Bass Tournaments and Retirees: A Profitable Mixture!

A number of the greatest bass fishermen will be discovered competing in “fruit jar” model tournaments. The occasions are sometimes held on the identical river week after week and appeal to a few of the native sticks. Joe Picone of Covington, LA has fished these tournaments all his life. “I really like em’! The camaraderie and the issues I’ve discovered from fishing these small tournaments can’t are immeasurable,” Picone says.  And on the ripe age of 77 years outdated, Picone has provide you with a match that he says is without doubt one of the greatest bass trails he’s ever been part of.
Picone shaped the Double Nickel Bass Membership about two years in the past and since then it has grown to assemble between 20-30 anglers. Whereas that quantity isn’t staggering, it’s fairly an achievement being that the occasion is held on a Tuesday morning.

What’s totally different about this membership is that it’s only open to those that are 55 years of age or older. “We have now anglers that fish within the membership that vary from 55 to 80 years of age. And sure…they nonetheless have some juice left,” Picone jokes. Since it’s meant for retirees, Picone has restricted the time the fishermen are out on the water. “One of many greatest complaints I heard was that the opposite tournaments had been too long-lasting till midday,” he stated. The Double Nickel runs from daylight and goes 5 hours.

One other adjustment Picone made was reducing the match restrict from 5 fish to three which permits the anglers to begin culling earlier. “This takes numerous strain off the angler and makes for nearer competitors I discover,” he says. The match pays out 3 spots and likewise has a ‘Huge Bass” pot that pays out for the largest bass.

For now, the membership meets on the East Pearl River which serves because the border between Louisiana and Mississippi however says he could think about holding the occasion on totally different rivers sooner or later.
For these fascinated by beginning up a match that caters to retirees, Picone recommends maintaining it easy and taking the main focus off of the competitors placing it extra on the camaraderie. “It’s good to have the ability to get collectively each week with these guys,” he stated. “I’ve made numerous actually good associates out right here.” Double Nickel’s success is a direct results of Picone’s “outdoors the field” pondering and willingness to strive one thing new. “There’s actually no restrict to the varied sorts of tournaments you may create,” he says. “Should you’re prepared to provide you with one thing that everybody enjoys fishing then tweaking the principles could be the factor that makes it successful!”

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award profitable out of doors journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith electronic mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com