|
|
Member
Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | How many days do you generally prefish for a Tournament?
Do you let the purse decide?
Do you let your familiarity of the lake decide?
Do you let your work schedule decide?
A combination of the above?
Other?
I'm just curious what others do. As a general rule, I prefish two days just prior to a one day tournament. If I can get out, I also try the weekend before if I'm unfamiliar with the water.
Edited by Sunshine 2/10/2004 9:27 AM
|
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | Definitely a combination of work, lake knowledge, and schedule. For PWT events, I want to be there the Friday before the tourney and get a solid 4 days of prefish in. For the RCl Walleye League events, I usually fish 1-2 days prior. For the Merc, I was out 4 days before last year. This is all driven by my work schedule and family committments. This year, I have my wife talked into fishing an event with me for the first time. Should be a riot if we both survive it!!! |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 1188
Location: Chicago IL. | My rule of thumb is on 2 day tourneys ,I prefish 2 days and on 1 day 1 day. I mostly fish rivers and they change everyday. Too much prefishing will get you in trouble. I normally fish the same areas on the IL and the Miss rivers for our tourneys ,so thats a plus. Lake tourneys are different. I try to prefish the most I can. Now last year on the fox chain, I won a tourney and didnt prefish it at all. As a matter of fact, the lakes are 45 minutes from my front door and I have not fished them for 20 years!! It just goes to show how much luck plays a factor with picking the right crank/color/speed. Also doing you homework and looking at maps before you get to a area,takes alot of wasted prefishing time away. I knew exactly where I was going to fish and stuck with it. John |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 61
Location: Niagara Falls New York | On my home water which is eastern lake erie i normally fish 4 tourneys a year so prefishing never stops. We have always seemed to finish in the top 20 when able to prefish 3 days in the week leading up to the tourneys. I will be fishing the MWC east this year and will be prefishing from the Friday prior to the tourney in hopes to get 5 days on the water. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 714
| When I spent alot of time fishing tournaments, my work schedule was more less built around my fishing schedule. I usually allowed up to 10 days for a tournament. That included travel days to and from the site and hopefully 5-6 days to pre-fish on those waters I didn't spend alot of time on. More recently, I'm not traveling for tournaments so much, but do fish them on Mille Lacs when I am not booked with trips. These days, I will use 1-2 days (or partial days) where I am free during the week prior to the tournament and look at some specific spots that I never take customers to, and use the rest of my working time as my pre-fishing.
I tell ya, I don't really miss all the hours driving, cheap motel rooms, living out of a duffle bag, frozen pizzas, and hours tying and retying lines and everything else that comes with being on the road fishing tournaments. Yes they have their up side, and alot of great people out there to meet, but the pleasures of being home with the ones you love, at least for me now, is more enjoyable. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 265
Location: Combined Locks, WI | For me it depends on the tournament. For the Walleye League events I will fish 2-3 days depending on my knowledge of the body of water. The Merc I always give it 2 full days and the weekend before and 2 days after work leading up to it. This year the Walleye League on Green Bay is followed the next day by a WWA event and then followed the next weekend by a MWS event. I am fishing 3 days prior to the RCL League and WWA and 2 days prior to the MWS.
Work also plays into the number of days I will fish. I always try to figure my tournaments as close to the first of the year as I can so I can put in for all my days off well in advance.
Jon Piette NPAA #294
Albackore Sportfishing Gear, Three D Tackle Systems, Y-Not Technologies Pro Staff |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 2300
Location: Berlin | I like to prefish as many days as I can. The bigger the tournament the more time I spend prefishing. I think the reason why some people do not do well in tournaments is because they do not know how to prefish. Prefishing strategy is just as important as tournament strategy. I do not plan on going into any details on this but I will tell you that working together with your teamates is right up there. The guys that do well consistantly know how to work with their group. You are at a huge disadvantage if you cannot work as a team towards a common goal. Enough said. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 86
Location: Byron, IL | I have always been lacking in regards to prefishing. I like to get at least 2 solid days in, pending the work schedule...however, past partners could not commit to this, which has hurt. |
|
| |
|
| From the time the last one gets over till the next one starts. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 39
Location: Cupar, Saskatchewan, Canada | I prefish three days no matter what tournament. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 279
Location: Rockford MN | I like to pre-fish 1 week for any tournament that I consider large. Small tours I'm lucky to get in 4 hours, never enough time in the summer! I never do well if I don't get out and pattern fish, I really like to do all the work myself and never take someones advice. I think if you find them and pattren them well on your own you will do your best! To many people hear something and run around more then I think they should. You cant catch fish going 50mph running all over the lake looking to see where everyone else is. Find the fish pre-fishing, catch them during the tournament and everything works out.
A little over 1 month, and I'm already to cross then IL. river saugers eyes " Again" ! |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 6
| At least 1 week for larger tourneys. Smaller tourneys depend on work and location. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 265
Location: Combined Locks, WI | I agree with Rich, a game plan not only for the tournament but for pre fishing is a definate must. That is probably just as or more important than the number of days spent pre fishing. Doing your homework on the body of water is also key.
Jon |
|
| |
