I want to get into some small, local Bass tournaments for fun this year. I was wondering what do successful tournament fishermen do differently than a fun fisher. For example, as a fun fisher I may spend too much time in an area before moving on or trying a new bait. Or if I find a big fish, I may only throw at it a couple of time, will a tourney guy sit on that potential winning fish? Any tips appreciated. Yes, I have FFS....

One of the main differences in the successful tournament angler's and others is time on the water. The successful tournament angler often spends all their weekends on the lake and often days during the week. If they have a full time job then they spend so much time on the water that they end up going through one or more divorces over time. They miss a lot of their kids games in whatever sport they play while their kids are growing up because they cannot afford to lose the points in their local weekend circuit that they would lose if they skipped a tournament. They then have to take out of the 401K so they can afford a better, bigger boat with all the electronics. Every once in a while because of a fall championship they miss family events but they still make time for hunting season. To get better all you have to do is put yourself first over family, take off as many days as you can from work, and then spend all your time and money on the lake.

Best thing you can take from getting beat is learn from your day on the water is what will make you a better angler. Always remember it’s you against the fish, enjoy your day on the water and have fun.