The meaning of competition is what many anglers learn early in life. It's also something that the majority of anglers have running through our veins. Competition brings out the best, and worst in all of us. I've been asked the question dozens of times, "What makes you want to fish in tournaments, instead of just fishing for fun"? Well, the answer is competition of course. Like me, most anglers don't choose to fish in tournament events just for the money. It's especially true on local events that may just pay enough for gas and soda money if you happen to do well and win a check.

It's the drive to compete on an equal scale, hoping that you just might be better than all the other competitors on that given day. It takes a certain attitude for an angler to have this drive for competition week in and week out. Some enter event after event and never win a check, but they show up the next week and the next. It's all about the drive for competition.

We have to remember when we're in pursuit of this drive, that tournament fishing isn't getting any easier. Nowadays, it takes a certain attitude to become consistent when fishing competitive events. The fish seem to be getting smarter and the anglers you are fishing against are learning new methods every day. They are discovering that there are new and better lures, techniques and strategies that can be implemented to their advantage as they go along.

That drive and attitude I mentioned can come in several ways. Personally, I can't take a break during an event. That means no sitting down while I'm fishing, except when moving to place to place. No long breathers for soda and crackers and such, and not wasting time on making decisions or changes. A competitive attitude will sometimes make you dig down deep, concentrate and focus on the event at hand. It will make you fish for hours without a bite, but knowing that the next one could be on the very next cast. It's knowing that sometimes patience is a virtue, but also a spoiler if you have too much of it.

Many think that competition takes the fun out of fishing. But many, like myself, find out that it's right the opposite. The challenge of beating your buddy that's just down the lake from you, while you know that you're both fishing the same technique, is what puts the fun in it to this angler. It's about being that top dog at the end of the day when you know that when the day started, everyone was on an equal playing field. Some seasoned anglers will tell you that they're only competing against the fish. But, deep down they know they're competing to outdistance the angler in the boat just around the corner in order for them to be named the best for that given day.

This is what makes fishing fun for many anglers. This is what drives them for the eight to twelve hours they're hurling those baits down the bank in search for that next big bite. This is what makes for one of the best feelings in the world once you've conquered the field and proved that you've out-fished all other competitors. This is competitive fishing, and all of this is what many of us anglers consider just another fun filled day on the lake.