Fish Tip
A Winning Team By Eric Burnley
I
f you fish tournaments for fun, you can stop reading right here. If you fish tournaments to win, please continue. When putting a winning team together for any kind of a tournament, forget about good friends, relatives, or anyone who can’t catch a cold in a rainstorm. You want fishermen who catch fish and work hard at it. One of the best teams I ever fished with was during the 45th White Marlin Open aboard the Toast. The owner had hired a top-notch captain and mates and brought aboard four anglers that he knew would work as a well-oiled team. As is always the case, the captain and mates were aboard the boat by 3 a.m. getting everything ready for our 4 a.m. departure from Ocean City. Once underway, all hands took a nap until we were on the grounds and then it was time to break out the gear and get ready for lines in. Once the fishing began, the four anglers held the lines in their hands the entire time they were fishing.
Each angler, mate, and even the writer assigned to the boat wore a headset. The captain could talk to everyone, and all the anglers and mates could also speak with everyone as well. No shouting or any misunderstanding when a fish was in the baits. How effective was this setup? We were nine for nine on white marlin in three days fishing. The fact that we didn’t have a winning fish was just a matter of luck. The fact that we caught every white marlin that came into the baits... that is a matter of skill and preparation. Winning teams cannot have a weak link. Everyone has to be experienced and willing to do whatever task they are assigned. They don’t drink beer while fishing because alcohol dulls the senses. They don’t party every night and expect to fish the next day for the same reason. They are there every morning, and they show up on time and ready to work. Then when that million-dollar fish moves into the baits, he won’t stand a chance.
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p r o p ta l k . c o m / c h e s a p e a k e - b ay- m a r i n a s 76 August 2021 PropTalk.com