BACKSEAT ETIQUETTE
s T o O yo U u R wa N nt A to M be E a NT
ANGLER…
By Chris Ricci
T
here is nothing more exciting than a 5:30
a.m. blast-off on Day 1—the start of a
professional tournament! For beginning
and experienced anglers who have caught the passion for bass fishing and want to experience
the excitement of tournament angling, here is some
insight into what it takes to fish a professional Pro-
AM tournament. A Pro-AM event is a combined
weight format where the two work together as a
team. The two premier Pro-Am circuits are www.
wonbass.com and Anglers Choice www.usac.
com. Stepping up to the ranks as a co-angler in a
professional Pro-AM tournament one needs to
have knowledge, quality equipment, time on the
water, and honed skills in order to be an asset to his
partner rather than a hindrance.
Normally the first place an angler will start is to
join a local bass club. This is a very important step
since it allows you to gain knowledge on techniques,
tips, conservation, and local habitats, buddy up with
a fellow club member if you do not own a boat, and
participate in tournament competition. Most clubs
hold interclub tournaments where you can experience
fishing as a team, and the rush of an early morning
blast-off, running and gunning, and bringing your best
five to the scales!
Competition requires mental readiness. A key
step to prepare yourself mentally for the rigors of
competition is to acquire a solid foundation of bass
behavior, seasonal patterns, habitat, structure, so you
can apply that knowledge when developing a solid
game plan to the tournament body of water. In this
day and age, all the information you need is at your
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fingertips via the internet or in print. The internet sources that I find helpful and current are www. westernbass.com, (this electronic magazine), www. tcsportsreport.com, www.flwoutdoors.com, and www.wonbass.com. Print sources are BassWestUSA magazine, Bass Angler Magazine, and Western Outdoor News. Fishing forums are invaluable sites for asking questions and gathering intel! My favorite west coast forums are www.westernbass.com and www.calbassin.com. In all these sources you will find our country’s top Pros and Cos offering great tips, techniques and advice on how to catch the fish we hold dear, BASS.
Now that your gaining a solid knowledge base, let’s talk about equipment for this level of competition. You can’t be showing up to a Pro-AM tournament with a Mickey Mouse or Barbie rod and reel set—they won’t let you on the boat. You will need to invest in quality rods and reels. The prices range from $89 to $500 for both rods and reels. Most of us can’t afford $500 rods unless you are three time, U.S. Open Champion, Mike Folkestad. What constitutes a quality rod? Is it the price--not necessarily? I personally use IRODS which average around $149 and offer quality materials, superb engineering, sensitivity (allows you to feel what is happening at the end of your line) and perfect action (the bending of the rod). Look for a rod built with superior components and graphite. The same holds true for reels, price does not necessarily mean quality. The most crucial factor for a tournament reel is a smooth drag system (research this on your own!) I use Abu Garcia reels, but there are many quality reels manufactured by Shimano,