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CREATING YOUR OWN TOURNAMENT CHECKLIST
By W.E. Bowman
Have you ever been in the middle of a bass
tournament and realized that your hook box is 50 miles away in your garage or
that your spare trolling motor prop is under the driver’s seat of your pickup?
Have you ever finished out your limit only to
realize that your culling beam wasn’t in the boat or that your lake map —
carefully marked with the GPS coordinates of all the hotspots you located in
practice — was sitting on your kitchen table?
If you’ve fished very many tournaments, you’ve
probably had experiences like these. Some were mild annoyances that you quickly
put behind you. Others messed up your whole day and helped to take your eyes off
the prize. You got distracted and never quite recovered.
The one thing these glitches all have in common
is that they are absolutely, completely and entirely avoidable. They didn’t have
to happen to you, and they should never happen again.
With just a little preparation and a modicum of
discipline, you’ll be the guy others seek out at the ramp when they need an
extra life jacket, fuse or flashlight. Better yet, you’ll never be one of the
panicked guys doing the scrambling.
All you need is a good list.
In case you haven’t noticed, one of the toughest
places in the world to think clearly is on the deck of a bass boat with a
fishing rod in your hand. I’ll lay odds that the average basser’s IQ falls a
good 50 points when he steps into his boat and starts thinking about the day
ahead. It’s why preparation and a checklist are so valuable. They allow us to do
our thinking on dry land, in the comfort of home and away from the distractions
of competition. That’s when we’ll do our best thinking and come up with a list
of things that can really help us.
Creating the list isn’t as tough as you might
think. Most of the stuff you want to put on the list will occur to you almost
immediately. But it’s the stuff that doesn’t come to mind so easily that really
makes the list worthwhile.
As you’re creating your list, keep in mind that
the best place to compile it is not while sitting in a recliner watching TV. If
you want to get it right — or at least almost right — the first time, it’ll help
to be sitting in the boat, even if the boat is parked in your garage.
It’s only while rummaging through your stuff that
you’ll be reminded of all you need for a successful fishing trip. As you work
your way through storage compartments and tackle boxes, list the things you have
there and note exactly which storage area they’re in.
While you’re at it, ask yourself some questions.
Is this or that item where it should be? Would it be better — or more efficient
— to put it somewhere else? Is it the right tool for the job? Would something
else work better by saving you time or energy? Does your fishing partner in the
back of the boat have access to all he needs so that he won’t be bothering you
for it?
Two important collateral benefits of a good
tournament checklist are that it gives you piece of mind and helps to keep you
organized. Not only do you know for certain that you have everything you need,
but it’ll also ensure that you know where it is. This will save you time on the
water and add casts to your day.
Compartmentalize
A good checklist is extremely specific. Remember the old saying, “the devil is
in the details.” Basically, it means that the most important or elusive thing
you want or need is among the tiniest and most easily overlooked. It’s as true
in creating a reliable tournament checklist as anything else.
Break your list down by need or even by boat compartment. I start by dividing my
needs according to application. Some of the headers on my list include “fishing”
(which includes subcategories for rods, reels, lines, lures and terminal
tackle), boat (which includes lists for tools, fuses, spare motor and
electronics parts, gas, oil and the like), trailer (lube, checking brake lights
and turn signals), first aid and safety (bandages, disinfectant, sunscreen,
toilet paper, marine whistle, flares) and miscellaneous gear (maps, culling
beam, handheld scales, cell phone).
Look your boat over from stem to stern and consider everything you might need
for a day on the water. If you’re a serious tournament pro, you’ll not only want
fishing line in every size and type (from monofilament to fluorocarbon to braid)
but you’ll also need a spare outboard prop and trolling motor. These are items
that could not just salvage your fishing day, but your tournament season.
Location, Location, Location
Of course, having everything you need is just part of the battle. You also need
to be able to find it. After all, those split ring pliers you might need to add
larger trebles to a crankbait are of absolutely no use to anyone if you can’t
find them.
This is where a checklist grounded in location comes in handy. Once you’ve
identified the equipment you need to be successful, your next task is to get
Feng shui with it.
“Feng shui” is the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of
space to achieve harmony with the environment. It sounds pretty frou-frou until
you realize that’s exactly what you need in a bass boat. Your terminal tackle
needs to be up front with your lure boxes. The tools for your outboard and
culling equipment should be toward the rear.
Think about where you’ll be using a specific piece of equipment, and then put it
close by so you can reach it easily when you need it. You should even climb in
the boat and imagine using these tools so that you can factor in whether you can
best reach them with your right or left hand.
Finally, store each item efficiently with an eye toward two things: (1) keeping
them from being tangled or cluttered and (2) accessing them quickly and, when
necessary, with just one hand.
For example, if you use culling clips, hang them together in an easily
accessible container and store them so you can unfasten a clip with just one
hand. After all, you’ll be holding a lunker in the other hand, right?
A Work in Progress
The first thing on your tournament checklist should be a pen and a small pad to
write on. That’s because no checklist is complete. They are all evolving works
in progress and the pen and pad will help you to perfect them.
When you think of another tool or item that you need or that could benefit from
some repositioning in the boat, don’t hope you’ll think of it later. Write it
down … immediately. The odds of your thinking of it again when you’re off the
boat are way too small. Write it down then and there. It only takes a few
seconds and it will pay off on your very next trip.
If you’re looking for ways to better organize your gear, don’t just shop at the
local Bass Pro Shop or Cabela’s. They have the latest in fishing tackle storage
systems, but you might need something that’s not even on the market … at least
not there.
Visit some of the home storage stores out there like The Container Store. You
might just find something that would be perfect for your gear but that’s unlike
anything on the fishing market.
A Starting Point
If you need a place to start before creating and refining your own tournament
checklist, you might start here.
TOURNAMENT CHECKLIST
Batteries (charged, connections cleaned)
Battery charger (onboard or portable)
Boat cover (on or properly stowed)
Boat keys (including spare set)
Camera (warning — might be bad luck!
Cash (enough to cover gas, entry fees and incidentals)
Clothes (spare sets for all conceivable weather)
Culling tools
Drain plug (plugged in)
Drinks (esp. water)
Driver’s license
Extension cord
Fire extinguisher
First-aid kit
Fishing license
Fishing regulations and tournament rules
Flashlight (tow vehicle and boat)
Food
Fuses and bulbs (boat and tow vehicle)
Gas and oil (boat and tow vehicle)
Insurance (proof)
Line (all sizes in monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid)
Lube trailer wheels
Lures (including terminal tackle)
Maps (road and lake)
Marker buoys
Net (if permitted by tournament rules)
Outboard prop (spare)
Pen and pad
PFDs (one for everyone plus a spare and a throwable model)
Rain gear
Rods and reels
Scale (hand-held)
Sunglasses (including spare set)
Tires (check inflation and tread)
Tools (for boat, tow vehicle and fishing gear)
Trailer straps (hooked up and tightened for travel)
Trolling motor (entire motor spare or at least spare prop)
Weather radio
All geared up for the tournament? Make sure your boat is ready too!
Check your insurance policy to make sure:
- the amount of coverage includes any new boating equipment (such as a motor)
that would increase your boat's value;
- the liability limits meet (or exceed) tournament requirements;
- it covers the cruising area/waterway where the event is held;
- it protects your fishing gear in the event of loss of theft;
- it covers you while trailering your boat in the event of an accident or
breakdown.
Lastly, in case you breakdown on the water, have a plan ahead of time. Know the
phone number of a towing service provider and make sure you know your location
so they can get to you quickly.
Bass Boat insurance from BoatU.S. ANGLER includes automatic tournament coverage.
Whenever and wherever you're competing, your boat is covered — both in the water
and on the trailer. Plus, should a claim cause you to miss or withdraw from a
competition, your entry fees will be reimbursed — up to $500! Policies also
include coverage for fishing equipment-up to $5,000 per incident.
Contact BoatU.S. ANGLER Insurance at 866-532-1829 or visit BoatUSAngler.com/insurance. |
