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New User
Posts: 3
| I am new to walleye tournament fishing. I understand that tournament fishing can be very lucrative. I want to start fishing tournaments, but I don’t think I am ready for the FLW Tour.
What is the best paying circuit? Which one can you get the” best bang for your buck”.
MWC
Full Throttle
Midwest Walleye Series
Mercury National
BS
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Member
Posts: 794
Location: Elgin, Illinois | My advice is look at the Full Throttle for partner tourneys or the FLW League for Pro/Am format. |
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Member
Posts: 625
Location: LaCrosse, WI | If you have a final goal of fishing the FLW tour, then I would suggest the FLW League. Also, fishing tournaments is very rarely lucrative. Those who do the best at it usually make a big chunk of their income from sales/sponsorship or other areas. Very few make their entire living based on tourmanent winnings.
The tour level circuits are mostly pro/am format with the exception of the MWC (the highest level team circuit). The FLW Walleye League is the only circuit that will give you the experience of being a pro in charge of your boat with a stranger fishing with you.
The first thing I would do is set realistic expectations. For your first year, you'd better plan to learn some new water, and hope to cash a check. It sounds easy though, catch a bunch of fish and make money. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way. It usually takes a few years before someone starts cashing checks fairly consistantly. Even then, it's the top 10% of the guys sharing the top 50-70% of the checks.
Experience will get you to that point, but you must be prepared to learn and take your share of beatings along the way.
Good Luck |
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Member
Posts: 514
Location: Darboy USA | I agree with what the others have said, and to add to that: Do you want to learn many different waters or just "master" some local ones? If you want to try many different lakes/rivers and techniques, I'd say FLW League, best way to do that and cheapest. If you want to do team events, MWC will have biggest payouts, but very tough fields and higher entry fees. My personal opinion is for the best "bang for your buck" on the team side do the MWS or Full Throttle.
I've fished those the last few years and have had a ton of fun. The payouts are decent based on the size field and are very well run. I don't think you would go wrong with either one.
Let us know what you are thinking of doing and best of luck. |
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| If you're from Minnesota, the MTT (Minnesota Tournament Trail)is a great circuit. $220 entry fee, $5,000 pay back for the one day events based on 100 boats. If you qualify for the championship, 1st prize is a $35,000 boat (retail) and $12,000 for 2nd with good payouts down the order. Championsip entry is $450. They run 19 events in 2009. http://www.mntournamenttrail.com |
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Member
Posts: 2300
Location: Berlin | If you would like info on any of the trails you mentioned let me know, I can have some mailed to you. Full Throttle's 1st event is on April 5th at Spring Valley if you are interested.
[email protected]
tick-tick-tick |
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Member
Posts: 744
| bigshooter1 - 3/26/2009 6:51 PM
I am new to walleye tournament fishing. I understand that tournament fishing can be very lucrative. I want to start fishing tournaments, but I don’t think I am ready for the FLW Tour.
BS
NOPE. Unless you are God's gift to the fishing world....and since you are a registered user, that is impossible...only Guests are even close to that degree of perfectness. |
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| I agree with all the above advice, very "spot on". Looking at your list it appears as your Wisconsin based and those are all good tournaments/series. Of that list, MWC probably is highest overall level of competition. Take a look a the pay out schedules to help determine your best "bang for the buck". I like to see at least an 80% return which is why I personally like Full Throttle over MWS, but all on list are very well run. It appears this may be the year to jump into Merc as apparently it is not full yet so hurry up and Jump in |
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Member
Posts: 2300
Location: Berlin | CT, are you fishing any of the Full Throttle's this year? |
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| Have not committed to any yet but will probably do the 6/6 one on winnebago as a warm up for Merc |
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| You may want to consider fishing the new AIM tour as a Co-Angler. Cost is only $250 and you will be able to fish with and observe the decisions and tactics employed by some of the best walleye tournament anglers on the water today. If your goal is to ultimately fish the bigger tours, I can think of no better learning experience. Heck I'd love to draw into a Mike Gofron or Tommy Skarlis's boat! Check out www.aimfishing.com |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| Or Gary Parson's boat!
There are lots of options open to you. If you want to get a feel for tournaments, how they work, and how you should approach competing in them, I highly suggest entering in AIM, FLW Tour, or FLW LEague events. The pro's/boaters will answer questions you have, you'll learn how much work it is, how to approach the day, how to think on the water, and you'll have an opportunity to learn new presentaions and techniques. Not saying you'll get all this inf in one tournament, or even in several in one year. But it is an eye opener, and you will learn.
If you want to fish immediatley, then there are lots of small and bar tournies in most every state, and on most bodiesw of water. Get yourself a partner, sign up, and start fishing.
And keep visiting sites like this and ask questions. That said, I'll apologize for my response to your first post. I'll do it there, too. |
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Best Circuit / Series