One of the hardest parts of organizing a tournament is getting the exposure you need to have big boat numbers. If your tournament isn’t well know, it may be hard pulling in boaters from other trails and clubs. For the anglers already loyal to certain trails or clubs it isn’t the marketing, it’s about the timing. Try to find Saturdays, or even Sundays, that others don’t already have scheduled. This will give them a chance to try your tournament out.

Try to differentiate your tournament from the others in the area. Start out with payouts to more spots and have side pots, like big bass or trash fish. Offer flexibility, let the anglers fish as a two man team, single, or single with co-angler. Ask your sponsors to donate prizes that you can give out to the lower placing teams. Be sure to get feedback from every participating angler. Ask questions like, “Did you like this tournament format?”, “What would you change?”, and “How did you find out about our tournament?”.

Marketing your tournament is the easy part. If you have ever fished a tournament yourself, think of how you found out about it. Post on local social media groups with the most followers. Stop by hardware and sporting goods stores around your region to hand out fliers to be posted. Hand out and hang those same fliers at the lakes you plan to fish also. Have custom decals made for your tournaments that your anglers can put on their boats or trucks.

Your anglers should feel confident about participating in your tournament. Make sure you have written rules and guidelines. Without these rules, anglers don’t have a fair playing field. Be sure to do thorough boat checks before every take-off. A large part of your participants trust lays with your scales. Half an ounce can make the difference at 3 o’clock. Don’t cheap out when making this very important purchase. Invest in exceptional equipment like the  Pro Tournament Scales H2 Series Scale and your anglers will keep coming back.

Written by: Jack “Bo” Johnson
I have been fishing since I could walk. I started fishing bass tournaments 7 years ago and started writing 5 years ago. Fishing has always been my passion, so writing about it just comes naturally.