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Posts: 48
| When it comes to pre-fishing a tournament for those of you that fish tournaments do you pre-fish or not? While I think pre-fishing is important I also believe that it can ruin your chances. I cant say how many times I had caught a nice fish or two during pre-fishing and than struck out during the tournament. Even thought I went to the spots I got the fish the day before those fish were not interested getting stuck again.
What most of us hope for is a follow but sometimes it it does not always pan out that way. has anyone considered pre-fishing with dummy lures? (lures with no hooks on them) |
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Posts: 3147
| Is there that much money and reward,,to not enjoy catching a fish while pre fishing a tournament by accident. The tournaments we do we prefish and scout but still enjoy catching a fish if it happens.free time and time on the water has priceless value too.
I just don't see the rewards in cash and extras to worry about it. nobody's going to retire or get their picture on people magazine by wnning musky tournaments. Enjoy the fish. |
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | Prefish and stick as many as you can so someone else doesn’t catch them. Then go off your pattern you developed and catch some more in the tourney. |
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Posts: 48
| happy hooker - 6/25/2020 5:55 PM
Is there that much money and reward,,to not enjoy catching a fish while pre fishing a tournament by accident. The tournaments we do we prefish and scout but still enjoy catching a fish if it happens.free time and time on the water has priceless value too.
I just don't see the rewards in cash and extras to worry about it. nobody's going to retire or get their picture on people magazine by wnning musky tournaments. Enjoy the fish.
I get your point I'm not in for the reward. On this small chapter tournaments the reward is so small that it don't matter if I win some or not, but the competitive nature of me wants to finish on top. If we are going to do it "for fun" then lets not keep a score!!! |
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Posts: 2269
Location: SE, WI. | Always Prefish! Put in as many tournament hours as possible 3-4 days prior. Fish 4-6 different patterns daily. Find as many patterns that the fish R on, so when tourney arrives, you have multiple options. And No,...... don’t keep sticking multiple fish if you find a hot pattern. Leave these fish alone and find A alternative pattern...in case your honey hole dries up! JD
Edited by jdsplasher 6/25/2020 10:15 PM
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Posts: 1220
| I’ve often suspected pre-fishing was a big negative for musky events. With 15 of 100 anglers getting a fish on a “good” tournament day, why severely lower your tournament catch allowing fish to be burned during the days prior. This year, I asked the director of the biggest tour to consider a ban on hooks on baits during the prefishing days. You would still see the fish, accurately judge their aggressive behavior, but without preventing them from being caught making a better tournament. You also end the (more or less?) unsportsmanlike behavior of spending Thursday and Friday burning fish in the areas you have no intentions to fish while the other guy is doing it to you. My belief is that the more fish actually caught in competition...the better. OBTW, the tournament director didn’t think the other guys would like my idea. |
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Posts: 183
| Junkman - 6/26/2020 10:31 AM
I’ve often suspected pre-fishing was a big negative for musky events. With 15 of 100 anglers getting a fish on a “good” tournament day, why severely lower your tournament catch allowing fish to be burned during the days prior. This year, I asked the director of the biggest tour to consider a ban on hooks on baits during the prefishing days. You would still see the fish, accurately judge their aggressive behavior, but without preventing them from being caught making a better tournament. You also end the (more or less?) unsportsmanlike behavior of spending Thursday and Friday burning fish in the areas you have no intentions to fish while the other guy is doing it to you. My belief is that the more fish actually caught in competition...the better. OBTW, the tournament director didn’t think the other guys would like my idea.
Not sure how you'd enforce something like that without multiple people at launches and In the lake following everyone around. And if somebody asks if Im fishing the tournament tomorrow Id say no assuming they won't remember my face/boat unless they record specific info about every single person that fishes that day. |
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Posts: 51
| Junkman - 6/26/2020 11:31 AM
I’ve often suspected pre-fishing was a big negative for musky events. With 15 of 100 anglers getting a fish on a “good” tournament day, why severely lower your tournament catch allowing fish to be burned during the days prior. This year, I asked the director of the biggest tour to consider a ban on hooks on baits during the prefishing days. You would still see the fish, accurately judge their aggressive behavior, but without preventing them from being caught making a better tournament. You also end the (more or less?) unsportsmanlike behavior of spending Thursday and Friday burning fish in the areas you have no intentions to fish while the other guy is doing it to you. My belief is that the more fish actually caught in competition...the better. OBTW, the tournament director didn’t think the other guys would like my idea.
You make alot of very good points and I mostly agree. But like Vilas15 said, there's really no way to reasonably enforce that rule without significant financial ramifications IMO.
Edited by MKevin 6/26/2020 7:40 PM
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| Do guys really go in ahead of time and try to "burn" the fish so nobody else catches them during the tournament?
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Posts: 48
| The "burn" approach is very interesting to me.. My whole goal whole pre-fishing is to spot as many fish as possible the day before without sticking any of them, record my data and come to the place first thing in the morning on day one trying to get the fish to bite. As we all know in Musky fishing especially that doesn't always work but it has worked for me in the past. I pre-fish with dummy lures and the guys in my chapter know that, but have refused to give it a try... in my opinion they dont need to, they can stick as many as they want, and I will keep coming to the spots I have seen fish the day before.. |
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Pre-Fishing Tournaments Yes or No ?