I’ll make this quick:

First, take a calendar, then mark every Saturday as “tournament day.”

Second, throw all of your money out of the window.

Finally, prepare to do it all again next year.

I’m just kidding, sort of. What drives us to become tournament kayak anglers? It’s one of the great mysteries of our little corner of the sports world. But if you haven’t done it and gone “all in” at some point, well, don’t knock it. It can be fun, and it can bring you the memories of a lifetime. And if you have an open mind and learn from mistakes you might walk a podium and cash a big check from time to time.

Getting there is never easy for most of us. If you’re like me, you have to put in a lot of work. I’m just not that gifted an angler. In a decade and a half of tournament fishing from a kayak, I’ve had some pretty long drives home, tired and empty-handed. But I’ve also enjoyed a few big days when I figured out the bite and walked away with a check and a trophy.

Win or lose, your dream of what might be in the coming tournament season becomes a reality now, during the coldest months, when you make your tournament schedule.

Let’s face it: when it comes to kayak fishing, we live in abundant times. There is a big-brand national series, a series for anglers who like out-of-the way-places and a host of brand-specific series like the U.S.A. Bassin’ Jackson Kayak Trail. Combined with long-running regional and local trails, anglers have plenty of tournament opportunity from which to choose.

I’ve been sitting and compiling kayak tournament schedules for nearly two decades, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. I’d like to share some tips with the intention of helping newer anglers consider what they are getting into, and maybe remind more experienced tournament anglers of some old tricks.

By options, I don’t mean tournaments (that comes next). I mean resources – specifically, I mean money. 

Why? Because if you don’t have money, you don’t have options.

Tournament fishing has many overt costs and hidden expenses. First, make a budget. What can you afford? Will you have to pay additional fees (like membership) to fish certain events? What will travel costs incur, after you pay entry fees? Lodging and food? Will you need to purchase new gear? 

Buying a few lures may not seem like much to spend, but you may suddenly realize that one tournament has you fishing deep, clear water, and now you need a forward-facing sonar unit.

Next, ask yourself: what happens if I lose my job (assuming you have one, of course)? Will you still have a cushion after your fishing expenses? If not, readjust. The last thing you want to do is spend your reserves on tournaments. Scratch that – the last thing you want to do is quit your job and consider “going pro.” Seriously, do not do that.

With that being said, if you win a check in your first season, you will throw all this advice out the window and decide you are ready for the big time. If you do have such thoughts, revisit the sentence above about what not to do.

Oh yeah: remember to save your receipts and log your mileage for tax purposes.

Pro Tip: federal tax law limits declaring hobby-related expenses to a certain number of years. You have time to decide, but if you commit to the long haul you may want to form an LLC for tax purposes.

Tournament directors are a hard-working, stressed-out bunch. They selflessly dedicate their free time to making it possible for other anglers to compete. To do so, they often sacrifice their own fishing time. And after all that, they have to make a schedule to repeat the whole process next year.

So remember two things: First, if they do their best and are consistently available, thank your local Tournament Director. Buy them a drink.

Second, be patient when awaiting the new schedule. Directors have to adjust for other trails and events, coordinate with sponsors and visitor’s bureaus, and more. Believe it or not, they also have jobs and families.

National trails tend to release their schedules early; local trail schedules generally show up later.

When your local schedule drops, have a look. Then ask yourself this question: will I fish local events only this year? Will I dip into a nearby national trail event? Or will you go all in and fish for the big stage, at a national or regional series that has a championship round that requires travel?

To answer that question, you will want to consult with your family and your boss. Then you will want to revisit Step A above, and adjust your budget. Now, you are very close to having a schedule……

Pro Tip: Sometimes, life gets in the way, and you have to cancel. Don’t get frustrated if you cannot make an event that you really want to fish. Chances are that you will have plenty of opportunities to get there in the future; use this missed opportunity to study the event results, learn about the fishery, etc.

Now, what are your goals? Do you want to compete for Rookie of the Year or Angler of the Year? Are you hoping to gauge your ability to compete? What if you fail in all your goals, have only one decent outing, and finish without cashing a check?

I speak from experience. In my first tournament (2012), I finished first outside the money. The next season, I fished the entire trail and finished third place one time. I never came close to contention for a major trophy like Angler of the Year. But I sensed I was getting better.

And then I didn’t cash a check for another three seasons.

Did I get better? A bit. But there was a much steeper learning curve than I had initially admitted to myself. I wasn’t ready to make adjustments to variables like weather and new water, or balance work and fishing as well over a long, exhausting year.

Make a back-up plan for when things get derailed. If you have the resources, stick to plan A. But if your first two events on the national trail go poorly, you might focus on local events. Or if your local club season has a poor start, maybe dip into a bigger national event that is nearby, to see if you like the fit. Be prepared to adapt and adjust.

Sometimes, I make a back-up plan. I will literally add a note to my schedule: “if you have a bad day at this event, do not continue!”

When I am finished with a general schedule and budget, I begin making notes for individual events. I like to study maps, forage bases and ramps, then choose a geographic area that suits my preferred spots (but does not box me in to a certain location). If your best spots are on the western shore at mid-lake, don’t rent a place on the northeastern side of the water.

Pro Tip: keep a journal, and record your thoughts and results from each event. These notes will help you in future events. A video camera helps, too, but the video is only the surface, not what’s going on in your head. Nothing beats a notebook.

Remember that fishing, even competitive fishing, should be fun. If tournament fishing begins to feel like a job, something is wrong.

Remember when I didn’t cash a check for 2.5 seasons? Here is how I got back in the money. I put a map in front of my kids and said “pick a spot for me.” They randomly chose places. Well, maybe not entirely randomly. My youngest saw a place called “Sugar Bay” and chose it for the obvious reason. Guess what? I cashed a big check at that tournament because, after my carefully studied plan went out the window, I simply winged it and fished Sugar Bay. Talk about a sweet result.

Making a schedule should not feel like a legally binding contract. Burnout is real. I’ve seen it happen at every level of the sport, from the highest-paid anglers at the top of the bass fishing world to young anglers on local trails. Avoid stress, and you avoid burning out.

To do so, remember that your schedule is not a legally binding contract. You are free to improvise. Have a hunch? Follow it. Put fun on your schedule, and fishing will follow.

Hank Veggian