Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Bass Fishing => Bass Fishing Tips, Techniques & General Discussion => Topic started by: Big dreams on April 11, 2012, 04:35:51 PM

Title: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Big dreams on April 11, 2012, 04:35:51 PM
A buddy at work wants to have a "friendly" competition coming up on the 28th at an undecided lake.  Obviously we would release after a picture however, there is a slight disadvantage.  He has been fishing every Saturday and Sunday for the past 3 weeks now so his reaction is tuned.  We all know that reaction is the difference between catching fish and not catching fish.  Should I take him up on the challenge?  At this point the dollar ammount is minimal however, bragging rights are worth more to me than a few bucks.  What are your thoughts?
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 11, 2012, 05:43:02 PM
Reaction is just one of many, many factors to catching more and bigger bass. You can have the reaction time of a cobra, but if you're fishing the wrong place, you still won't catch many fish.

Doesn't seem like a big deal to me unless he is one of those people who gets under your skin? You do refer to him as 'a buddy' though? I would do it with a very minimal money amount if you feel like it though I prefer opening day to be a stress free day of annual awakening myself. I had plenty of these types of things back in the 'old days' though too. I used to fish with a guy who every single time out was a big 'who caught the most' competition. I got pretty tired of it after a while.

Once in a while is fine and fun, but every single time out?? Nah...
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Big dreams on April 12, 2012, 07:22:03 AM
That is a good point.  I too like the relaxing stress free atmosphere of opening day.  Good advice Dan!  Thanks
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Mike S. on April 12, 2012, 08:02:55 AM
I would just concentrate on having a good day on the water. No competition. I personally, am going to work on opening day. I am going to do everything possible to avoid a repeat of last year's opening day.......a Blazer parked in the back of my Nitro, before I got to the lake.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Waterfoul on April 12, 2012, 08:31:39 AM
Reaction smeaction!  I say go out and kick his.. butt!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: TimH on April 12, 2012, 08:59:59 AM
I would take the challeneg.  My buddy and I have a season long "tournament" that we fish competeing against each other.  We have made up some rules and regualtions, as well as made a trophy for the winner.  It might sound pretty stupid, but its a fun thing to do.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 11:40:58 AM
Quote from: mikeszr800 on April 12, 2012, 08:02:55 AM
I would just concentrate on having a good day on the water. No competition. I personally, am going to work on opening day. I am going to do everything possible to avoid a repeat of last year's opening day.......a Blazer parked in the back of my Nitro, before I got to the lake.

That will never happen again. I have sent what mojo (not The Mojo ;D) I have left to you for an entirely safe 2012 fishing season!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 11:41:40 AM
Quote from: Waterfoul on April 12, 2012, 08:31:39 AM
Reaction smeaction!  I say go out and kick his.. butt!

Well... there's that option too! Done that a few times myself. Though it is not 100% guaranteed...
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 12:34:45 PM
Quote from: TimH on April 12, 2012, 08:59:59 AM
I would take the challeneg.  My buddy and I have a season long "tournament" that we fish competeing against each other.  We have made up some rules and regualtions, as well as made a trophy for the winner.  It might sound pretty stupid, but its a fun thing to do.

That's not stupid. All depends on what you enjoy most. One my all time favorite partners and I used to have the official 'unofficial' championship of the world every fall somewhere on a neutral lake just between him and me to decide world bass fishing dominance. You've probably never read about it? We had all kinds of rules. We also had some trickery and just plain dastardly, underhanded maneuvers (what he called it whenever I happened to win)!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: TimH on April 12, 2012, 01:08:49 PM
Quote from: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 12:34:45 PM
Quote from: TimH on April 12, 2012, 08:59:59 AM
I would take the challeneg.  My buddy and I have a season long "tournament" that we fish competeing against each other.  We have made up some rules and regualtions, as well as made a trophy for the winner.  It might sound pretty stupid, but its a fun thing to do.

That's not stupid. All depends on what you enjoy most. One my all time favorite partners and I used to have the official 'unofficial' championship of the world every fall somewhere on a neutral lake just between him and me to decide world bass fishing dominance. You've probably never read about it? We had all kinds of rules. We also had some trickery and just plain dastardly, underhanded maneuvers (what he called it whenever I happened to win)!

That sounds pretty close to what we do.  We have a "rule book" that we typed up with all sorts of special regulations.  I think our funniest rule was one we wrote to deal with what happened if he or I had to cancel one of our "tournaments" due to our wives having somewhere else we had to be.  We called it the "MIDOL A" rule (Must Insist Delaying Organized League Activies).  Whoever had to cancel an event due to a wifes request was fined $25 and lost five points in the season standings.  The fine went into our "Season Champion Fund" that was awarded to the winner at the end of the season.  Our season starts with our "Classic" which is a three day tournament the opening weekend of Catch and Immediate release season.  To avoid having to prove pictures, we fish in the same boat all three days.  Our season runs all summer long and ends with "Championship Weekend" which is a two day event on St. Clair the last weekend in October.
We have some of the most absurd rules, but we have just about as much fun coming up with them as we do actually fishing, so its a good way to keep fishing on the mind in the middle of January.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 02:00:25 PM
We didn't get quite that far in our organization but the build up to the final event was INTENSE! ;D We fished in the same boat too in an attempt to reduce frippery and malfeasance... didn't always work! You know how anglers are!!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Big dreams on April 12, 2012, 02:28:10 PM
Those are some good times.  Now I don't know what to do lol
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Mike S. on April 12, 2012, 03:36:19 PM
Quote from: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 11:40:58 AM
Quote from: mikeszr800 on April 12, 2012, 08:02:55 AM
I would just concentrate on having a good day on the water. No competition. I personally, am going to work on opening day. I am going to do everything possible to avoid a repeat of last year's opening day.......a Blazer parked in the back of my Nitro, before I got to the lake.

That will never happen again. I have sent what mojo (not The Mojo ;D) I have left to you for an entirely safe 2012 fishing season!

I appreciate that Dan. Maybe I will try to get out after work. Will all depend on how the wife is healing up by then.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 04:22:11 PM
Quote from: Big dreams on April 12, 2012, 02:28:10 PM
Those are some good times.  Now I don't know what to do lol

You know what the real answer is. If you think it will be fun, do it. If you're not sure it will be fun or a good idea, do something else.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Genie on April 12, 2012, 04:24:15 PM
Dan Kimmel for President!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 04:31:40 PM
Cut that out! Don't you see what happens to Presidents anymore in this country?!? Definitely, lets not get on the topic of politics!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Skulley on April 12, 2012, 04:37:25 PM
Quote from: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 04:31:40 PM
Cut that out! Don't you see what happens to Presidents anymore in this country?!? Definitely, lets not get on the topic of politics!

............and that would spoil a really great thread. 


BD                              ;D
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 04:48:18 PM
It could spoil all kinds of things. I can ban Genie if he doesn't behave... or at least slow him down until the caffeine gets out of his system!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Genie on April 12, 2012, 05:04:02 PM
fast as fast can be ... can't catch me ...
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 12, 2012, 05:57:44 PM
I don't have to!! But I'll let you get away with it since you are the number one donater by far!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Firefighter Jeff on April 12, 2012, 10:27:09 PM
Quote from: mikeszr800 on April 12, 2012, 08:02:55 AM
I would just concentrate on having a good day on the water. No competition. I personally, am going to work on opening day. I am going to do everything possible to avoid a repeat of last year's opening day.......a Blazer parked in the back of my Nitro, before I got to the lake.

Yeah, but it got you a new rig didn't it???  The glass is half full Mike !!  :)
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Mike S. on April 13, 2012, 04:33:48 AM
It sure did. But, there was a period of over a month where I had no boat, and I had to fight and argue with the insurance company. What a head ache.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: djkimmel on April 13, 2012, 08:56:30 PM
Yeah... I imagine the 'glass' was empty for a while there and then maybe it was half full or more later? Glad you made it through the headache to the better end result. I've been there with the outboard knockoffs twice. Hoping the 2nd time was the last time!
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Mojo on April 15, 2012, 09:21:46 PM
Quote from: djkimmel on April 11, 2012, 05:43:02 PM
....... I used to fish with a guy who every single time out was a big 'who caught the most' competition. I got pretty tired of it after a while. Once in a while is fine and fun, but every single time out?? Nah...

Omg. I fished with a guy once who counted every fish, even 8 inchers, and announced his sponsor out loud !!!! No one was around !!  When he got to 35, I bent the rod with my 10th, but it was 5 lbs, followed by 5 more all the same size or bigger.  So I ended with 16 to his 36, but he ended up taking pictures holding all my fish..... So my question is, who won ?

More important, what does it matter ?

So I guess, unless you have a tournament scale and there is a ranking, it's all fun fishing, and competing during fun fishing seems ... Well .... y'know  ???

I think reaction is like riding a bike, you don't lose it, but having all you're equipment tuned is crucial. It seems the first few times out I miss spots when I cast, catch the rope on a dock, and that's where he is getting his advantage - knocking the ol rust off.  I still say go for it. Short story is, I guess it wouldn't be bad to go to his lake, so long as you get to pick the next lake.   ;)
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Skulley on April 16, 2012, 07:04:35 AM
It's all about QUALITY, not QUANTITY.     8).        I would rather have a dozen 3 to 5lbers to your 50 thirteen inchers.




BD.                      ;D
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Big dreams on April 16, 2012, 10:06:28 AM
It is hard to compete with very little ranking structure.  Pictures don't do fish justice.  Without keeping the fish out of the water for extended periods of time measuring and weighing, it would be tough.  Plus like some of you have said, that just isn't fun.  I think we will wait until after the spawn.
Title: Re: Would you take the challenge?
Post by: Mojo on April 16, 2012, 10:23:56 AM
ok - it sounded like you were concerned about your reflexes more than the actual get together anyway. I hope you and your bud get out early and often (legally) and enjoy the comradre of fishing sooner than later !