# Questions about being a Tournament Fisherman...



## Talonman (Sep 12, 2013)

I would like to join a Central Ohio based Fishing Club, and have questions...

Feel free to speak to any of them. 

First off, is how do I find a club that only will fish in Ohio? As this would be my first jump into organized fishing, it would probably be best to just fish around here to get my feet wet starting out.

Second, what comes first, the shirt or the sponsors? To my limited understanding, sponsors are attracted to winning fisherman that also have their logos on their shirts. If that is the case, how do you start out getting your Tournament shirts made? I want one! 

Are there clubs that only fish with boats? I have my 2014 Lund Fury 1600, with a 40HP engine. I am not sure how bank fisherman compete with boats, but currently believe some clubs have both bank fisherman, and boat fisherman, but not sure how that works out in their Tournaments.

I also would not want a tournament held on Hoover, with it's 9.9 HP limit.

Will most bass clubs earn you official points toward making other official BASS Master Tournaments if you begin to do very well, or is that not a concern for most...

Do I need a tournament partner joining a club, or is one normally found after joining a club? Needless to say I don't have one yet.

If you know of an ideal Central Ohio based club, that sounds like it might be a good fit for me, post me up a link.

At age 50, and in good health, I think it's time to start my fishing career in 2014! 

Thanks!


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## basshunter11 (Jul 2, 2006)

There are many clubs in Ohio you have BASS and FLW go to there website and I am sure you can find one in your area. Most clubs have boater and non boaters. Going as a non boater is the best way to learn. That is how I got my start about 18 years ago. I still look up to some of those guys. I am no longer in a club but it is the best way to learn about and get started in tournament fishing.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

Talonman said:


> I would like to join a Central Ohio based Fishing Club, and have questions...
> 
> Feel free to speak to any of them.
> 
> ...


hope this helps...


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## Talonman (Sep 12, 2013)

Thanks Guys! It helps indeed... 

I am now trying to join The Columbus BassMasters.


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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

yep there's alot out there, next year will be my first sponsored year, however there's still a large out of pocket portion ill have to fork out. 3 states licenses, fuel, lodge, food.. etc etc... don get carried away, dont get worried about sponsors or shirts, for many years i just fished with a ranger cup shirt on, just so i would qualify for ranger cup bonus.

just get out and have fun. i would love to fish FLW tournaments, and im ready to fish the bass opens...however right now my dad is my partner, and fishing with him is more important to me, than my dream tournament of fishing a bass open series... it will come one day, but for now, its pops and i, since i was 7 years old, my first tournament was mda at Indian lake... we have since branched out. but you dont need to join a specific "club" there's mounds and mounds of open tournaments each year.


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## ebijack (Mar 31, 2013)

Do you really want to work that hard for sponsorship? If your going to compete in even the everstart's etc. There are guys who have been fishing all the waters for many years, some are retired and can fish everyday. Lots of top notch competition. The larger the circuit, the more the competition. With the local bass clubs your more likely to fish local inland waters and not big waters where you need the right boat and equipment. Like mentioned, if you want to learn a lot fish any or all of the FLW or BASS tourney's as a co-angler. You will learn a lot about tourney fishing, time involved, some will help with how they find the right fish ( yes the right fish) to place high enough to cash a check let alone win even more so in a multiday tourney. You will learn who is a great guy and who is FOS. You have to have more than one spot to fish for each tourney on the big waters. I fished bass tourney's for 20+yrs and walleye tourney's for somewhere around 9 yrs. Inland waters and big waters. I cashed some checks but overall I spent a lot more than I ever got back. It was a blast, the best part is the folks I met over the years. The guys who get sponsorship $$ have to work for it. Way more than a guy who works 40 hrs wk. And you have to be willing to tell the world "this is the best product out there" even if it isn't. I never went that route. I thought I would in the beginning but changed my mind. Do the co-angler a few times, not just once as you don't know who you will draw. Learn the basics then decide what is best for you.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

As has already been said .... bass clubs are easy to find. Like LOTP said, you can find bass clubs looking for members by searching this forum, also if you have a dedicated tackle store in your area, some bass clubs and tournament circuits have information available there. Especially if the tackle store caters to bass fisherman. Some clubs take new members as they want to join, others only take new members that are sponsored by an existing member. All of the bass clubs that I know of fish as individual anglers. Even if there are two people in the boat, they are competing as individuals. Some may be different though. 

There are bass circuits where anglers fish as individuals and circuits that have a team format. If you have, or can find a fishing buddy that is interested in fishing tournaments, the team tournaments are a good way to go until get comfortable with tournament fishing. You're splitting costs, and you're always assured of fishing with someone that you get along with, and with them being a team member, that has your interests at heart. That's not always the case when fishing a circuit that has boaters and non boaters that are competing against each other from the same boat. I'm not sure, but when you mention bank fisherman I think you may be getting confused by the term "non boater" A non boater isn't a person fishing from shore. It's another angler riding in someone else's boat. I know of no bass tournaments that have shore fisherman and boaters competing against each other. 

As far as the which comes first, the shirt or the sponsors...... don't take this the wrong way, but that should be the least of your concerns. Just because you look like a tournament fisherman, doesn't mean you're going to fish like one. You'll have more than enough things to concern yourself with throughout a tournament day. Putting added pressure on yourself in trying to live up to an image your clothes may be projecting, isn't the kind of pressure you want, or need. Especially when new to tournament fishing. If you're still interested in a fishing jersey Atomic Fishing Jerseys also makes some very nice jerseys that you can adorn with all kinds of manufacturers names.

Concerning clubs whose results contribute points to the big boy leagues, those are great, but I wouldn't base my decision on which club to join solely on that criteria. I'd base your choice on feeling comfortable with the level of competition you'll be facing. I'm not saying you won't be facing stiff competition in even a small club or small circuit ... There are some excellent anglers fishing smaller clubs and circuits. It's just that there are varying levels of competition from circuit to circuit, and it's usually based on tournament payout. The higher the payout, the stiffer the competition.

I'd also be on the look out for open tournaments, where only an entry fee is required and not a circuit membership fee as well. Those are great places to get your feet wet. OMBTT is a central Ohio bass circuit that puts on a few open events throughout the year, and based on a couple of their opens I've fished, they do a great job at running a tournament.

In closing .... your enthusiasm is great, and I don't know what your expectations are..... and as said earlier...... don't take this the wrong way, but if you have high expectations I'd try to temper them somewhat. I'm not saying not to expect a lot of yourself. After all that's the thing that drives us to get better. It's just that tournament fishing can really open your eyes on just how much you have to learn. And you'll learn every day. Never ever get the attitude that you know all you need to know, because the minute you do you'll miss something that will cost you fish, and potentially a check. Tournament fishing is a lot of fun, but don't let poor results deter you. There are some anglers that can come in to tournament fishing and start kicking butt right off the bat, but for the majority of us it takes a couple of years before you learn the ropes of managing your time on the water. 

Good luck


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

i would suggest the bass weekend series as a coangler, or the flw ohio bfl coangler.


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

If you're looking for a circuit to fish, check out http://www.ohiobassblog.com/2014-circuit-schedules/

If you're looking for open tournaments, check out http://www.ohiobassblog.com/2014-open-tournaments/


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