So, my regular co-angler has food poisoning and it doesn't look like he will make it to our tournament on Sunday - asked around to some other fishing guys that I know - all of them are busy or <insert X reason here>. I offered to pay the entire entrance fee since it was a last minute thing but no one is available or interested - so my questions to you guys are:

 

Have you ever fished a buddy tournament solo? Did you approach it any differently than fishing with a co-angler? (one thing I won't have to worry about is making sure my co-angler is in a good place to cast/fish)

 

Options are limited at this point and I'm not sure if fishing solo will put me at such a huge disadvantage that it won't even be worth going. I mean theoretically 1/2 the anglers on the boat = 1/2 the fish on the boat...but that's not really how it works most of the time - at least in my boat, usually one person is slaying them and the other is just hoping to find something large enough to cull with. 

I think I am going to fish a buddy tournament on the river in a month or so alone. It doesnt bother me one bit, some guys dont like it. I personally like not having to worry about anyone else. Not sure how it would be less fish, I find I catch less fishing with people because often times the bites they have are bites I wouldve had.

 

If its in your head you cant fish without them, you already lost.

Sounds like an opportunity to really focus on what you are doing; maybe try some tactics you would be less inclined to do if you had to worry about another guy fishing the back. In any case, a good solo fisherman is a lot better than 50% of a team, but is certainly at a disadvantage to a team of two good anglers that works well together.

 

To be fair, I've never fished a tournament alone, but I've fished plenty of "buddy" events, and fished alone outside of tourneys a lot. I'm more productive personally by myself. I plan to fish some tourneys alone now that my boat situation has improved. I'll fish the 'Big Bass Bash' in October, then maybe the 'Anglers in action Solo Pro Series' next year, where everyone fishes alone.

As long as the tournament limit is the same as the state daily limit, I fish team tournaments solo all the time.  However, some team tournaments have a 7 or 8 fish limit.  That takes me out of it fishing solo as we are only allowed 5 fish per day per angler.  Also, it's much easier to position the boat when you don't have to worry about someone else. 

Absolutely worth going to. You'll personally have more success as you'll be able to focus on your positioning fishing your style and really it's all about you and what your comfortable with. I'm always very conscientious of my partner and making sure He's happy. Sometimes that affects my own personal success. I always catch more fish and better quality fish solo. It's about me then.

Ive done it...works ok and instead of talking plans over with my partner i just go and do lol

I do prefer having my partner with me though...it is nice having two sets of eyes and two brains analyzing things

I think you are much better off fishing alone than with someone inexperienced, fishing with another experienced fisherman on the other hand could have its advantages. I have done both, it is nice to have someone else putting fish in the boat. When I fished alone though I felt more focused and more productive. One team tournament I fished this year alone, I came in 6th out of 40 boats and another guy that was fishing alone did better than me. 

My point though, definitely do it, you always have a chance and I don't feel your chance is much less if any less to win.