Next weekend I'm going to be fishing the Oakley big bass tournament at clarks hill.  There will be over 200 boats in this tournament and that seems like a lot of boats to me.  I've never fished any reel competitive tournaments before just small things around my area that people that don't know anything about fish come and fish. Being that they started pre spawn most likely, do you guys normally have certain areas like secondary points, main points, or just spawning flats that you key on?   Any advice would be awesome because I don't know what its like having that many boats to fish against and i'm scared crap less and don't know what I've gotten myself into LOL.   Wish me luck!!!

Are you the boater or Co- angler?

Are you the boater or Co- angler?

Boater

It sounds like you fished enough club level stuff that you have some clue about fishing. Go fish your strengths and have fun. Dee Thomas said the competition is always against Mr. Bass, and not the other competitors. He makes a good point to focus on. I remember my first big event several years back. I found my biggest source of anxiety was not about the fishing, it was all the goings on before hand. Launching with 150 + boats without playing bumper cars at the launch site, reg requirements, etc. Heck, the National Anthem even caught me by surprise! Get past that and you'll have a great time. Now go get'em!

It sounds like you fished enough club level stuff that you have some clue about fishing. Go fish your strengths and have fun. Dee Thomas said the competition is always against Mr. Bass, and not the other competitors. He makes a good point to focus on. I remember my first big event several years back. I found my biggest source of anxiety was not about the fishing, it was all the goings on before hand. Launching with 150 + boats without playing bumper cars at the launch site, reg requirements, etc. Heck, the National Anthem even caught me by surprise! Get past that and you'll have a great time. Now go getI

Ive never been in a club before or really been around hardcore fisherman and its kind of nerve raking to go out around that for the first time and have in the back of my mind the embarrassment of doing something stupid or doing something that I don't know i'm doing wrong.  The good thing is this tournament allows you to put in any boat ramp on the lake so that will help. But my worry is that being an amateur not having the experience to know what to do when I get to my spots I've marked and there be boats there. I don't think they will be doing the national anthem because there isn't a take off area, you just put in and go were you want and when a certain time hits you can start fishing.  That would pump me up to here the national anthem before fishing.  Thanks for the confidence boost bud!!! Now I just have to wait lol

These big "Big Bass" style tournaments are a good way to get into fishing competitively. There is a little less pressure without having to launch in front of everyone, and not really having a set weigh-in where it feels like everyone is looking at you. You just kind of stop by the weigh-in site when you need to, and people are coming and going in a hurry. It also helps that this is not a 5x3 situation. You just need to catch one big boy to have a chance to win real money. When you need 5 and you don't have a keeper in the boat after a few hours of fishing, it can play with your head. In the "Big Bass" events, it just takes one bite. You can have nothing and still be in it right up until it's over.

Like emerson said, the big bass style tournaments are great starter tournaments. You just need to keep yourself relaxed and go out and fish to have a good time. Don't get caught up that there's a bunch of boats in it. There's that many boats out there on a normal day anyway, and you don't get worried to go fishing. Don't let your nerves get the best of you just stay calm and relaxed and do your best. Know that the day will go fairly quickly, but at the same time don't rush because that's the time you'll miss something. Best of luck and let us know how it goes. 

Go fish your strengths and have fun. 

^^^^^^^^^^

This

Like emerson said, the big bass style tournaments are great starter tournaments. You just need to keep yourself relaxed and go out and fish to have a good time. Don't get caught up that there's a bunch of boats in it. There's that many boats out there on a normal day anyway, and you don't get worried to go fishing. Don't let your nerves get the best of you just stay calm and relaxed and do your best. Know that the day will go fairly quickly, but at the same time don't rush because that's the time you'll miss something. Best of luck and let us know how it goes. 

I had my spots all planned out, been planning for a month for the spawn.  Now theres a cold front coming through the 2 days of the tournaments.  Do yall guys normally slow down your fishing on a cold front or do you fish the same just not in the spawning pockets?

Don't know what state your in, but check the spawning areas quick, move back out to pre spawn areas (deeper) and throw the kitchen sink at em! I'd try quicker baits first, then sloow down with jig & trailer or select your bait...

If you have located fish on beds, don't assume they have moved off, as the water temp will be slower to change due to the cold front. I usually try not to assume anything at all when a front comes in, but I have a pretty quick trigger if Plan A isn't panning out. Plan B in your case might be what qualify as prespawn areas adjacent to the beds you located.

I had my spots all planned out, been planning for a month for the spawn.  Now theres a cold front coming through the 2 days of the tournaments.  Do yall guys normally slow down your fishing on a cold front or do you fish the same just not in the spawning pockets?

Usually a little, but if they're on beds it's not really going to change anything. Remember when they spawn, they don't all do it at the exact same time. There will usually be fish in the prespawn, spawn, and post spawn stages so you should be able to something working despite the cold front. If you think they're going to be spawning, then keep that as plan A and work it for a while. If it doesn't work move to plan B and maybe recheck A later in the day. If you can get to the lake on Friday afternoon, you can be on the water until 5 PM (double check just to be sure) you could always just go out to the nearest pocket and see where the fish are at and then adjust your plan accordingly. 

Have fun, keep an open mind.

Usually a little, but if they're on beds it's not really going to change anything. Remember when they spawn, they don't all do it at the exact same time. There will usually be fish in the prespawn, spawn, and post spawn stages so you should be able to something working despite the cold front. If you think they're going to be spawning, then keep that as plan A and work it for a while. If it doesn't work move to plan B and maybe recheck A later in the day. If you can get to the lake on Friday afternoon, you can be on the water until 5 PM (double check just to be sure) you could always just go out to the nearest pocket and see where the fish are at and then adjust your plan accordingly.

If you have located fish on beds, don't assume they have moved off, as the water temp will be slower to change due to the cold front. I usually try not to assume anything at all when a front comes in, but I have a pretty quick trigger if Plan A isn't panning out. Plan B in your case might be what qualify as prespawn areas adjacent to the beds you located.

jeeze it was a bad day. Started off good caught 3 right in the same place but no big ones. I slowed it down a bit and speed up tryed to match the same key features and nothing after those three. Were going to a diffrent part of the lake. I did happen to see fish that were very small looked like they were making beds getting ready for females. We tryed to get multiple patterns but never could.

Like stated, have fun, keep an open mind, and most important thing......go fish the way you want to fish.  Don't over think.  Some of the best advice I ever had was this simple statement......Keep it simple stupid. Fish your tournament and have fun.  That's what it comes down to.  I over thought the last one I was in and took myself out instead of just fishing the way I new I tried to find something new to catch them on.....not a good thing to do.  Should have kept it simple stupid.  Good luck.

jeeze it was a bad day. Started off good caught 3 right in the same place but no big ones. I slowed it down a bit and speed up tryed to match the same key features and nothing after those three. Were going to a diffrent part of the lake. I did happen to see fish that were very small looked like they were making beds getting ready for females. We tryed to get multiple patterns but never could.

There will definitely be days like that. Usually if the bucks are up the females aren't far away but they're usually out by the first sharp drop. Being that there was that cold front come through the bight might have slowed way down for them. All in all did you have a fun experience?

There will definitely be days like that. Usually if the bucks are up the females aren't far away but they're usually out by the first sharp drop. Being that there was that cold front come through the bight might have slowed way down for them. All in all did you have a fun experience?

Yes!!! Had a blast. Learned alot. I was just happy I didn't get skunked. Wow there were alot of boats. I will be doing it again now that I know what to expect and will be better prepared. But the best part of the whole thing; I was going to one of my spots I marked and I had to fish it. But there was a beautiful nitro z9 right were I was going, 2 big depth finders on the steering wheel and a huge unit on the deck. We sat back for 30 min waiting then he finally trolled 25 yards down the bank. We go up there first cast pull in a 3 pounder. Guy starts laughing and takes off. Felt good with my old rugged boat And just a little ol depth finder. Lol thanks for all the advice I think what it took this weekend was alot of knowledge of the lake,

Yes!!! Had a blast. Learned alot. I was just happy I didn't get skunked. Wow there were alot of boats. I will be doing it again now that I know what to expect and will be better prepared. But the best part of the whole thing; I was going to one of my spots I marked and I had to fish it. But there was a beautiful nitro z9 right were I was going, 2 big depth finders on the steering wheel and a huge unit on the deck. We sat back for 30 min waiting then he finally trolled 25 yards down the bank. We go up there first cast pull in a 3 pounder. Guy starts laughing and takes off. Felt good with my old rugged boat And just a little ol depth finder. Lol thanks for all the advice I think what it took this weekend was alot of knowledge of the lake,

I'm glad you had a good time! I've fished two of the Oakley tourneys down in Oklahoma and had a great time as well. Haha it just goes to show, it doesn't matter what you fish out of, the fisherman is still the one who's got to catch the fish. 

I'm glad you had a good time! I've fished two of the Oakley tourneys down in Oklahoma and had a great time as well. Haha it just goes to show, it doesn't matter what you fish out of, the fisherman is still the one who's got to catch the fish.

you got that right. Nothing wrong with a nice boat and accessories more praise to the guys who can afford it. It would have made it easier with those boats in that big water.

One of the best weapons a fisherman can have is confidence in what youre doing. A huge mistake that many tournament fisherman make is second guessing themselves and their game plan. Like what has been said before, fish what you know and are confident in. If you hear that there's a chatterbait bite but you've never fished em. Toss a normal jig.

One of the best weapons a fisherman can have is confidence in what youre doing. A huge mistake that many tournament fisherman make is second guessing themselves and their game plan. Like what has been said before, fish what you know and are confident in. If you hear that there's a chatterbait bite but you've never fished em. Toss a normal jig.

I think that's why I didn't do well. I went to a lake I've never been and tried new things I've never fished.

Fish your strengths, do not get beat by your mind by thinking you cannot compete against those 199 other boats.  The only boat you got to worry about is you... get to teh spot you want first and just put trust in God and go get em'