For all you guys that have fished the BASS opens, what skills are critical to have before entering your first Opens tournament. I have been in 15 bass tournaments locally and have been competing in American bass anglers tournaments and currently have a 7th and an 8th place finish and I am joining a bass club. I plan on waiting a year to refine my skills and get reay and save up to fish 5 events in 2012.

I may be wrong but I believe you have to be 18 to fish the opens.

For all you guys that have fished the BASS opens, what skills are critical to have before entering your first Opens tournament. I have been in 15 bass tournaments locally and have been competing in American bass anglers tournaments and currently have a 7th and an 8th place finish and I am joining a bass club. I plan on waiting a year to refine my skills and get reay and save up to fish 5 events in 2012.

Young man, if you happen to get in, you are in for the shock of your young life. It ain't bass club or American Bass fishing.

The best of luck to you.

Two main things Id suggest for starters, first is become very versatile. You need to be good at many techniques for catching fish. Second is finding fish and good fish. This will require electronics and the skills to read and understand em. Spend as much time on the water as possible, even if its walking a local pond.

I see no need to be intimidated as I dont see it as shocking at all. Personally Ive fished several tournaments that were well over 200 boats, I find it alot of fun. That said I guess I should add that you need to not only find alot of good fish, but ya gotta know how to manage em. I  excel at multi day events, others are 1 day wonders. Bradley Roy? Age is not the issue. Most people can catch fish, but locating em is a different story.

Personally I think you need a bit more tournament experience. However if you are a natural it will come easy for you.

I don't own a boat, So i plan on fishing as a co-angler for the Northern opens and Southern open events for a while.

Good place to start.

I plan on getting a job over the summer to save up the entry fees. It costs $350 a tournament to enter as a co angler. Im going to practice and fish every single day In the summer and fish as many new bodies of water possible in order to practice finding bass. I think i will get better with electronics by being a non boater in American bass anglers tournaments where I can learn to read my boaters electronics..............Any thing else I should do to be ready, my goal is to save up enough to buy a used bass boat and fish the 2013 or 2014 Northern opens, But I think Fishing the Bassmaster opens will be a good start and a good learning experience.

Be very well versed in drop shotting and carolina rigging. Its tough fishing behind these guys. A rip bait can also be a good bait from the back. Not saying other methods wont be important, but those a good from the back.

I was at where you are at a few years ago. I just started fishing 5 years ago. I fished for a year then joined a club my second year. I did very well when I was the boater. I won a couple including our Classic and finished 2nd in a couple. But I knew I was not ready so I got out of the club for 2 years and practiced.

I reentered this year and had a chance for AOY going into the last tx. I ended up 4th. But I had to miss the first tx and the other top 5 fished them all.

My plan was not to fish any tx I wasn't ready to win. I had a lot of things go wrong this year including health, boat problems and all but one tx on water I had never fished before. Plus I missed a tx. Point is I know I am closer.

My advice is based on my experience. You have to do a ton of studying off the water and know about what the fish should be doing when you get on the water. But when they are not doing what they are suppose to be, then start searching for them from that point. And you have to find the big fish. Not just keepers. Also, only get in the back of really good fisherman. You need to learn and that experience is best learned from you making the desicions. You have to be able to find your own fish and your own spots. And you can't always live by the same spots over and over.

I could go on and on but you get the point. Oh yeah, confidence is the most important thing. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Thanks Guys for your help............... Im going to practice everyday over the summer and conquer my weaknesses, but excel at my strengths. the good thing is is that my skill is research, And that has helped me find some of my very best spots on the potomac river, I found a spot my last tournament, then caught a 2.8 pounder from there

1. How are you going to travel?

2. I'm pretty sure you are too young, and at the least need to be 16 years of age? maybe why you said you are waiting til 2012

3. Where are you going to stay?

4. Who is going to travel with you?

5. If you don't own a boat, how exactly are you going to refine your skills to be able to fish effectively. Practicing from the shore and practicing from the backseat are two completely different things.

Finally does your parents know what you are planning?