Just curious how members feel about these two approaches to tournament fishing.

Well I am not a tourney fisherman so you can take this for exactly what you paid for it....I would say go for 5 keepers then go for the larger bass. Now if this is a lake you know well and are confident in your ability to get those 5 larger fish then by all means go,for it but otherwise five smaller keepers are better than almost catching the big ones

All I fish is 2 man team opens where a limit of five keepers will get you a pat on the back and a "thanks for donating to the purse".  We fish to win from our first cast to our last. We make adjustments on the fly, and if that means spinning rods, and light line , we do it, but usually only after we have figured swinging for the fences is not even going to get bit that day. Various partners and I have laid a few eggs over the years, but in the last five years, my partners and I have either regularly cashed, won a couple, won or been in contention for lunker multiple times, or if we have not cashed, we have been one more good bite away most of the time. I have  fished quite a few team tournaments by myself when I have not had a partner lined up for the day, and even with being handicapped I have cashed a few times, and been closer to the top than the bottom in most. So that's my style, and I am sticking to it, and I won't fish with a guy who wants/worries about 5 keepers first. If your doing the right things, chances are, you'll get your keepers anyways.

A lot of times, your kicker can come early in the morning. If I don't get a kicker in the first hour, I go for limit fish. Then if I got 5 keepers back to bigger baits.

A lot of times, your kicker can come early in the morning. If I don't get a kicker in the first hour, I go for limit fish. Then if I got 5 keepers back to bigger baits.

 

took the words right outta my mouth ...

I just fish... If I get to trying too hard for a BIG bag. I might as well put my rod down. Its a mental thing for me. If I get on a small bite I will match all the elements Color presentation etc and move to a larger bait.

All I fish is 2 man team opens where a limit of five keepers will get you a pat on the back and a "thanks for donating to the purse".  We fish to win from our first cast to our last. We make adjustments on the fly, and if that means spinning rods, and light line , we do it, but usually only after we have figured swinging for the fences is not even going to get bit that day. Various partners and I have laid a few eggs over the years, but in the last five years, my partners and I have either regularly cashed, won a couple, won or been in contention for lunker multiple times, or if we have not cashed, we have been one more good bite away most of the time. I have  fished quite a few team tournaments by myself when I have not had a partner lined up for the day, and even with being handicapped I have cashed a few times, and been closer to the top than the bottom in most. So that's my style, and I am sticking to it, and I won't fish with a guy who wants/worries about 5 keepers first. If your doing the right things, chances are, you'll get your keepers anyways.

I used to be all about the limit first idea. You are right, a bunch of the tournaments I fish all that gets me is a good job and middle of the pack if not worse. Occasionally I would finish up at the top, even won a couple with just a limit, but those were really tough tournaments and not very often. Now I have begun fishing for 5 good bites. That doesn't necessarily mean I put on 12 inch lures, but two 4 pound bass go a long way towards big bass and overall weight. The only way I switch are if the big bites aren't happening and Im trying to scratch out some points.

if you are worried about just catching your five fish why are you fishing in a tournament? some lakes might be tough at certain times of the year, but just scrounging up a limit will only keep you from looking like a dummy. 99% of the time a limit of 2 lb fish is not going to get you anywhere. now it is good to know how to find the limit fish if you already have some nice fish and you just need to fill out, but making the limit fish a priority over the kickers is just goofy. JMO

 

Mitch

I'm a get a limit kind of fisherman.  I shoot for my 5 early and usually one or two will be 3-5 pound fish that won't cull anyway.  Then when I have four or five, I'll try for some bigger fish.  The confidence having a limit in the well gives you allows you to slow down and really take your time for that last bite or two.  Works for me.

It depends on the type of tournament that I'm fishing. In an open jackpot type tournament, I'm going for broke. In a trail tournament where I'm competing for points throughout the entire season, I tend to go for a limit first. At the end of the year, an angler who consistently weighed in a solid bag will be higher in the standings than the guy who finishes near the top in some tournaments and the bottom in others.

I don't fish all of my club tournaments, so I know I'm going to be at or near the bottom of point standings and likely won't finish in the money in the ones that I do.  Our guys always have a big fish pot that, in a lot of cases is a bigger purse than the top tournament winnings. That's usually what I set my sights on from the get go. Picked up some nice gear winning those pots and the guys shooting for total points didn't seem to mind that I'd only weigh one or two fish for the day either.

In collegiate tournaments we have team events and individual events ( or individual boat events). In team events  or individual boat events I always go for a limit. The reason is that lately tournaments have been won with relatively small bags. If it takes 10 lbs to win it I can be in that easy with 5 fish. Now if I am going down south and people are catching 25lb bags and 30lb bags only catching one big fish doesnt help even if its a 10lber I still lose if I catch 4 other 2 lbers. Also with fishing it does not matter what I throw I still have a chance at catching a giant fish on it. Two weeks ago in a tournament the winning team caught a 10lb bass on a missile baits d bomb not a giant alabama rig or even a big swim bait. Sure you can make 1000 casts with a swimbait and get a huge fish but you still have the same chances of catching a big fish on a finesse jig off of a log.  That being said in an individual tournament like a big bass event I might only throw an alabama rig or swimbait to try and target bigger fish but that doesnt mean I wont catch big fish on a small jig. That being said I am not an expert and that is what I do. When we have fun fishing tournaments in my club it is about catching a limit and hopefully running in to some big fish. 

It depends on the type of tournament that I'm fishing. In an open jackpot type tournament, I'm going for broke. In a trail tournament where I'm competing for points throughout the entire season, I tend to go for a limit first. At the end of the year, an angler who consistently weighed in a solid bag will be higher in the standings than the guy who finishes near the top in some tournaments and the bottom in others.

 

My thoughts exactly.

Last I checked I had no control over what bites the lure. Ive caught bass on lures bigger than the bass itself. I prefer the odds, catch as many fish as you possibly can and make your best 5.

Last I checked I had no control over what bites the lure. Ive caught bass on lures bigger than the bass itself. I prefer the odds, catch as many fish as you possibly can and make your best 5.

 

This.......

 

I have caught 5 lb bass on tiny little in-line spinners and I have caught 8" bass on 10" power worms.

 

I like knowing I have 5 in the box. Now, catching 25+ 14" ers is not a lot of fun either, I have been there before.

depends on the lake..... lots of times it takes 30lbs to win at g-ville in feb but at beaver in the summer time 14 is a real real good sack... But all in all i tend to lean towards a fish for the win mentality