From The Back of The Room

THERE’S A LOT TO LEARN FROM ENTERING MUSKY TOURNAMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS CASHING A CHECK

- Benjamin Peterson

Growing up in southeastern Wisconsin, I was lucky to have a premier musky water right across the street. I started fishing for bass and panfish, yet I kept hearing about muskies and I wanted to fish for those instead.

At first I was just excited to move a musky. I considered the day a “win” if I had a follow... at least until a friend who guided on my local lake told me I would one day tire of just moving fish. No way, I thought. Many years later I’ve realized my buddy was right. My day is now a success if a musky ends up in the net.

As I fished and my confidence grew, I wanted to try my hand against my peers in local tournaments. I talked my fishing partner into it and before long we were “tournament fishermen.” We got our butts kicked initially but as we grew as musky fishermen we were able to start placing and even win a few. We then branched out to tournaments around the state and the cycle started over — getting our butts kicked at first, then starting to place and finally winning. We expanded to other states and the cycle repeated itself.

Fishing in tournaments has greatly sharpened our learned curve. You tend to pay attention more when someone is cashing a check and you’re not. Being tired, sore and frustrated makes you try to figure out what someone else did and you didn’t. When you’re in the back row at a tournament awards ceremony and someone else is on stage with the check and the trophy, you learn a few things which I hope you too can use.