So I have decided to fish a club this year and give it my all.  Here is my problem though, I have fished a couple small "jackpot" tournaments before and I get so excited, nervous and anxious the night before that I do good if I get 2 hours sleep. Then by 10 o'clock in the morning I am completely dead and have trouble really giving a full effort. How do you stay calm or relax to get enough sleep? I know I would do a lot better if I just relaxed the night before.

You are not alone. I used to always have that problem. I couldn't get my mind settled down enough to get some sleep the night before. The way I fixed it was I learned how to play Sudoku. I have the game on my Blackberry, so when I lay down at night I start to play and after one or two games my mind is settled down and I start to dose off. I turn off the game and close my eyes and the next thing I know my alarm is going off and it's time to roll.

On the way to the tournament I play some good music and it gets me pumped and ready to fish.

3 fingers of whiskey at 9:00, knocked out at 10:00, wake up at 3:30 good to go. The more you get used to it the less anexiety you experience. The anexiety hits me at the ramp. That's when I start second guessing my set ups and start changing lures or second guessing my game plan of areas to fish.

The sudoku trick is similar to why I can't fall asleep without the tv on.  If all else fails at about 7 o'clock the night prior some excedrin PM works too.

A lot of sex the night before should relax you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of sex the night before should relax you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;D I've tried that....it just makes the tiredness worse.

A lot of sex the night before should relax you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;D I've tried that....it just makes the tiredness worse.

You're doing it wrong.   ;D

1. Don't eat all day and eat a HUGE diner

2. Get Drunk

3. Watch a funny movie

Follow those steps in order, it should work

I have the same problem, but usually I'm too jacked during the tournament to even think about being tired.  Try that     I would think that some Nyquil or whatever would work, but make sure you take it early on so it's worn off by the time you have to get up.  Also, crank some music on the way to the ramp and don't be afraid to get excited about what happens during the tourney.  Think of yourself like the guy in crank and keep the adrenaline flowing  ;D

Go out and have a rotten prefish. You'll be so disgusted you'll just say the hell with it and go to sleep.

I usually prefish from before daylight until dark the two days prior to the tournament.  Two long days on the water and two short nights and you can sack out anywhere the eve before the event, even in a tent in a campground with people hooting and hollering all night 

make sure that if you do the nyquil that you take it early, i took it at 1 am one day and never woke up for the tourny.  ended up waking up at like 8 and missed out.

Experience with tournament helps.  Fishing 20 or more per year will allow to you treat a tournament as a normal day. If you drink coffee, don't do it after 3:00 p.m. If you don't exercise, try getting into strong walking or cardio routine before daylight fades. Make a routine of setting your clothes out, and getting your tackle together perfectly the night before. This can cure the stress of feeling you might be leaving something behind for the big day. On tourney day, all the other guys are worried about themselves and their performance, not about yours, so breathe easy.  One last tip:  don't try to go to sleep too early.  Your body isn't used to the change, so it won't work.

I used to be like that until I learned that the things you think about the night before usually don't translate into the tourney. 

Every day is new, so I just keep the info I learned in the back of my mind, get a good night sleep, then completely change my plan when I launch the boat :D!!!!

I get all jacked up the night before but then as we get on the water before launch  I settle down and just go fishing. 

I usually prefish from before daylight until dark the two days prior to the tournament. Two long days on the water and two short nights and you can sack out anywhere the eve before the event, even in a tent in a campground with people hooting and hollering all night

I agree with Hot Rod. I pre fish two full days before a tournament and that will where you out pretty good so im usually out between 8:30 and 9:30 the night before the tournament. Some tournaments i fish though have a week off limits period. those are a little tougher but i go through all my gear and the boat then spend some "time" with my fiance and that usually helps

Yeah...spending "time" with your fiance/wife always puts you to sleep... ;D ;D ;D