Critical

[Oldfart9999]

This is not about modifying a bait, a secret technique, new hot bait or anything like that, it's about something far more critical to successful fishing, the mental side. It's the mental that decides having a good day far more than any bait or technique, it's the mental game that can mean cashing a check on tournament day or not.  The mental part of fishing can make the difference on catching fish on a weekend trip or not.
Keeping your head in the game starts with your first thoughts about fishing, it's about careful prep, getting your gear ready early so there are no surprises, if you have a long trip making arrangements for sleeping and meals, launch facilities, stores for food and snacks.  You should have your game plan all set.
It's launch time, whether for a day of fishing after a long week or for a tournament. For a tournament you're all checked in, boat check done and boat in the water when you notice the weatherman lied through his teeth. Panic time, not if you hope to do well, time to get the brain in gear and think about what it's going to do to the fish. Are they going to move, go to cover hard, shouldn't bother them at all, what? Weekender, basically the same goes for you.
If you have a partner you both should be discussing this, any changes in tackle should carefully be done now as well as figuring out where you need to go if you're changing plans. Have confidence in what you're going to be doing, it shouldn't take long to see if you're right and time to make adjustments if it doesn't work. This takes the ability to throw out what you're doing and doing what you need to do. Do you need to downsize, go to cover maybe head for the windy banks and try horizontal baits because everybody knows the windy side gets stirred up putting the baitfish in a eating mood don't they?
If you find fish with your new plan, it's time to find the size you need to have a shot at a high finish, not big changes, speed followed by up or down sizing, lastly color, perhaps a different bait. It's all part of the game and so far you're adapting pretty well.
Killer time, you're hooked up on the fish of a life time, you're no longer hooked up to the fish of a lifetime, deflation. Do you slump to the deck in depression, cuss up a storm to the fishing gods, lay on the deck whining and crying up a storm like a 4 year old that can't have the cookie he wanted, throw your tackle about including out of the boat or do you suck it up check the bait and make another cast? I never saw KVD, Denny Brauer, or Rick Clunn do that, all I saw were guys who shrugged their shoulders and went back to making casts, this is what they did to not panic or give up, this is what sets them apart from most of their peers.
The reason for arriving the day before instead of making a long drive, a quick check of your gear and boat then a good nights sleep, makes it easier to adapt to unforeseen changes. You have plenty of snacks and drinks in the boat, your blood sugar goes down or you become dehydrated your mind becomes sluggish at best and at worst becomes unable to think in an emergency. Forcing yourself to NOT taking a mental dumper when you lose a big fish makes it much easier to get your self back into the game, your strength of will can make a difference.
3rd Saturday of June 2005, opening day of bass season, ABA tournament on Cayuga Lake, got there early, was 6 weeks out from a hip replacement. The wind was howling at up to 45 mph out of the north, saving grace for me is the the tourney launched on the north end, I had the smallest boat in the fleet at 16 feet. Everybody went south. All I had was docks and clear water, the grass patches in the canal channel were in the wind so I couldn't work them, I tried for 15 minutes and went back to the docks. I had a perfect day, I didn't let any of the crap bother me I was so happy to be fishing. I had a perfect day, a limit, 5 fish, 7.65 lbs of dinks but legal dinks, I have the trophy for first place, I was the only one to weigh a limit, won by less than half a pound, never lost a fish, nothing bothered me I wouldn't let it. I wish I could say that about all my tourneys but I can't but I can tell you the ones I kept a positive attitude were good ones, the ones where my attitude went south weren't.
It's hard work at times but you have to have a good attitude and not lose your ability to think your way through tough times, the more you prepare your self to having to adapt the better you will be, trust me, the ability to forge ahead no matter what is the most important part of the game and will help you turn adversity into a good day.
Rodney   

[D.W. Verts]

Huh. I think that you need to be writing more of this stuff, sir.

Dale

[apenland01]

Great advice and love the story!  My tournaments are roughly 3 hours away, so instead of getting up at 1am and making a drive, I always stay the night wherever I can and go to the tournament usually well rested.  It makes a huge difference.

[FD]

Good stuff Rodney!

In my tourney days bad weather always made my checks prettier.   A little adversity always spins out of half the competition by 10 am and they are mentally somewhere else.

My biggest one day check came in January during a nasty cold front with 40° rain and wind from an 11 lb bag.



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[Mike Cork]

Great read Rodney, I'm with D.W. in that you need your own blog here on the site.

There are many things that will eliminate competition before the first boat number is called. Keeping ones head in the game and staying mentally sharp will put green backs in the livewell and the wallet.