how do you prepare for tournaments? [Archive]

floridadeckie

07-14-2008, 06:53 PM

I dont know about any special excersizes or meals, just a couple 12 oz. curls the night before to ease the mind and a complete and thorough inventory/evaluation of my gear. The most critical thing to doing well in a tournament is to have a game plan and make sure everyone knows their role and job, as well as the rules of the tournament. Check all of your gear well in advance and if you think something is even close to questionable, fix it. dont skimp on terminal tackle and rigs. if a leader is chafed, change it out. if a hook is rusted or dull, replace it and make it razor sharp. sharpen all gaff points (especially flyers) to lazer sharpness so that first shot counts and doesnt bounce off. dont freak yourself out, just be relaxed. wake up early ( 5-6 AM depending you leave the dock at 7 AM), have a good strong cup of coffee, and setup your cockpit EXACTLY how you want it so you know where anything is at a seconds notice. Explain to your anglers and extra crew that the captain runs the boat, but YOU run the cockpit and what you say goes down there. when the fish is on, there should be only three people talking: the captain, the angler, and the mate. that is non-negotiable. keep a level head, do not yell. nothing gets taken personally. I could go on and on, but that should answer your questions.

and for your reference, this information is geared for big $$ marlin tourneys