I was wondering if any of you guys had participated much in the local bass tournaments. I'd like to get into it this year but I'm not quite sure what the best way to go is. It seems there are a few clubs in town, some associated with FLW, some associated with B.A.S.S.
The annual dues all seem pretty similar, as do the tournament schedules, so I was hoping some of you had some experience with one or more of these clubs and could give some guidance based on your experiences.
I'm leaning towards the Bass Anglers Federation, as it seems by their rules that they try to accommodate non-boaters - which I will be - fairly well (in terms of getting a slot with a boater in the tournaments). The Nevada Bass Federations website is quite out of date, so I'm definitely leaning away from that one. But I'm hoping some of you might have some input that is a bit more enlightening than just the club web sites.
Thanks.
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I joined the Bass Anglers Federation last year and it has been a blast. I have learned a lot from the guys there and everyone has been nice. We have our meetings the 1st Thursday of every month and you can fish 2 tournaments before you join the club.
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any choice you make will be good there are quite a few small circurts around , aba ,meaga bass is a great one trayce myers runs that he does a great job there is a ton at powell this spring and there is federation stuf also..not quite as good as down south but we have some good lakes around here pm me if you need any more info,
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I fished a lot with the Bass Anglers Federation. They are a great group. Great experience from the back of the boat.
They are affiliated with both FLW and B.A.S.S. so you can fish the federation events with either.
Just show up to one of the meetings at BPS, and sign up. It's that easy. Really cheap too. You can go fish a tournament or two before you have to pay membership dues (which are pretty cheap anyway) just to see if you like it.
Just remember - as a co-angler, you are expected to chip in on gas, and those boats can really guzzle it, so bring at least $40 to give your boater for gas. If you guys are making huge runs across the lake, you may need to bring more.
As a co-angler, you want to bring 3 combos with you.
1) A crankbait rod
2) A Jig rod
3) A drop-shot rod
You can do everything you need with those set-ups.
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwaters all on the crankbait rod.
Toss jigs, texas rigs, carolina rigs, and senkos on your jig rod.
Drop-shot and shakey-head fishing with your drop-shot rod.
Keep your tackle selection minimal. You don't want to carry unnecessary gear. Bring a small tackle tray with cranks and topwaters, a small pouch with your spinnerbaits, only the soft-plastics you actually plan on using, etc. If you can't fit it all in a small backpack, leave it at home.
You need to bring your own life-jacket. The 5 dollar orange PFD will not cut it when you are on a boat that can and will go 70+ mph. Invest in a nice one.
Good luck man. You will learn a ton from those guys. Let us know how it goes!
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Thanks to ChuckStreamer's messages regarding the Bass Anglers Federation, I think I'll be trying to start attending their meetings. I've even already put in a time off request at work to attend the March meeting, though I can't really afford to take two days off in the same weekend for the tournament as well, so looks like April will be my first shot at a tournament.
And thanks for the advice, John. I had read that co-anglers are expected to pitch in, but I'm glad you mentioned how much, because I would have had no idea what to bring.
As to the rods, are there certain types/weights/lengths of rods that are intended as jig rods or drop shot rods? I've pretty much got all spinning gear of various weights and speeds, though I'm trying to convince my wife to allow me to buy a baitcaster pretty soon. I was thinking 7' medium as a cranking road, but I'm open to suggestions as it will be my first baitcaster setup.
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[cool]Check out the BassPro Spring classic. It starts on feb.22. The flyer is online. There are some nice deals on baitcasters and combos.
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