Why Do You Sort Out For Fishing Tournaments??

[(='_'=)]

just a question, why do you sort out for fishing, and you get to draw partners?? where i live, tournaments are everybody against everybody, i mean, boater or non-boater doesnt matters, you compete against eachother... however, boatless people need to find themselves a partner with a boat, generally a friend or relative or something...

 

it would seem weird to me having to fish in someone elses boat, or having a stanger in my boat, for an entire fishing day.... i would really like to do it since i think i would learn a lot, but not for a tournament, i much rather prefer fishing with a friend...

[Felix77]

IMO joining a league is the best way for "future" boat owners (aka co anglers) to learn about the sport. I make new friends, learn a ton and get to fish.

I hear you might paired with an a-hole from time to time but so far in 2 years I have been blessed with some good draws.

[smallieking]

our club has non boat owners fish them with us and they complete against boaters all the same. its done randomly so its fair, who ever draws run order number one two and three get the riders... I fished the club for two years before I owned my boat and it was an awesome experience. though some guys make it rough most are very nice and help out great. I suggest trying it cuz u wont just learn fishing techniques ull learn great ways to catch a good sack of tournament quality bass. I still fish as a rider if we go to a lake ive never been to before or if my boat is in the shop...

[Ohio Dave]

There is a league very close to me and I was all set to join up  but they changed to pre set teams.  Being boat-less and a wife who sees no value in me having a boat  I am out of luck.  I think it would be fun as a boat owner or co to have luck of the draw to find a new partner for the afternoon to fish with and could easily live either way as everyone against each other or best five of the boat

 

thats the trouble of living in the flat part of Northern Ohio just not a lot of bass league action

[Sam]

There are a number of ways to learn bass fishing presentations and techniques and by being a nonboater or having a nonboater in your boat is one of these methods.

 

I would venture that 95% of the nonboaters are good guys. It is that 5% that are jerks and can ruin a fun tournament. People are people and some are more competitive than others.

 

I would suggest you consider fishing some tournaments with a nonboater or as a nonboater to get the experience under your belt for future reference.

 

I can tell you stories of being a boater and a nonboater.  Here is a funny one.

 

My good friend who owns a 100-foot Ranger with a 500 HP Mercury on it (his version of his boat) was fishing a club tournament with another club member. The nonboater was not doing that well so the boater offered the nonboater one of his baits that he was using to clobber the bass. 
The nonboater caught two in a row on the boater's bait. The boater than asked for the bait back.  And the boater is one of the nicest people in the world. You would immediately love him if you met him.

 

Another story.  I was in a tournament as a nonboater and begged the boater to take us to the mouth of one of my favorite creeks on a lake. He finally did and although I wanted to fish the grass he took a left and headed to the islands.  I caught two bass out of the wood on a total of five casts and he did not get a bite. The boater then said we had enough and we needed to move on. I finished higher than him in the tournament and would have ended up in the top five had we stayed and fished the area.

 

But those were learning experiences so now I know where to go and what to throw at the creek's mouth for future reference.

 

Consider my suggestion and do what is best for you and your learning curve.

[greendragon]

I have never been a non-boater, but my experience with co-anglers in the BFL has been a good learning curve. Meeting different people from different geographic areas is also fun.

[BuckMaxx]

There is no picnic on either the B or NB side. The advantage is as a NB is all you have to do is fish. I am a B but LOVE the opportunity to be in the back of the boat. I take my shoes off and just fish. There is no disadvantage in fishing "used" water if you are aware of watch for spots the B is missing. The B has a lot to think about trolling motor, boat position, etc. In most tournaments the NB has the front of the boat to fish his spots for 1/2 the time. However most of the time, in my experience, the NB says no and keeps fishing in the back. Occassionally you will get a DB, but this goes both ways. Be courteous don't throw ahead, don't be the guy that hangs it up on some silly cast, fishing for squrrils long after the boat has passed it. The best advice I can give you is to have fun and treat your guy like you want to be treated. It will gain you a ton of respect in a short time in your club.

[(='_'=)]

thanx for the info!! it was just a question i had... i would like to fish with different people, be it as a boater or non boater... however i live in Mexico and here, it works different. you need to have either a boat, or a friend who invites you... i mean, theres no such thing as a draw, you pay your entry fee and its your responsibility to get in a boat, yours or somebody else who is willing to take you...

 

what im trying to do is invite other people on my boat, even if i dont know them very well, i know i could learn from them...

 

i have a regular fishing partner, my best friend and with whom i co-own the boat... we have a non verbal agreement, i dont know when it started, but it has worked for us... i drive the big engine and decide where to fish, but when we arrive, he goes in the front... it works well for me, as if i want to cast or skip somewhere, i can tell him and he will position the boat for me to do the cast... on the other side, when i driving and he sees a spot he would like to go, he just points it out and we give it a try... however, fishing with the same partner i feel limits my learning curve, as basically i read in here, and then we go out and experiment to see what works or not...