Saw on Bassmaster.com where Fred Roumbanis missed the classic cut by 3 points. The kicker is he opted to release a small keeper early on the first day thinking a limit would be no problem. He ended the day with only 4 fish, that 2lber would have bumped him 5 spots in AOY points and into the classic.

That got me to thinking, what is the biggest mental mistake you have made in a tournament and what did it cost you?

Leaving mid way through the last day of the first Mickey D's at Fork. Strong cold front came through the night before. Blue bird and high pressure Sunday morning. Not a bite by 10:30 AM. We listened to all the big fish coming in, after the 12'oclock hour, on the radio on our way home. No way to know if it cost us anything .

Why would he do that if it wasn't dying?

I have done the same thing with spotted bass before by not keeping one, thinking that I would easily catch 5 large mouth and then the bite shutting off and only weighing in 4 fish.
It was a club tournament so not nearly as much at stake but it still stinks not bringing in 5.

He was concerned that it would and he wouldn't be able to cull it. And he thought he'd be able to replace it with a better fish.

Ah. Makes sense now.

The biggest mental mistake I've made, and I know I'm not alone, is trying to stick with a plan even though the fish were telling me I had the wrong idea.

Always have a plan, but be flexible and willing to drop that plan if the fish aren't cooperating.

Leaving when you should have stayed, or staying when you should have left.

Culling fish can cause you to loose.
- Measure fish twice both sides. Make sure you have your glasses on. Ha..
- Use Cullum Right Scales when possible.
- Use the balance beam also.
- Use clips with colored floats. Each one of those colors means something to you when you clip them up.
- Always do all this in the bottom of the boat. Fish have been know to leave the boat with your clip attached.

Fishing down a bank with nothing but boat docks, had to [censored] so I went ahead and did what I needed to. Half way through peeing and while one foot is on the trolling motor keep the boat from hitting the dock, looked up, yep there was a women watering the grass just starring. Couldn't stop peeing, both starred awkwardly till I was done, went on my way. Messed up my fishing concentration for a good 30 minutes till I left the cove.

yep

This.

I culled my second smallest fish before. Probably my biggest mistake so far was coming to weigh in after culling several times. I pulled my fish out of the live well and only had four. I had counted them several times that day previously and knew that I had 5. Well a couple days later, I went outside and could smell a dead fish. I opened the livewell and one of my bass had jumped up and wedged itself above the water inlet and the top of the livewell. It was a small tourney and probably didn't cost me much other than weighing in only 4 fish after having culled for about 6 hours that day.

The one mental mistake I continue to make is to stay too long on a spot "Waiting for the bite" to happen. I should leave and come back later, but I was told repeatedly years ago "If the big motor is running, you ain't fishing" and I follow that philosophy too much. My son will burn a half tank of gas in one tournament and he has won 2 Nation tournaments in the Southeast region this year

I quickly learn a lesson from this mistake...Rushing and not looking at bass carefully, thinking a spot was a large mouth and then releasing it..on many lakes and especially slot lakes like Bridgeport, that can cost you dearly