent on the average $20k per year for 50 years tournament fishing. I have won a little over half of that back. I wish I had it all back. There are other routes I would take, if I could do it over.

2 tournaments for me.

1st tournament, I caught 2 small fish, assuming it would not register and never weighed in.

2nd one, I had a good weekend and placed 3rd, losing a fish off of the C dock bridge (within the last 45 minutes before weigh in) that would have put me easily into 2nd, if not 1st. I have not fished one since. This was 1983 when I was 15 years old. No boat but the tournament was held at Captain's Cove Marina at Lake Ray Hubbard, back when a boat was not a requirement. I walked the banks of CC marina those 2 days and caught all of my fish on a 7" Moccasin colored Culprit ribbon tail worm on an old Abu Garcia reel and Uglystick rod ( I still have that rod). My best fish came on a chartreuse Manns Hardworm (anyone remember those ) It went @ 5.5 - 6.0 lbs., as I recall. I'll never forget losing that big fish late because when it came unbuttoned, I dropped a nasty expletive.........unbeknownst to me, my mom had shown up and heard it. I got the full first and middle name call out from the parking lot from her to "Watch My Mouth". LOL. All of the men and ladies on C dock that knew me, probably kept me from an arse whooping right before weigh in.

I fished with a small club in tidal Mississippi it took me about 2 1/2 years to finally cash a check. Those boys knew those river systems and tides in and out. It took awhile to learn the ins and outs of them.

On a more neutral sited tournament trail where local knowledge was basically nil, 2nd tournament cashed two check big bass and 3rd place

Ive, fished a couple of Basschapms tourneys at my home lake, Falcon lake and haven't done good during the tournaments, then i fish the SAPD big bass at choke canyon at the beginning of march after 2 years of not fishing it and finally hit 2 hourly payouts and a 3rd place overall big bass! So for me winning tournaments is not often!

Second tournament I ever fished. My partner and I fished one on Martin Creek. When our other friend found out we were entering he said, "You don't have a chance. Y'all have prefished two or three times but those other guys have been fishing there for years. You're going up against the best of the best."

After hearing that I didn't know if we were going to the lake to catch bass or to Miramar for Top Gun school. LOL.

I caught a 6.5 right off the bat and a couple of hours later my partner pulled a 5.5 out of the pads for our 5th one that still might be the most exciting fish I can recall coming to my boat. We finished 3rd out of 45 teams.

I've cashed quite a few in local stuff around the house. Started fishing champs last year and made $1300 in my first champs tournament on Rayburn. Won champs on Rayburn back in January this year, so I'd say it's a pretty good year already.