From The Back Of The Boat.......

[bkohlman]

So my fishing buddy has a very nice bass boat and is a very good fisherman......wins his local club pretty much every year by a significant margin. He fishes very fast and flips and pitches an Eakins jig as his go to lure. What do I try to follow up with from the back of the boat?

[roadwarrior]

Try trolling a Rage Tail Eeliminator, C-rigged.

Another suggestion is to flip a different lure than

what the boater is fishing. If he is flipping a jig,

flip a soft plastic. The Lobster RagedRigged

is a great alternative.

[BrianinMD]

Keep an eye out for different angles to flip your bait in. Going fast he will not hit all angles so practice flipping/casting at odd angles.

 

Pick something with a different fall rate,  can be quicker or slower just different. The bait having a different profile helps also.

[aavery2]

If your fishing tournaments trolling is more than likely not going to be allowed.    If he is winning by a large margin with a finesse jig, then I would throw a finesse jig.  You said he is moving fast which makes it difficult for multiple cast to the same target and it also makes it difficult to cover everything.  Pay attention to his casts and cover what he missed, and make a second cast to anything that looks goods that did not produce for him.   Plastics T-rigged are also another option.

[bkohlman]

Great tips guys, thanks!

[BrianinMD]

I have always found it very difficult to get jig bites fishing behind someone else throwing them. Especially doing it this way, Always had better days adjusting some portion of what I am throwing. Another option, depending on the setup, is a spinnerbait. If you can throw it past the cover bump into it then let it drop you can pick up some bites also.

[Catt]

In the Team Tournaments I fish your 5 bass stringer is a combined total of both anglers. In order to be successful both anglers need to work together or one be extremely zoned out.

What I when in the back & the guy up front is throwing a 1\4 oz I'll throw a 5\16 oz., this small change in weight will give you enough rate of fall to keep up.

I have no difficulties throwing the same spot; quite often multiple casts to an object triggers a strike.

[tbone1993]

Pre-Fishing:

 

Experience- Let your boater tell you what to do. If he tells you what to do ignore everything else I am about to write. He knows the water better than me and you. The experienced angler can run his own boat. He should know what he wants you to do. You are a pawn to him basically. Your job is to test things out for him so he can see what does and doesnt work.

1. If my boater can out fish me on a particular lure I wont throw it. Ill do something different, always be different in the back pre fishing.

• If he starts catching a ton of fish on a jig it helps to know they arent biting a spinnerbait. 
• Pay attention to color. If black and blue is hitting change your lure to reflect his color but dont use the same lure.

2. It doesnt help to throw a drop shot when he is power fishing.

• You dont have time to work the lure properly so dont bother.
• If it take to much time per cast don't do it if he is running fast.

3. Learn how to pitch crankbaits in to cover and fish them out

• If the fish are coming off of wood throw a squarebill or something that will bang around

Color

1. Don't  throw the same color until he gets bit a few time on his. It doesnt help to always throw the same color but it helps to know that black and blue works on almost every lure you throw. 
2. When he finds a color that works remember it. Ex. If you get bit on black and blue try the same on a spinnerbait like I said above. If you get bit on the black and blue on almost everything you throw then start to switch it up again.

• it really is a back and fourth thing. Once you know you can get bit on that color almost everywhere put that lure away or switch up the color to find a backup pattern. 

 

Kind of a half ass response but it might help a little bit. 

[bkohlman]

I think he might move too fast for the drop shot.....but it is worth a try

[Felix77]

For me the Mojo Rig with a finesse worm picks up the scraps left behind from the boater nicely.  It helped me outfish my boater twice this season.

 

Check out Gene's video on the Mojo for everything you need to know.  It is my #1 go-to finesse technique now.

 

Secret Tip (Don't tell anyone):  Put a finesse swimbait (4" Keitech Easy Shiner) and you can fish the Mojo a little faster too.   

[Fishes in trees]

Me, in the situation you're describing, I'd throw something similar, but different.  If he is throwing the 5/16 Eakins Jig, throw something that weighs 3/8 or 7/16, something in that range.  Some people might suggest a carolina rig, given  a favorable cover situation, that might be an option, dragging it behind the boat, remember to turn your reel handle every so often so that is officially a "retrieve".  Me, in that situation, I'd probably go bubba drop shot, at least a half ounce weight and fairly short dropper line, around 6 to 8 inches.  A shakey worm on a 5/16 or 3/8 jig head isn't a bad idea.  This is a situation where you need GOOD gear.  Fishing behind a decent jig fisherman, you need to be able to consistently make 60 foot pitches, and be pretty accurate about it.

[Dave P]

Whatever you ultimately decide to use (personally, it would be some kind of bait you can keep moving if they guy moves that quickly) pay attention to where he's casting. If he's moving fast I guarantee there are places he's not hitting and there are angles you can hit that he cannot. Concentrate on those areas and throw something that allows you to keep up the pace and you WILL catch some fish. Look at my avatar. I am a back boater a lot of the time and I have outfished the front of the boat several times this year.

[Bluebasser86]

I started out fishing as a nonboater in a bass club where everyone fished against everyone, so I was competing against my boater in the front of the boat. One of my favorite baits to follow a boater with was a stick worm with a 1/4oz bullet weight. It appeals to all sized fish, can be cast pretty much anywhere, and is a presentation I don't think they see very often. 

In clearer water it's pretty hard to beat a shakyhead. If your boater gets right on the bank flipping and pitching that means a lot of fish are behind the boat in deeper water still. Cast the shakyhead out and drag it back up the drop offs towards the boat. A C rig can do the same thing.

A wacky rigged stick worm will also pick off a lot of fish that were just a little too finicky to pick up his jig also.

If they're just really eating his jig you might try a different color or weight. A lot of time he will pick up the most aggressive fish, which may be the smaller fish on a lot of days. If you pitch a bigger jig behind him you might not get as many bites but will be getting better quality fish at times. 

[K_Mac]

Great advice so far. I would only add that while going heavier on a jig or plastic is often a good choice, do not dismiss trying lighter. A 1/8 or 3/16 oz bullet weight with a smallie beaver has worked well for me in this situation. Stay positive! I have out-fished and been out-fished from the back of the boat many times.

[Bankbeater]

If your buddy is a boom and zoom fisherman then you won't be able to fish a slow presentation.  From experience, your best baits are going to be crankbaits, jigs, and spinnerbaits. You want a bait where you can change the presentation without having to retie.

[bassin is addicting]

i fish in a small club.... 13 boaters and about 5 non-boaters.  i don't have a boat....  we do not fish as partners.  i am totally at the mercy of the boater as to where and how we fish.  everyone of them is a bank-beater.  so i am fishing 2nd to everything.  only a couple of them are what i would consider fair as to not throwing at every single piece of cover.  i've finished in the top 10 4 out of the last 5 years....i have to adapt as to how slow or fast they fish.  and since i only bring 4-5 rods so as not to clutter up the back of the boat, i use snaps on every rig but one.  this allows me to change quickly when needed.  i agree the posts that mention crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs.  i've also had luck with various texas rigged plastics.  i try not to throw the same thing...unless my boater is killin' me.  but when the boater hugs the bank, it makes it very difficult to fish much different than he is. (thats when i want to ask him, if he was me...and getting "back-boated" just how would he fish?)...but that is another topic.   

[J Francho]

A finesse style worm on a wacky jig is a good second hook to a finesse jig.  I've done real well with this in cooling temps.

[Felix77]

Finesse is my friend ... Someone else already stated Shakey Head worms.  I love using the Zoom Mag Shakey Worm on a shakey head.  Vary weight to the depth.  Cast it out, let it sink and soak.  Wiggle the tip and watch out!

 

Another thing I mentioned in another post is to keep your eyes opened for opportunities missed by your boater.  Even the best boaters miss some part of the cover or structure.  For example ... docks.

 

If they are nosed in on a particular dock look to your left or right to see if there is another dock you can hit without casting over their head.  Even if it means a small cast as opposed to a long pitch if you know what I mean.  Caught numerous fish doing this.

 

Think of being on the back of the boat as an adventure and it will surely feel different when you are fishing.  

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

When it comes to angles I've become good at flipping to the back side of targets as you pass by. You have to quick and only get one shot but it can pay off. I  also often fish off the opposite side of the boat where you can pick up a bigger fish slightly deeper.

[WRB]

Whatever you decide to do, don't make casts that get hung up and the boater needs to stop what he is focused on doing. You can't cast a crankbait into shallow cover unless you are controlling the boats position.

I don't recall if you are fishing for money and shared weight tournaments? If it's a club ego tournament, get another boater that fishes a pace you can be successful with, life is too short not to enjoy your time on the water.

Flipping or pitching can't be going so fast you can't hit targets being missed. I would fish the exact same jig as the front seater if it's working!

Try casting forward out in front of where the boat is going, on the outside, keeping your line away from the trolling motor prop. This allows your lure to move slower and you use other types of lures, as long as the front seater isn't making overhead back casts, his rod should be out of your way.

Tom

[bassin is addicting]

i have to fish with a different boater each tournament.  so i am at the mercy of that particular boater.  it has gotten close to the point of not bein' much fun on more than one occasion...i've had boaters get mad when i catch a nice one behind them...it is not the money...our tourneys don't pay much...it is just them not being very sportsman-like.  i don't get a boat because of many different reasons...so that is not an option.  ok... i'll stop whining....

i try real hard to not get hung up so the boater doesn't have to "stop and lose focus"...i think that that actaully hurts me...since you need to throw as close to cover as possible to be the most effective.

[Brian Needham]

So my fishing buddy has a very nice bass boat and is a very good fisherman......wins his local club pretty much every year by a significant margin. He fishes very fast and flips and pitches an Eakins jig as his go to lure. What do I try to follow up with from the back of the boat?

 

I think you can follow up with just about anything. Granted if the guy is on 10 all day you have to adapt.

what I call fast and you call fast and he calls fast is relative.

 

I have friends that can cover water with a jig and it is probably where I get it from too. I am known to burn up a bank with a steady cruise only to make a pitch or two to prime realestate. Pitch, shake, shake, rattle, rattle, move on.

 

BUT, if he is fishing a jig he is also not totally fishing at warp speed. Pick your top 3 confindence baits and pick and choose your spots. Even though he might fish faster, you should still have time to execute a cast and presentation.

 

Even fishing a senko, If they dont hit it on the fall or within a few seconds of jiggel or just laying there I reel up and cast again.

 

Jigs

Shakey heads

Trig

Squarebills

Spinnerbaits

senkos

are all your friend here.