Of those that have fished the CAT tournaments, who feels like they are a better fisherman now than before? Forget how you have finished in the standings.

It's a lot different fishing against the clock than fishing just to catch a few fish to eat. I would imagine it makes you a much more efficient fisherman if anything. Although I don't know if I could make myself fish as hard as I did during that tournament on an average weekend fishing trip. Fishing against all of the great teams made it that much more fun and challenging if you like to compete. Definitely learned some stuff just from talking to the other teams before and after it all. But one thing I learned is if you put together a plan with areas to target like you would if you fished a tournament. Then if you applied it to just your average weekend trip to pleasure fish...you'd still come away doing a lot better than if you didn't. I'll be doing it again for sure

Eric

Can I say I am a much better crappie fisherman and now also a much more humble one too? The tourneys are a great learning experience and force you to think in ways that you wouldn't normally think. For my partner and I, when we are out there and not catching any fish we think, WWJPD, What Would Jerry and Paul Do? Then we move. It has helped us a ton to move around a lot more if we aren't catching. We are more confident in what we are doing and how we are doing it but now we just look for the better places to do it in where before we just sit there wondering and banging out heads against the wall.

The tourneys are great stuff and it's nice putting faces with names on the TFF.

“Of those that have fished the CAT tournaments, who feels like they are a better fisherman now than before? Forget how you have finished in the standings.”



That would be a huge…YES.

I know that other people have stated this, but if you just go to the meetings you are missing out on the majority of the learning’s. I apply these learning’s every time I go out fishing now.

Greg

Easy one.
Not on my home lake (because I rarely fish it lately)but definently have learned different tech. and different lakes and Styles of fishing. Better fisherman overall I would say Yes.
Have learned a ton. and Cant wait till next year when we can erase the scoreboard and start over.LOL

By the way, this little game may cost me a lot of $
New trolling motor
SI unit
Other misc. dream machins.

I do. They sure make you put on your thinking cap.

I have learned a ton since joining. Its like golf ,you'll never master it but if you practice and dedicate yourself to it you'll get better and can be as good as you want to be someday.

The seminars and meetings are well worth the money even if you dont fish a tournament. Its definately a challenge and I think thats what draws me to it the most.

Pulling under a bridge at night with 5 dozen minnows when you luck on to a school of them is not what its about. Its about being able to find and catch them when noone else can.

Thanks Jerry, Paul, Guy, Ernest, and Anh for the lessons in Crappie fishing so far. This is a great club and will continue to grow!

I would say I've improved. I'll chime in with Barn Door and say the seminars are kind of like taking a class and the tournaments are applying what you learned. This is probably not true for the more experienced folks, but it's true for me. I've learned a lot from the meetings that I've practiced on the water. I guess over time what I learn in the meetings could decrease while time on the water will keep producing more challenges.

Great club.

I have learned a lot, but a better fisherman? No.

Oh I dont know how ,but I forgot to mention George! Sorry George and thanks

I'm not sure I've learned a lot of new 'tricks'/'ways' to fish crappie because I continually research crappie fishing. However, it has reinforced a lot of what I have learned because I wouldn't put it in practice.

I'm putting more of what I've learned and experienced in practice and like earlier stated, it is helping me to get on fish when I otherwise wouldn't.

I haven't had the opportunity to hook up with one of the 'pros'. I'm a Joe (let's not get into that debate again!). Although not a novice, I am not experienced in crappie fishing having began about 3 years ago - that is fishing again after decades of not fishing other than Canadian Wilderness trips. As a boater, I would love the opportunity to be able to fish with one of the 'pros'. I'm not demeaning those I have fished with. In fact, I am 'slabbing' myself for those unfortunate to have drawn me.

To directly answer your question Jerry, CAT has certainly enriched my crappie fishing experience. My expectation is for CAT to continue to provide me more confidence and practical experience.

No question about it. I love fishing for fun, I love fishing tournaments---I just love fishing. And I've learned more this last year than any year prior. I got lucky and finished well early in the season and I've really been humbled lately, but I loved every minute of it. Thanks to all the great guys that are willing to share a few tricks and a little knowledge.

I think I've fished with a good majority of them a couple of times except for Guy and I still can't come close to beating any of them . You definitely learn a lot more techniques depending on who you fish with...some are better at timber and some at structure fishing. Like the guy said above...it's kind of like taking golf leasons with a pro - even though it makes you better than you were, you still will be a ways from beating them without some breaks/luck on your side that day. But I still highly recommend joining CAT if you are wanting to get better and learn a lot of stuff from some very, very good crappie fisherman.

Yep, I will agree with JayDon ...I love fishing tournaments(BFC & CAT) and the competitiveness of it all. The satisfaction when you win & sticking it to the man (Paul/Jerry/Ernest/Guy/Etc.) ...but it hasn't happen enough though I didn't think I would like fishing with a partner, but all the partners that I've had has been very good. We all are very competitive and hates to lose.

As for learning ...I have learned something from each and every tournaments and like to think that I'm a little better today than I was at the beginning of the year.

I like the competition part of the tournaments. I hope that it brings the sport of crappie fishing to a higher level in the State of Texas like it needs to be. Jerry and Paul have been bringing some very impressive catches to the weight-in. I haven't learned many new techniques, I've been practicing and using techniques that I don't normally use. I just wish we could come to the scales with the fish we've been catching pre-fishing.
The big fish never seem to bite on game day. All in all it's been a great time at each tournement and hope to see more and more of ya'll in the future.
GoodLuck
CrappieMaster

Shoot, I've learned a lot just by reading from all of you who attended meetings and participate in all the tourneys. Never stop learning. By admitting that I am an amateur is enough to prove that there is always room for improvement. Keep up the movement to all...
...and thanks for sharing what's out there to discover...

I had gotten in a comfortable rut and the tournaments have helped get me out of it and started me thinking again.

I'm really enjoying fishing other lakes again. I learn something new at every event, now if I can just remember what it was.

I just wish I knew half of what you've forgotten.

You and me both!

I'm glad to see that some feel like it has been beneficial to them to fish the tournaments.
Tournament fishing requires a different mindset than just going to your favorite lake and fishing your favorite spots. Tournaments can and will be a humbling experience for everyone at some point.
I know Paul, Gary, George and myself have fished all over the country and been beat by the best many times. We've also beaten the best at times and that is very rewarding.
You drive to Missouri or Alabama and fish against 40-80 teams and have 25 of those teams capable of winning on any lake on any day
Those experiences have given us the tools we have now to be successful.
The more you fish the more you learn about lakes and that will give you more confidence. That may be the most important thing to have IMO.
The information has and will be shared for those that come and participate. What you do with that info is up to you. As we continue, tournaments will start to become harder to win as more fisherman gain that confidence and knowledge that only comes with that experience

Even being that i have only fished a couple tournaments i still feel like i have learned certain thing i would have never thought about before. This Sunday I took Anthony fishing on Texoma since we couldnt fish lewisville saturday. When we got on the water is was dead calm. (I hate dead calm)... We couldnt buy even a bite on my new favorite bp. We started moving around a little bit and i said "lets go to the bridge"... Id never been there before. It's a LONG ways and straight threw striper guide country. Well we dodge all that just fine and got to the bridge. Man o man. HUGE colums, 12-50ft deep. Striper everywhere. Crappie's, striper, the whole mix. Found a TON of bp's near the poles. Even found some interesting poles that had ropes tied around them
We caught fish and had a good time. I would have never made that trip in the past. But I absolutly refused to get skunked. I knew the bridge had to have fish so we went!

Yep, here's a decent one.

Nice Brian! Sounds like a good time!

so when can I put my name on your waiting list Brian?

Youve got one of those passes people get at six flags and go right to the front. I was just telling Anthony this weekend i need to get someone out that can show me how to run my electronics. Let me know of a Sunday your available. I would love to get you out there.

I've become a better fisherman over the year. I still have a long road to go in becoming a consistent tournament fisherman and I know that road will be shortened as I gain confidence.

Jerry are you a better fisherman since CAT? Did you learn that special technique/wiggle this year that allowed you and Paul catch the winning stringer at the Lewisville tournament?

I know I'm better. I've learned something at every meeting and every tournament. We watch and listen just like everyone else I've made mistakes that I'll learn from, like leaving my fish at CC only to realize I should a stuck with them longer. I made a move that didn't pay off and went back and caught fish but ran out of time. If I'd stayed, I think we'd placed.

That little technique/trick, we learned two years ago on lewis ville during a BFC tournament. We finished 1st and 2nd that day. It has worked every tournament since. It's very simple and once you figure it out, you'll slap yourself for not figuring it out sooner

I KNOW I HAVE LEARNED ALOT FROM BRUSH PILE BUILDING TO JIG SIZE..AND THAT'S WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT TOO.
I DON'T GET MUCH FISHING TIME THESE DAYS AND TO MAXIMIZE MY TIME ON THE WATER CATCHING FISH AND NOT JUST HAVING ANOTHER LONG BOAT RIDE IS MY GOAL..($3.50 PER GALLON GAS)
I AM GRATFULL AND EVEN HUMBLED THAT I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM EVERY ONE I HAVE FISHED WITH AND I INTEND TO LEARN EVEN MORE.. LIKE EARNST SAID, I TOO HOPE I DON'T FORGET TOO MUCH OF IT..
LIKE IN GOLF THAT BLAKE AND JAY DON TOUCHED ON, LEARNING FROM A GOLF PRO HELPS ALOT BUT I HAVE TO GET OUT AND PRACTICE, REPEAT, AND APLLY WHAT I HAVE LEARNED OR I WILL SURELY FORGET IT..
THE TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE IS GOOD TOO. LIKE GOLF AGAIN I DO BETTER IF I AM WITH SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER AT IT THAN I AM, IT SEEMS TO HELP ME PLAY AT THE TOP OF MY GAME. MAYBE THE COMPETITION RUBS OFF ON ME SOME ALTHOUGHT I DON'T THINK MYSELF AS COMPETITIVE.
THANKS FOR THE QUESTION JERRY, ITS A GOOD ONE..AND THANKS TO ALL THAT HELP US LEARN WITH THEIR ADVISE AND POINTERS TOO..

_________________________________

DONL

Great post Don and I agree with you 100%. I got my first taste of tourney fishing last weekend and I wondered if I would become too tense and wouldn't have fun but the exact opposite happened. I loved it and had fun at the same time. The experience of coming up to the launch at the bu*t crack of dawn and to see all the boats to the end with everyone lining up with their weigh in bags was something I will never forget. The WHOLE experience was fun, exciting and I learned a bunch fishing with Charles. Can't wait to do it again!