Thanks for the replies. I did not ask him, I made one cast on the opposite side of the boat, behind the center console, not in front, and he did not like it. I deferred to him for the rest of the day to avoid conflict. That said, I spent the rest of the day with no water to fish. He parallelled the banks, casting out front of the boat and within seversl feet of each dock we passed. Guy was a good fisherman and covered water effectively, but I dont believe I was wrong. I have fished several BFLs before and never once has this been an issue. I must admit it caught me off guard.
I gotta disagree with this answer, I would certainly ask to cast in front of the console but feel like behind it is my water go fish. No trying to be disagreeable, but I paid to fish the tournament too. Co anglers are part of the deal and boaters know that going in.