I run the HS team for Weatherford and we are about to have our introductory meeting for incoming 8th graders and kids wanting to join the team. I am putting together a slide show to present and I would love some feedback.

So, what did you wish you knew before you started tournament fishing?

This could be HS specific, fishing tournaments in general, or just simply life surrounding tournament fishing

Thanks in advance for your feedback!!!

That they will be fishing on top of each other and will have to get used to it. Gone are the days of having space around you.

Will you be running It year after next? My son is going into 8th grade next school year. Wants to join when he can.

That is unknown at this point. If it were solely up to me, yes. If my wife has her say, probably not. You wanna run it? LOL

God no. Lmao

-Read the rules
-Safety
-Focus on Fun

1. How to interact with other competitors. Ethics if you will.
2. How to interact with coaches, captains, & support personnel.
3. What it means to be professional for a HS angler specifically. Life lesson herein regardless of how far they go with fishing many kids do not know how to address adults, present themselves (in person, on paper, or electronically) in society.
4. Don't forget to have fun!

At that age, I would make these a priority

1. Have fun
2. Safety
3. Boat loading and unloading training
4. Know the written and unwritten rules (on the water ethics)

Make sure your captains understand the rules. Let them know they are there to help the kids,first of all to be better young men and women. Then the fishing part is second to ethics.

This is one of the biggest problems in HS fishing is that the captains do not read the rules and know them. I think many have fished other tournaments and just assume the rules are the same while others are new to tournaments and do not read them because they do not see the importance. There have been numerous teams DQ'd who finished very high in the tournaments because the captain did not know the rules. That really sucks for the kids when it happens. Also, many kids do not know the rules and can get their team DQ'd. I think each sponsor should give a rules test to their students and captains. If the student or captain cannot pass the test the school should not let them participate until they can pass it.

Bet

Enjoy and if you don't like the HS tournament schedule and rules don't give up on just going fishing for fun

To be versatile and know your fishing against the fish. Not the 300 other boats

Tell em it’s ok to use a fairy wand and a senko. They can eat snacks all day and still catch fish that way. Hell, they can throw it out there, then play on their phones till a fish bites. I do it all the time.

Seriously….

#1 safety
#2 how to launch and load a boat and boat ramp etiquette
#3 patience with crowds
#4 do not fish with blinders on
#5 have fun win or lose (though winning is more fun)
#6 never listen to Randy Blaukat