tournament fish, would you still fish?


I know I could and it wouldn't bother me in the least.
But I know guys, that can't enjoy fishing unless they are in a tournament setting.

Man, I love to fish but fishing tournaments takes it to another level for me. I definitely would still do it but Im betting I wouldn't be nearly as obsessed.

Fun fishing is boring.

About the only time I get to fish is either a day or so of prefishing or tournament day.

I am not going to say I wouldn't fish but I'm not much on fishing for fun other than Falcon.

When I retire in a couple of years I want to get a way from all the people. Plan to get me an Aluminum boat and fish some rivers, that sounds like fun.

If the only way you could fish was in a tournament, I might not fish at all. Particularly if my only choice was these giants mega bass events where you get to share the lake with your partner and your closest 2000 friends. Fishing for me is about being on the water, enjoying mother nature, and trophy hunting.

When I was younger my mind set was; if I was going to fish then it was preparing for a tournament. This would provide a chance to win some of the money back that was spent fishing.

Now with that being behind me, I wish that decision was never made. Fishing tournaments every weekend for 30 years cost me plenty. Catching huge numbers and Big Bass in Mexico is much more enjoyable. I could have taken all that money and went to Mexico once a month for all those years and have a house down there, with money left over.

It comes down to our jobs, the time we have to fish and the availability of great places to fish. This is about time, money and people you know. Like Mr. Purdue says, it is most rewarding to enjoy what you like best. I like the quest for trophy hunting; but it is a scarce reality in our lakes on a regular basis. I choose Mexico and a few private places. Doing this just isn't an option for most fisherman.

Being retired or owning your own business so you can get away, opens up the doors to fishing the way you would like to do it. For others you just have to get after them the best you can and never look back.

wouldn't change I'd still fish as much as I do now.

For sure.

Heck, I wish they'd ban tournaments all together.

I fish to solve the riddle of "what, when and where" and what equipment is best applied to the problem. Tournaments provide a motivation to do this, but the riddle is also an end in itself and I would still be out there without them.

The comaradary and competition of tournament fishing is great but my life(I actually have one) does not allow for the structured time off and scheduled fishing time and is not worth the time and structured schedule hassles. So YES I would continue fishing when I want and can. Often on the unscheduled "spur of the moment".

If you loose any interest in fishing by not fishing in tournaments then you've lost sight of what fishing is all about.

I agree with this 100%...

I used to be one of those guys who tournament fished and every time I was on the water I was either practicing for a tournament or always comparing my catch at the end of the day to typical tournament results. I will say that I never focused on getting a check and just fished the best I could. I was fortunate enough to cash a few checks but the money didn't interest me in the tournaments....I was a tournament addict.

When I quit fishing tournaments after 30 years, it took some adjustment for me to just go fishing and not be so intense. I finally got back to what I loved about bass fishing and now enjoy it more than ever. I am really enjoying the outdoors and sometimes just take a boat ride and explore different areas. After retiring, I have caught big bass on Toledo Bend and the Sabine River. Took a couple pictures and released them. Never even thought about being in a tournament with those bass.

Honestly, when you do anything most of your life, it should be expected that it is going to take some time to change your behavior and expectations. I have been going through an adjustment the past two years due to retiring after 40 years of working. Of course, that's another subject.

I love fishing tournaments. I love fishing even more. I would be fine.

I did before i staRted with the tournaments. I am sure i would again. Cheryl always says every time you go you are pre-fishing, which is true when you fish a tournament every Thursday. So now we fun fish on Sunday afternoons.