Our first fishing tournament is in 7 days.
- We don’t have a boat.
- We don’t have the gear.
- We don’t have a plan.
Let’s see what we can do about it.
The Boat
This one is in progress.
I’ve already found a boat and made an offer. We took it to the shop and it checked out just fine. I also opted for a full annual service, just to be sure.
The issue here is that the seller never changed the titles into his name when he bought it.
He finally did this after I made the offer. We are now two weeks in so they should arrive any day.
I’m on hot standby to go finish the deal and pick her up the moment they come in. Granted, it doesn’t give us much time to figure anything out or go out for a practice run, but it is what it is.
I don’t think I’ve ever crossed my fingers harder.
The Gear
Oh, we have some rods and tackle. I just have no idea which we should bring along.
This will be our first ever bass fishing trip, let alone tournament. The ONLY criteria for success on this one is that we actually get there.
But what the heck do we put into the water when we do?
I intend to keep things really simple. A couple of rods setup for a couple of different fishing methods.
I’ve got some ideas and plan to get it dialed in this week.
Then I’ll just need to prep and pack it all up so it’s ready to load.
The Plan
I’ve never once laid eyes on Lake Livingston.
I’ve got an idea about where we are launching from, but that’s it. There is still a whole big lake to figure out.
I’ve reviewed the rules already and have a handle on that. Next I need to develop a plan so we have some spots to go when I get there.
This is one area that my background as a ship’s Captain will come in handy.
I’ve got some ideas on where to get the info I need to give our day some direction. And I’m not worried about learning how our new boats chart plotter works. I just need to find a few likely spots where we can find the fish.
Last thing I want is to be wandering the lake aimlessly.
The (Additional) Challenge
Not only do I have to pull all this together quickly, but I have to do it in the middle of a big work week.
I was out all last week on a personal matter and have a lot to catch up on. I’m also speaking at a conference on Tuesday, need to send some a bunch of quotes, and have meetings every day.
Time management and focus will both need to be on point.
The Next 7 Days
I’ve already started developing a fishing plan, using publicly available resources. One of my goals in all this is to NOT get distracted with a bunch of apps or “shiny gear syndrome”. This takes away from the experience and all but ensures that we won’t learn anything.
Regarding the gear, I think we have enough to pick through and come up with a decent kit for the first trip. And if not I still have some money left on a Bass Pro gift card to get the rest. This will be my son’s main job.
And the boat? Well, that one will be in the hands of fate. I’m sure it will come in, but will be right down to the wire. All I can do is be ready.
With a little luck, some preparation, and making sure to not overcomplicate things I think we can do it.
I’ll be documenting all of this as I go. Subscribe to see if we can pull this off!