The Rigors of Tournament Fishing Successful competitors know that winning is a combination of boat, gear, game plan - and resolve. Enter the ardent tournament competitor. To him, catching fish and winning trophies is foremost when he boards his vessel. Solitude is something he can find mowing his lawn, playing golf, or building model airplanes. It's a different mind-set.
New line is spooled onto a reel after catching several fish, or that one big trophy.
At the very least, several yards are stripped off after each significant fish capture. Even brand new line is run through their fingers as they're deploying and retrieving the baits. Sometimes nicks arise when the outfits are transferred to and from the boat, during the run to and from the fishing grounds, or contacting flotsam, debris, or fish. Leaders and hooks are also inspected throughout the day. Unless trolling spoons, swimming plugs or offshore lures for billfish and tuna, all rigs are immediate replaced after catching a fish.