HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR BILLFISH TOURNEYS...

[Capt Josh]

Gotta love those Pelagic girls!

Summer's coming boys...and Melton's carrying the new hot ladies offshore wear from Pelagic.

Get your girls out there in Pelagic gear and send those photos in!

[tom@marlinstar]

Originally Posted by Capt Josh

Well we're on the west coast but most of the following should still apply!


Tournament fishing represents the pinnacle performance level for anglers, captains, and crews in our great sport. To precisely account for all conceivable details that encompass a well executed tournament performance would take a LOT of time and effort, so (for the purpose of this discussion) let's cover some of the most important facets in point form.

1.) Develop Teamwork! I always say "THERE IS NO I IN TEAM!" and truer words were never spoken, particularly when it comes to tournament time. Each and every member of the team represents a critical asset to the overall goal...which should be WINNING (AND!) HAVING FUN!!! Create a team where every member utilizes their strengths, be them driving, fishing, wiring, gaffing, etc, and learn about your weaknesses as well as your strengths! Spending time identifying who is good at what and who is not comfortable doing certain tasks efficiently will go a loooooong way towards optimal cohesiveness in the long run. Practice, communication, TEAMWORK!

2.) EQUIPMENT! I can't say enough about being diligent about your equipment. I have heard a thousand sob stories regarding a winning fish lost near the boat because the line snapped, or a swivel broke, or etc etc etc. BUY THE BEST EQUIPMENT YOU CAN AFFORD!!! I have personally won tournaments because of technological advantages we enjoyed because of our more educated decisions when it came to purchasing equipment. It sounds like a plug but...BUY EQUIPMENT FROM MELTON'S!!!! Tracy has spent a decade gathering the best of the best from what's out there...TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RESEARCH AND USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!

3.) Pre-fish, pre-fish, pre-fish. This is a no brainer. If you are serious about competing you better get out there and spend the time and money it's going to take to dial your team into the location and arsenal of techniques it's going to take to win. There is no easy way to circumnavigate this necessary step. TIME ON THE WATER EQUATES TO TOURNAMENT VICTORIES over and over and over again.

4.) TRUST YOUR KNOWLEDGE! Have faith in your ability, experience, and knowledge...particularly when the fishing is slow! Don't try to reinvent the wheel just because the bite is off. Stick and stay and make it pay! That little trick has likely won us more than a few tournaments!

5.) BELIEVE IN A HIGHER POWER!!! Fish gods, Baby Jesus, Neptune, whichever...praying never hurts!!!

Have fun out there boys! Tournaments are a ton of fun...PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE WINNING!!!

Great points J...here is my two cents...............

1. Teamwork.....add chemistry. Talent,knowledge and CHEMISTRY. You need a crew that can gel 19 hours a day together.


2.Equipment....buy the BEST period. Even if you can't afford it ! There is no room for so-so/mediocre tackle on a tournament boat. Spools of line,leader material and a full rigging station is the norm.I lost a world record Mako in a shark tournament in 2001. As I prepared to respool I found that the rest of the spool consisted of a criss-crossed abortion.Fingernail clippers and 20 minutes later I had a clean spool.From that day on I trust no one with my gear besides MELTONS...PERIOD.

3.Prefish....a must unless you are fishing Kona. The Fish God's look down on greed.Catch a 600lb Blue the day before a tourney...not lookin' too good for the next day. Kona prefishing would be better to consist of a sacrifice than working the water. (imho)


4.Equipment part two.- West Coast....gyros...not one pair ..not two...three is better with a pair of short range glasses. Fish finders and SIDE SCANNING SONAR....a must have and a must use especially when soaking baits on a fish that has sunk out.This is where you need one mate eyeing for fish and the Captain working the area with the SSS. A tuna tower...need to see those subsurface tailers...a flybridge just doesn't cut it.


5.Fun...take the fishing serious but have fun...talk but keep your eyes on the water..at all times. Win as a team,lose as a team but enjoy each others company.End each day with a meeting reviewing temp breaks, conditions and mutually discuss lure selections and trolling patterns keeping everyone's opinions open.A mandatory Jack and Coke at the end of the day always keeps a happy boat.(note the J n C was in singular form)

[CaptainJC]

Im a gulf coast guy, And also follow a lot of what was said above, When I prepare for a tourney, it starts weeks or months prior. Not only with your fishing equipment but with your boat , It has to be standing tall on all aspects from your riggers, clips, electronics, and everything mechanically in working order. Cant count how many guys have not ran there boat much in the spring come tournament day they are limping back in on one engine or towed in for lack of preventative maintenance's. Just as important as your equipment and your boat, if not more is knowledge of where the fish are. I start tracking the bait long before the season starts up find the bait find the fish. Does not matter how prepared you are to catch a fish if you are not in the right spot. You have got to do the home work through online data like Roffers or hiltons , and prefishing , local contacts, via charter captains, commercial captains, in our area I use a lot of pilots, merchant mariner and crew boat operators also oil rig workers, I make it my job to obtain a network of people to gather info from all year long. We will even fly the day before the tourney to get an eye on weed lines rips and color changes to ad in. Luck does play a factor but if you have the right data you will outperform your competition day in and day out.

[tom@marlinstar]

Originally Posted by CaptainJC

Im a gulf coast guy, And also follow a lot of what was said above, When I prepare for a tourney, it starts weeks or months prior. Not only with your fishing equipment but with your boat , It has to be standing tall on all aspects from your riggers, clips, electronics, and everything mechanically in working order. Cant count how many guys have not ran there boat much in the spring come tournament day they are limping back in on one engine or towed in for lack of preventative maintenance's. Just as important as your equipment and your boat, if not more is knowledge of where the fish are. I start tracking the bait long before the season starts up find the bait find the fish. Does not matter how prepared you are to catch a fish if you are not in the right spot. You have got to do the home work through online data like Roffers or hiltons , and prefishing , local contacts, via charter captains, commercial captains, in our area I use a lot of pilots, merchant mariner and crew boat operators also oil rig workers, I make it my job to obtain a network of people to gather info from all year long. We will even fly the day before the tourney to get an eye on weed lines rips and color changes to ad in. Luck does play a factor but if you have the right data you will outperform your competition day in and day out.

Excellent points about the boat maintenance...something taken for granite too many times. I also agree regarding the bait factor..find the bait and you should find the fish. Although I have been stung by too much bait.Huge schools of mackies,sardines and sauries can be tough to beat when your dragging resin or trying to cast on a bait-ball with fish on it. Another rule of thumb is matching the bait. If the natural bait that's in the area consist of smaller macks or sauries, match your lure size/color as much as possible.Sometimes scaling down to a lure size that you normally would never think of using for billfish can actually be the best move especially if you are seeing nothing but small baitfish in the area.

[CaptainJC]

Agree, Also if you trust your data hang with it, marlin have an awesome metabolism, they can burn up a full stomach of food in less than two hours. so stay in the area that has bait and she will find you . We see that a lot on oil rigs, Ive seen the same fish multiple times through the day. Ive lost fish early in the day and wait her out and get her when she calms down, and is feeding again. Especially when live baiting. Not to mention other fish that find the bait when you are trying to hang in there, trusting your data..