To fish for a limit or to fish for the win???

[basstrophy]

Your choice................. what to do???......

[Sacto John]

Win

[basstrophy]

revised. you have just spent half the day fishing for the win and only have two quality bass. Now the question go for the win or go for the limit for the points for the TOC Qualification.

[Dewayne]

If it is Havasu or Mead during the tough times I'll take the limit. If it is Clear Lake, The Delta, Shasta, or another good lake then I fish for the fish it will take for a top 5 finish.

[Guest]

Why not fish for a limit that wins?

[NaCl]

If I'm fishing full time for a living...and...I'm fishing in a circuit like FLW where the winnings are pretty much the same from 10th to 50th...then I'm fishing for a limit that will assure me of getting one of those 10K checks each time out. Ultimately, sponsor income is greatest for guys who are always in the money. One-event-wonders rarely get a lot of sponsor $$$ so it's best to chase a regular check and accumulate points towards post-season TOC's and awards like AOY. Sponsors like those guys who show consistent money finishes and can work the shows for "free".

On the other hand, if I have a "day" job so that I don't have to worry about paying the mortgage, then I'm tying on a swimbait and throwing it all day!

.....NaCl

[R.Cook]

Gotta go for the win, life's too short to settle....

[R.Cook]

But really, I'd much rather be in the top ten most of the time, as opposed to winning a tourney here and there, and getting my a$$ kicked more often than not. Consistency is huge in this sport in my personal opinion...

[Kevin Evans - Kap]

My 02 cents worth...
I fish hard and I fish to win. If you arent fishng to win why even enter the tourney. You mentally have already given your money away if you go in with that mindset, to get a limit. I know there will be times when you are at a disadvantage because of a lack of knowledge on a certain body of water or you get no pre-fish for an upcoming event. But still fish to win baby....

Kap

[Steve Reed]

If its a 3-4day tourney, and its tough I fish to make the cut, and then make my move when I have the chance....but i practice looking only for 5-7 good bites each day, if i can get those then that will determine my tournament

[bass smacker]

Fish to win.

[LEN B]

Fish for the limit then the win

[Slippy]

i fished last year for the limits in my club and ended up in a very poor standing at the end of the year.

[g-man]

Team.....One of you fish for the win the other gets the limit! Typically its not hard for me to get a limit...Its that donkey that keeps hiding when I'm in a tourney! lol

[basstrophy]

Every tournament that I fish I know I'm going to win, this is my mind set. When it's my day, it's my day, I can't do anything wrong, I'm in the zone, I make all the right decisions. Then there is the day when I just can't get those quality bites, I'm just fishing for 5 or more bites and only have two, time is running out. Go for the limit or go for the one or two more bites. It never takes long to catch those five good bites it's just getting those five good bites. Sometimes it's just one good bite that can win you a tournament plus the rest of your limit.

We all have seen these days, it's part of fishing. If we only knew how many times that big one was looking at our lure and ready to bite but we move on or the fish just moves on. Who really knows?. Each tournament you fish the one team or person that wins make all the right decisions for the day(s). It's not luck but it's making the correct choices during your day(s). One day tournaments you fish differently then two day or three day tournaments. Each different lake you fish you have to make a game plan to win. You have to always make the right choices during your tournament day(s) in order to win.

The answer is easy, it's always fish to win, Yes, But it's the right choices you make during your tournament that make a winner. This is the hardest part to figure out, making all the right choices during each tournament. I know when I attend a tournament I have a game plan but always have to adjust for different conditions like fishing pressure, weather, falling water, rising water, there are so many variables that we all have to deal with. This is why I fish competitive tournaments, I love to learn with each day fishing experience, each hour, each minute. Always fish to learn and look outside of the box. Always fish to win.
<*((((><

[g-man]

Thats a good mind set, you must always think you can win. If you don't then don't bother, and go spend your money somewhere else! I have rituals before every tourney to get my mind set straight!

[ash]

There are times when fishing for a limit is fishing to win, however this is the exeption and not the rule. The mental game is if you have been on the Winning fish and they just have not showed up yet I would stick this pattern out.

Personally I fish for the win, my goal is always Top 5. But I fish for the win. Granted I fish club tournaments with Folsom Bass Team and there is not a lot of money on the line. I have always found it is my personal preference that I would rather have three big bites then a limit of keepers, that was my motivation for really wanting to understand the jig and becoming a jig fisherman.

There are times when fishing for the win = zero not hero that is OK. I have been burnt too many times in the past where I leave the area that I know the big fish should be on only to find out the tournament was won there right after I left...sad but true

Jonathan FTW

[big bass beckstrom]

Go for the win.

Elliott

[Johnny C]

Going for the win will make you the money. If you are going for AOY you better have fish every tournament.

[CATCHEMCARO]

Always fish to win, the limit will come regardless.
Rich

[Marty]

My Partner and I have this discussion all of the time! We fish two team circles and we both always are going for the win but we also keep in mind of staying in the running for the TOC. We can’t win them all but second sucks!

I have talked to a lot of Pro’s about this and the majority say go for the your limit and then the kicker! You need 5 to play and a kicker to win. That is why they call it a kicker!

We determine what we are going to do from our pre-fishing - if we are going with a pattern/lure that gets us just a limit or big pattern/lure that gives us a 7 or 10 good bits. Because in reality you are talking about a drop shot virus a swim-bait (and all the different type of small or large lures). To tell the truth I have landed small and big with both. There is nothing that says you can’t switch from one to the other.

I also believe the time of the year and the conditions have a big part in which way to go also!

When I fishing a draw tournament in the back seat I go for the limit – period!