I'm sure it won't be the answer the OP is looking for to fit his narrative, but here's my thoughts.
1) For the social aspect. It's a weekend getaway. My tournament partners are some of my best friends, and just getting to spend that time together is valuable to me. I've made a lot of really good friends beyond that through fishing the tournaments as well, and I've gotten to know a lot of good people that I otherwise wouldn't know. It's always nice to see people at the tournaments and catch up. A lot of people I've met through the tournaments are guys I fish with year round.
2) The Challenge. Tournament fishing is TOUGH. You're not just competing against other fisherman, you have to beat mother nature. The weather rarely if ever cooperates, and the bite can be brutal. You don't get to pick your days - wind, rain, snow, cold fronts/low pressure, 35C and flat calm, doesn't matter, you go out and you have to put fish in the boat, BOTH days. There's no greater test of your endurance and your abilities.
3) Competition. I would fish the tournaments if the 1st place prize was $1. It's all about the challenge and the ability to measure yourself against the best for me, the money is really pretty irrelevant. Don't get me wrong, it's an expensive hobby, and cashing a cheque now and then sure helps to cover some of the costs, but I view it more as a recreational expense, no different than going on a vacation somewhere tropical. Fishing is never about "making money" or "making a living" to me, and quite frankly, if you think that's what it's about, you've been grossly misinformed. It's not really even possible to make a living at it, especially in Canada. I would venture to say there are VERY few guys that are in the black when it comes to fishing, VERY few, and they are the best of the best.
4) Constant learning. Nothing forces you to constantly learn and evolve like tournament fishing, and nothing else gives you the opportunity to learn that tournaments do. No one is going to tell you when, where, and how, but paying attention to what's going on around you and forming some friendships will open your eyes as to what truly goes into being a top tier fisherman, and it will make you better. It motivates me to get out there and experiment and refine my technique, and I'm always trying to learn, at no point do you ever know it all, or even know enough.
5) I just like fishing, and it never hurts to have another excuse to get out on the water. Having it circled on the calendar in advance means it's FAR more likely to happen.
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