Fishing competitions help to accelerate the learning process of the anglers and thus to progress more quickly, especially because they are moments of exchange and sharing. Also, the questioning is essential and the motivation must be present throughout the weekend until the last minute!
A little known area
Most of the fishing trips are made on known and controlled sectors where, in fact, the fisherman knows the habits of the fish. In competition, nothing is the same. Most of the participants fish the area only one weekend in the year and few have the time to do a prefishing.
Fishing new areas, whether in competition or leisure, allows you to get off the beaten track and out of your comfort zone, and thus ask yourself questions and progress.
Adapting your technique
Let's take the example of the Glénan open organized every year at the beginning of the summer in Concarneau. This area I talked about in a previous article is singular because of the very weak current. Consequently, people who, like me, are used to fishing very exposed areas such as the Ushant sector, quickly find themselves disoriented. It is then essential to adapt, otherwise, fishing may be complicated.
Tight timing
The configuration of the competitions, with a defined end time, does not allow to waste too much time to procrastinate. It pushes the participants to be in the action right away, to try to find the right patterns from the beginning. This encourages reflection and forces us to understand situations quickly. The choices will have to be relevant and effective both on the geographical part of the area and on the choice of lures.
Be inspired by your partner
Since competitions are held in pairs, it would be a shame to fish the same way until the pattern is found. Fishing with a person having a diametrically opposed technique is a real plus. I have achieved my best results by teaming up with an angler who specializes in freshwater predator fishing. Used to fine fishing, he allowed us to catch fish in complicated conditions that I am not used to.
The exchange
During this weekend, the conviviality is present and the exchanges between enthusiasts are numerous despite the stake of the competition. During these discussions, you will certainly learn things that you had not thought of before and you will be able to use them during your next outings and progress.
Do not give up
Every fisherman has experienced this type of situation: a complicated day when the ocean seems empty. In these cases, the solution is often to pack up and head back to port, thinking that the next trip will be better.
The very principle of competition is to fish until the last minute, to hope until the last drift and thus never give up. By searching and questioning, it often ends up paying off.
All the difficulties you encounter in competitions will be useful for your leisure outings. The tight timing forces you to make decisive choices and to quickly analyze the environment. The exchanges with the other participants are also very enriching. All this put together will make you progress faster.
