Starting Equipment for Bass Tournament Anglers

There seems to be a good number of articles in circulation as to how to become a tournament angler, including one I recently wrote entitled, "How to Become a Bass Tournament Angler." One of the reviews that was written for that article said that it was very helpful, but what about the equipment? Is what I have good enough? As I read that, I realized that this is not covered as much as the other aspects of tournament fishing. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what is needed and why.

Rods and Reels
When I began fishing bass tournaments, I was in college and could not afford to spend much money on fishing equipment. I would say it was unusual for a rod and reel combo to cost me more that $60. I told myself that was more than sufficient as I caught fish. I could not believe that some people were spending hundreds of dollars for a rod and reel.
Then I graduated, and after working for a year or so I was able to buy my first new bass boat. Included in the package were two rods and two bait-casting reels. These were not top of the line but each reel and each rod was valued at $100 or so. After fishing with these for some time I realized I had been selling myself short. With the better reel backlashes all but disappeared and those IM8 graphite rods were much more sensitive and smooth casting than what I had been using. I have since tried better equipment and there is some improvement in performance but the biggest jump in performance is from the $30-$50 range to the $100 range. This should be considered the entry-level equipment for the tournament angler. The better reel will allow you to cast farther, spend less time with the dreaded backlash, and standup to the rigorous abuse that the equipment will experience during tournaments. All of these will translate to more time fishing, which will allow you to put more fish in the boat. The better rod will increase sensitivity and therefore make it easier to feel the light bites that sometimes will occur. Sure you can catch fish with budget equipment but remember in a tournament if you miss one fish it could mean several places in the standings or the difference in getting a check or going home empty handed.
I also believe both open faced spinning reels and bait-casting reels must be used. The bait-casting reels are essential for quiet presentations such as pitching and flipping and allow for good long casts as well. The spinning reels are the answer for skipping a lure under a dock or brush. Try it with a bait-caster and it will be time to re-spool after cutting out the bird’s nest. Poles should be various lengths. Use a 7-½ foot heavy action rod for flipping, possibly a 6-½ foot medium heavy for pitching. The shorter length will increase your accuracy. For skipping a short 5-½ foot works well. This shorter pole increases accuracy and will not hit the boat or the water, as the proper motion is an underhanded turn of the wrist, which brings the tip very low to the surface. Longer rods feel very awkward here. With other casts lengths are not as critical and are more open to personal preference. Even those stated here will vary some from person to person based on height and arm length.

Line
Which type of line to use is one of the more hotly debate topics on the forums. Most of my fishing is done on the muddy Mississippi River. Because of this, I use a lot of braided lines like FireLineTM or PowerProTM. These have a smaller diameter than mono, which is beneficial in the currents. The braided lines are very strong and have no stretch. This makes them very sensitive. This type of line does take a little getting use to, however, but is worth it because the number of fish that break off is greatly reduced. This line can be seen more easily in the water, so if I go to clear lakes I will use a monofilament line or tie on a fluorocarbon leader. It is probably best to try several different types of line and decide which you are most comfortable with.
 

Tackle
This part of the discussion could go on and on but I’ll only show a couple of examples. These will illustrate the idea of using good quality tackle not just the everyday stuff found at Wal-Mart. To find what exactly works in your area it is best to ask around at a knowledgeable tackle dealer or join a local bass fishing club and fish with some of those people who seem to always catch fish. Watch not only what they are throwing, but also how they work it and where they put it.
One good example is spinnerbaits. You can buy these all day for $1 a piece at outdoor shows but these are made with cheap components and will rust easily and will likely not run straight. You can spend $6 for one of those titanium jobs and it will likely last a very long time but the fatter wire will hamper spinnerbait performance. There are many companies making spinnerbaits and most are good quality and will catch fish. The brand does not really matter because they have basically the same flash and vibration. These are all easily found at most tackle stores in the $4 to $6 range. Then there are a few, however, that are doing something a little different. One of these companies I have confidence in is Strictly Bass Lures. http://www.strictlybasslures.com. Their baits are not aimed at the mass market but specialized and geared toward the tournament angler looking for an edge. They violated two rules in the mass production of spinnerbaits. Normally every manufacturer will use a common wire size for the entire line and all steel blades to cut down on production costs. Strictly Bass Lures uses a different wire size for each weight. This maximizes the vibration and reduces the drag due to water resistance allowing it to run deeper. Also, their blades are brass instead of steel. This allows the vibration and sound of the bait to be different. The idea is to show the fish something they are not accustom to, thereby increasing their curiosity and the number caught. These things along with the use of high quality SampoTM swivels and MustadTM hooks make Strictly Bass Lures one of the highest quality spinnerbaits on the market.
Another good example is in the plastic bait arena. In the last few years several specialized areas have popped up. All of the different types will catch fish but some are the better choice under certain conditions. These are not the cheap baits they once were. Some of these will cost you 50 cents to $1 apiece. Many of these are highly guarded mixtures of different substances to achieve the best flexibility, scent, and buoyancy. The standard plastics that have been around forever just don’t seem to cut it any longer. You should always use a salt and/or scent impregnated bait, as the fish will tend to hang on a bit longer and give you a little more time to react. I am still forming my opinion of the newest 3X materials. These have tremendous durability and buoyancy, but are difficult to work with and can turn to goo in the tackle box. You will have to form your own opinion of them. Do not be afraid to try those that look very gaudy like the creature baits and those that look too simple to work like the Senko. They are great fish catchers as well as the old standby, the worm.
The bottom line here is, spend as much as you can afford on the equipment and it will not ruin the day for you. If you skimp on the equipment you will simply be reducing the number of times you will draw a check after a tournament. Now don’t spend all of you grocery money, but buy it as you can afford it and before long you will have the respectable equipment you desire. Also, if you are just getting started at this you can buy one or two good rods and then talk to people you fish with to find out what they like. Maybe as you are prefishing they might even let you try fishing with their rod and reel or tackle so you can get a good feel for it to see if you like it enough to buy one.
 

By Ken Warren