It should come as no surprise that I love to fish. What some people don’t understand is that while the fishing is obviously an important element, there are others that are just as important. Things like the anticipation of a big trip, the planning process to make sure things are “just right”, and the inevitable banter between the people on the trip. When I’m out fishing, as much as the group often teases each other heavily, we also all really want the other guy to do well. If one person catches a great fish, it lifts the spirits of all the others, and it increases the friendly competition.
This year though, I’m going to find out whether I like the competition to be a touch more than just friendly. My brother and I have just mailed off our registration for the annual Belwood Lions Pike Derby. This is a fundraiser for the local community and is held on Belwood Lake. It is a two day tournament, with prized for the longest Pike, which must be live released and well cared for. The competition intrigues me, but the process for pre-fishing a lake, studying maps, gear preparation and the anticipation, are all part of the package. I’ve set a goal to have a fish entered, which from what I understand is a worthy goal as many anglers don’t even catch a Pike, I suspect because of the volume of boating activity during that weekend.
So if you are interested in giving a tournament a try, check out your local lakes to see if there is a nice easy starting point like we have found, and perhaps you’ll find you’ll catch more than just fish, you’ll catch the tournament bug!