I am on the other end of the spectrum. I belong to a local bass club, and without a doubt it is one of the best things I have ever done to advance my bass fishing knowledge/skill level. I joined this club thinking I was a pretty good bass fisherman. Boy was I in for a rude awakening. After about 5 minutes of talking with them I soon realized what a kindergartner I was. What better environment to learn from than to be associated on and off the water with some of the best anglers in the state . The club I am involved with is heavy into tournament fishing, most of the members primarily only fish our club tournaments, myself included. I have to say though, that the tournaments are an incredible amount of fun. The first 2 tournaments I fished I ended up 2nd to last in both, and have never had so much fun in my life. For me it has been a great opportunity to get out with some great anglers and talk shop, so to speak. Not to mention being able to fish waters I have never been on before and get their assistance on how/where to fish.

For anybody else looking and wondering, one of the 1st questions I get asked is "Do I need a bass boat to fish the tournaments?" The answer to this is an astounding NO. There are plenty of back seats open and members are always willing to take somebody out with them.

Bill if ya have any questions, send me a line - skeeterbassin97@aol.com. I live nearby and if ya like we can sit down for coffee or talk over the phone if ya like. If memory serves me correctly you also work graves, so it shouldnt be too much trouble to get in touch.