BFL Experiences?

[PowerBass]

Hey Guys. I was looking at the BFL league through Flw Outdoors. I may do 1 of these when i get out of high school next year as a co angler. Any one ever do one? Any tips on prepping for a huge tournament? How about how you select gear? Do they draw baoters a long time in advanced? Reason for asking is practice. My boat is nowhere near powered enough or big enough for these big water. How well are these events run, alot of people seem super happy bout them. Thanks,

nick

[JB]

well I was in the federation for 7 years fishing tournaments anywhere from 20 guys to 900 guys, so I guess thats big enough huh...the really big tournaments, you weren't supposed to fish the waters for two weeks prior to the tourney, although I am not sure how they can monitor everyone.
You almost always send in your entry money, and either have someone in mind to fish with, as a boater or non boater, or list yourself as a non boater willing to get anyone you draw, or vise versa. The best advise I can tell you to prepare is time on the water. If you have tournaments from march-october, chances are you'll go to dozens of dif. lakes, rivers, etc, and probably several times a year to the same ones.
I always tell people prefishing to ask around what the fish are doing, it changes everyday, but at least this way you'll have some areas scouted out.
The hardest thing I've found as a non boater is even if you have great areas that you know fish are, you're at the mercy of the boater and the 'tip' he has from a buddy or club member to go hit, even if you know that they are not there ...many guys will prefish days, weeks, or months in advance and then draw conclusions to where the fish are, most of the time the conditions change , sometimes from one tournament day to another.
Ya gotta spend time on the water to follow migration / feeding habits to get in the money.
Even if ya don't place, you'll learn anything from boat handling and postioning, to weigh in techniques and keeping your mouth shut at the scales........why let other newbies in on secrets you worked so hard to
figure out?

[lizardsrule]

Buzz JB, been awhile huh LOL. You get drawn the night before the tourney, so you will not have any idea who you are partnered with. Every one I have entered, they always have more boaters than non-boaters, so they put boaters together. Usually they shoot for 200 boats, unless it's a regional tourney. To be Guaranteed entry you must enter with a boater, and be in before they reach 200 boats(max). I really like BFL as a non boater because you are only competing against other non boaters, and the boaters compete only against the other boaters. It' really tough to win a tourney fishing from the back, when you are competing against the guy in the front. I have been backboated a few times, but have met a lot more great folks. As for prefishing, you can fish until 1 hour(I believe that's it) before the meeting the night before the tourney. The meeting before the tourney is where you are randomly drawn a partner. You will then get to meet them, try to find out what his strategy is, and try to prepare for that. However I've even been teamed with guys who were so afraid of someone knowing what they were planning, that they wouldn't even tell me(then he blanked on toruney day rotflmao). Can't tell you how many guys said the are on fish, only to blanck, or not even be close to winning. As JB stated you are strictly at the mercy of the boater, if he puts you where the fish are you got a chance, if he doesn't it's a lot of casting and little fish. He has complete control of where and how you fish. Be prepared to fish fast, spinners, cranks etc... Some of these guys fly around like crazy, and make sure you bring you own life jacket, and some gas money for the boater($20 is standard). You are not allowed to fish from the fornt of the boat at all, so keep that in mind even if he offers, it's a no no. Best experiences was coming in 9th on the Ohio River, with 2 fish, out of 155 boats. I missed first place litterally by inches, since I had the third fish hit my crank right at the boat(3 lbers easy), which gave me no time to get hookset, and missed the fish. That cost me over a grand LOL. I fished one here in Florida Feb 06, and it was spawing season for the fish in some of the creeks. Never ever will I fish a tourney as a non boater again, when fishing beds is the game. You don't have a prayer, they anchor the boat with them by the bed, and cast until either they figure out they can't catch em, or until the do catch them, then on to the next bed. I was stuck randomly throwing out the back at nothing. That was my worst experience. I believe BFL's to be a top notch organization, and highly reccomend them. I will say I have yet to catch a limit in one, or any of my partners if that tells you anything. Either you get lucky on the draw or you get the rest. Either way your fishing, and hopefully will meet some good fishing people, and learn something, I always learned something, usually it was what not to do rotfl. Practice up on your c-rigging, that was pretty productive for me during these tourneys, dragging it behind the boat. If your partner is nailing them, then use what he's using, if he aint, then use what you like, and have confidence in. Great fishng to ya.

Lizards

[zooker]

you NEED to be at the meeting. get ready for mashing the gas and hauling a$$.. these guys move alot and i mean ALOT!! they are almost consantly on the troller.. i recomend your own suspend unit -get the long- be prepaired to lose baits alot of boaters wont stop to let ya retrive your hung bait.. some of them are ok guys some are plane buttheads. i also like lizard got strung out to dry while the boater was bed fishing.. you may learn a differant approach or style of fishing. you can bet you will see what your doing wrong..

be happy even if ya don't make the money-we aint into it for the money-



zooker

[dampeoples]

If you are just getting into tournaments, I'd recommend starting out with a team club tournament. You won't be back-boated, won't be forced to lose lures, and will make a few friends, and probably stand a much better chance at placing.

Never fished them, but the big leagues seem to take all the fun out of it. Why go when you're second rate from the start. and have no say-so in how your day is going to go?

[PowerBass]

Dam, im in a small club now. I start my first full season next spring. I am so excited. I was just wondering if the expeience was good with these tourneys.

[JB]

Almost all tourneys are pretty good, unless you're not catching anything and its either raining for 3 days straight, or 105 degrees out.
One thing to recommend tho, is never cast back behind the boat a long way if the guy running the trolling motor is going the opposite direction. Most will either *****about it or tell ya not to do it anymore..in other words the guy running the trolling motor gets first pick at every new foot of 'new bank"

[zooker]

some good some bad. i learn some useful stuff.

talk to tom about the bfl in nj -i know he has told me about some of them.. he probly knows better than 1/2 the anglers. tom wont bull sh!t you any that you can count on..

zooker

[PowerBass]

Originally Posted by zooker

some good some bad. i learn some useful stuff.

talk to tom about the bfl in nj -i know he has told me about some of them.. he probly knows better than 1/2 the anglers. tom wont bull sh!t you any that you can count on..

zooker

I know, Tom's a great guy. I def. need to pick his brain.

[zooker]

ya need his number??

zooker

[PowerBass]

I got it. Ill give him a call this weekend.

[lizardsrule]

Forgot, even if you wanted to go as a boater, your's won't qualify. Need a minimum of 18' boat to fish the BFL. I do think it's a good experience, but remember your competing against local guys, and some guys who could be fishing professionally, heck some of them do fish professionally.

Lizards