I fished McDonalds big splash tournament and the last of a hurricane hit fork. It started raining Friday night and rained all day Saturday and the wind was bad. Yes I fished in the rain and did not see to many boats. Caught one fish Saturday and it was 22 inches long. Sunday was a different story and it was packed. I don't remember weighing in anything. I have came along way since then.

My first tourney was when I was 7yrs old. My dad signed me up and drove the boat for me. I caught A BASS. it was a 3 pounds or so. Nothing special. It was a HUGE tourney on Lewisville. This was 1978. I caught a TON of crappie my dad said "ya gonna go weigh in that fish?" I said no at first. What's the point? He insisted.

I placed 7th. Won a "new trolling motor" and a butt seat....and a little money. We had a jet boat. So the seat and trolling motor went on MY first boat. A bass buster for pond fishing. Second tourney was 4 years ago. My
Dad was my fishing partner and he died from cancer not long after that fishing trip. I couldn't fish for years without feeling guilty that he wasn't there.

The "good ol' days".

I fished a sealy open team tournament at Rayburn with one of my uncles when I was about 15 or 16. I caught 4 keepers and my partner didn't catch one fish the whole day. I also had on a 4 to 5 pounder that got hung up and broke me off. We ended up with 12+ pounds and a few ounces out of the money

First T was a team T for Coppell BASS club. 2 day out of Cypress Springs in March. At least, my first T when I was an adult. It was raiing on Sunday and my partner had all the gear and we got dressed up and WON the T. First 3 or 4 bass I caught on a C-rig. He had big fish of the T at 6.93,I believe. We kept going back to that cove to see if anyone else had taken up residence, but no takers. Caught most of our fish out of Panther and down by the dam. GREAT experience. I filled in for him, since his wife was on vacation in Cancum or somewhere like that. Had a GREAT time with the guys and still think of Mark Merkt running into a VERY clean plate glass door. Eating out and playing poker. GREAT FUN and we didn't even know where the lake was, but we saw signs saying Chalais(sp) and Chateaus, so we thought they were lying, but NOPE, they weren't. I think it only paid out $540 to each of us, but it was a GREAT START and a LOT OF FUN. GREAT MEMORIES.

Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

12 years ago I fished my first and only junior tournament when I was 9 years old. I won it, the prize was a huge box of soft plastics, a bunch of custom spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, and a shakespeare baitcast combo and a savings bond. That was all it took, I was hooked and have spent WAAAAY more than that savings bond was worth on fishing since then... lol

My first tournament was with the San Antonio Bass Club around 1967. The boat my dad and I used was a wood boat that we painted with epoxy paint. It had a 20 hp Johnson on it and no trolling motor. We eventually put a trolling motor on it, then switched to a aluminum flat bottom a couple years later. We did not catch many fish but had good times.

Working mans on lake Arlington with my dad when I was 12. Larry Ladnier was running them back then. My first tournament keeper I threw next to a bush and backlashed. When I picked it out my line was 10' away at the next bush. Deep hooked that fish. Missed a check by that dead fish penalty.

MY first federation tournament was a wake up call. Up until that time I had only fished out of smaller aluminium boats in club tournaments.

This boat was 20' long and had a 200 hp motor and the guy blew my ears off running down the lake.

And then preceded to back seat me the whole day. Not a good experience but certainly a learning one.

Our club tournaments were of a very friendly nature. The federation was a shock. However within 5 years our club began to dominate the federation because our members "shared" information and spots whereas the other clubs were all about "ME".

A trend that basically changed their whole thinking over time.

Club tournament on Lake Lavon. I was 17. I caught one fish about 2 lbs. My partner zeroed. But hey, I got to weigh in

first tourney was on Lake Ferguson in Greenville,Ms probably around 1970...may have been year earlier or year later.......back then didn't own a boat...all I had was 9.5. hp E-rude and I would rent flat bottom aluminum boats and sculling paddle was my trolling motor..
first tourney got drawn with a guy who had stick steering 14 ft Terry bass boat with 25 hp Johnson,motor guide trolling motor and swivel seats.....I caught two fish on top water nip I didee...one about 5 lbs and one about 4lbs...won second place and big fish....I think I got a couple of small gift certificates to Kroger store which had a outdoor section back then.....

Fished a tournament on Palestine in early 90's with a friend from work. Stayed with a friend of ours in his house on the lake and two friends of his came stumbling in during the middle of the night who had driven I believe from Floriday from a Bassmaster tournament. Our buddy Eddie Whaley said he was going up to Kickapoo which didn't mean a thing to us but he pointed out Saline Bay and Highsaw/Ledbetter for us as good places to fish. We both ended up catching one keeper each which was awesome to us at the time for our first tournament. It has been a long time but if I am remembering right I am thinking Randy Qualls of Legend Boats might have won that tournament where you had to use specific baits.

Breckenridge Bass Club when I was about 7. Hubbard Creek

Century Bass Club, two night tournament on Bob Sandlin, won big bass. Thought I was big deal. Lasted one month, lol.

Workin' Man on Lake Jordan in Alabama when I was probably 10. Used to fish them with my dad and uncle. I was running a Storm Swimming Shad and hooked up with a Hybrid. Ended up winning the kid's big bass pot with it. (They let kids weigh whatever they catch)

First BIG kayak tournament was the North Texas Kayak Championship Series' Heroes on the Water charity benefit tournament on Lake Fork back in fall of 2015. I ended up getting 3rd out there somehow. The deck of my kayak was covered in lures because I was getting dooped by those fish that day. I was sure I hadn't even finished top 10, much less 3rd lol.