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Tournament Fishing Local vs. National vs. Local/National
By Roland Willis
The Tournament fishing person in Minnesota is in a unique
position with the variety of tournaments that we have in this state on any given
weekend. Lots of lakes, lots of tournaments… decisions… decisions. This is my
take on what Tournament fishing has turned into in Minnesota.
I know some of you struggle to decide what tournaments to do every year. I
personally struggle with this every winter and spring. Some people have sponsor
obligations to meet and others may have family obligations to meet. This can
play a role in determining which series you want or are willing to commit to.
You have choices regarding what kinds of tournaments you would like to fish:
local series, national series, and local/national series. I will explain what I
mean by Local vs. National vs. Local/National below.
The local series tournaments are tournaments held on waters around the state or
in your back yard that you may have fished many times. These tournaments usually
have a local flare to them with local media coverage and presence of family
members. These tournaments can have small or large entry fees and the payouts
range from a few dollars to thousands of dollars based on the number of entries.
Some might also have some kind of points system, as to allow the angler to
advance to some sort of tournament of champions. This is where these tournaments
stop. Examples: Denny’s Super 30,
Silverado, Anglers Elite, Excel Bass.
The national series tournaments are tournaments held on waters around the
nation. These tournaments usually require lodging and more time away from work
and family. These are tournaments that have media coverage from some sort of
national publication and from that areas’ local media. These tournaments usually
have larger entry fees and larger payout, based on the number of entries. Most
of these tournaments have a points system and usually span a two or three day
period. These are the spring boards to a national tournament of champions or the
next tournament level in their respective series. Examples: Stren Series, BFL,
B.A.S.S. Northern Tour.
The local/national series tournaments are tournaments held on local waters in
the state that you may have fished many times before. These are tournaments that
usually require lodging, and a little extra money to be spent. These are
tournaments that have media coverage from some sort of national publication and
also from that areas’ local media. These tournaments can have small or large
entry fees and the payouts range from a few dollars to thousands of dollars
based on entries. Most have a points system but usually are just one day
tournaments. These tournaments usually are the beginning of a series of
tournaments that allow you to keep advancing until you are either eliminated or
make it to a national championship. Examples: B.A.S.S. Series MN, Fishers of Men
MN West, Team Supreme MN.
There are many tournaments to choose from depending on what you are looking to
get out of your fishing career. When it’s time to make your decisions for the
coming year and beyond, just remember what kind of commitment it will take on
your part be it money, time, sponsors, etc. I hope this helps make your decision
a little easier.
The state in which we live is such a wonderful place! You can either start a
career in fishing or just fulfill your competitive desires. What else can we ask
for in the land of 10,000 lakes?
Thanks,
Roland Willis
www.loonstatebassin.com
Sponsors
Capra's Sporting Goods,
Appollo Systems, Interstate Batteries of Minneapolis
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