Worst thing a BOATER has done to you

[riverbasser]

Seems there are alot of grey areas here. I agree that the co angler deserves to be in a position to fish effectively but there are factors sometimes that dont allow this (wind for instance) but my club has a rule that both members are aloud half day on the TM, not that this is exactly enforced or even initiated by most co anglers.

 

In my mind though say in the situation of going down a bank, I believe there is an invisible line down the middle of the boat and the co angler should not cast beyond this point until his turn, I also believe that if the boater works his way into some thick brush in order to make a specific cast then that will be HIS cast and no one else's.

 

Your thoughts?

[TOXIC]

You are correct.  It's a common etiquette consideration for the co not to cast in front of the consoles.  We can get deep in the weeds on all of the unwritten and written rules but believe you me if I ever drew a boater that prevented me from fishing either intentionally or if his preferred style caused it, I would make a claim at the weigh in.  It's not an internet fantasy either it happens a lot.  I started doing research for a series that I was going to write for Yamamoto called "From the Back Deck" but put it on hold.  Most boaters are considerate but I have seen some that could back boat you all day and you would never get a productive cast.  Those guys also are bullies and then turn around and grouse about the co not kicking in for fuel or wiping down the boat or bringing them lunch or giving hot oil massages after the tournament....  I jest but it's kind of true.   

[RichF]

1 hour ago, Logan S said:

Backseating happens 1000x more often on the internet than it does in real life. 

I think this sums it up pretty well.  Being a co-angler isn't all that fun so anytime a boater does something a co doesn't like (sit in one spot for 4 hours, move the boat too fast so your senko doesn't sink, cast to a piece of cover first, or just fish in an area you don't like) he/she will tend to cry "backboating."  I feel I can say that because I actually did that when I started fishing tourneys as a co years ago.  Eventually I just started to go with the flow and adjust accordingly, which is the best advice I can give to co-anglers. When I changed my attitude, the experiences got way better.  The vast majority of boaters aren't out to sabotage their co-anglers.  They just wanna do their thing. 

[DINK WHISPERER]

Sounds like a few people in here should stick to fishing alone! ?

[TnRiver46]

I have fished one tournament in my life and it was as a co angler. (BFL not team) The guy told me at the meeting the night before that he hadn’t fished the lake in years and wasn’t on anything. He kept the boat 1 ft from the bank the entire 8 hrs and threw up front. He also asked me where I wanted to fish, which was illegal the way I understood the rules. Is this considered “backboating” or unethical or what? I didn’t complain to him or anyone, just asking what y’all think. (For the record I have a few of my own boats but they aren’t “tournament worthy”) Biggest waste of $120 I can recall and I haven’t fished a tournament ever since and probably never will. Needless to say we both caught dink’s and zero keepers. Sure is fun to have a regular job and just fish with all my neighbors and friends after work and on weekends that I have off. 

[TOXIC]

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I have fished one tournament in my life and it was as a co angler. (BFL not team) The guy told me at the meeting the night before that he hadn’t fished the lake in years and wasn’t on anything. He kept the boat 1 ft from the bank the entire 8 hrs and threw up front. He also asked me where I wanted to fish, which was illegal the way I understood the rules. Is this considered “backboating” or unethical or what? I didn’t complain to him or anyone, just asking what y’all think. (For the record I have a few of my own boats but they aren’t “tournament worthy”) Biggest waste of $120 I can recall and I haven’t fished a tournament ever since and probably never will. Needless to say we both caught dink’s and zero keepers. Sure is fun to have a regular job and just fish with all my neighbors and friends after work and on weekends that I have off. 

No, that was not backboating.  The key is "intentionally" keeping you from fishing.  You just had a clueless boater/angler.  I'm not saying it is an epidemic but my initial research showed it does happen with regularity, if it didn't there wouldn't be rules on the books against it.  I'm also not for filing frivolous protests but if the rules are broken then it needs to be examined by the TD and a decision made.  

[TnRiver46]

38 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

No, that was not backboating.  The key is "intentionally" keeping you from fishing.  You just had a clueless boater/angler.  I'm not saying it is an epidemic but my initial research showed it does happen with regularity, if it didn't there wouldn't be rules on the books against it.  I'm also not for filing frivolous protests but if the rules are broken then it needs to be examined by the TD and a decision made.  

He was clueless about fishing but good at sales! He said Pure fishing pays all his every fees so he can just mingle with all the anglers and sell them stuff. 

[ratherbfishin1]

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

He was clueless about fishing but good at sales! He said Pure fishing pays all his every fees so he can just mingle with all the anglers and sell them stuff. 

You should have told him "Pure fishing doesn't pay my entry fees!"

[Janderson45]

I’m a new boater, coming from a coangler recently I can see both sides of the discussion and don’t think that a one size fits all rule approach really works.  Both boaters and non boaters come with widely varying experience, skill, knowledge of the fishery, etc.  

 

I’ve recently fished two tournaments with a coangler, just so happens it was the same guy twice.  He’s in my club and I drew him for my first club tournament as a boater, which we both did well in.  This was a two day event, and he was in my boat day 1 and in another guys boat day 2.  After day 1 with me he was sitting in 1st and I was in 3rd place.  The guy he was fishing with the next day happened to be in 2nd place.  After day 2 I won, and my coangler from day 1 didn’t catch a single fish all day because of the dock pattern his boater was fishing.  Not anything intentional or nefarious  about it, the boater was just trying to win and kind of screwed his co because of it.  

 

Even if you are technically competing against each other, I still think it can be an advantage to have a co onboard.  There’s exceptions of course, but I can see scenarios were working off a co can really help narrow down a good bite for both of you.  If I’m fishing with someone, I’m usually vocal about my thought process, plan, and pattern for the day.  I’ll often ask for their input as well, especially if my gameplan isn’t working.  Maybe some guys wouldn’t appreciate their boater being vocal?  I’m not sure, I’m just used to fishing alone or with buddies, and I’ve pretty much taught all of my buddies how to bass fish so I’m always talking through my thought process and bait selection.   

 

 

[N Florida Mike]

On 10/17/2018 at 4:53 PM, Sam said:

I have been back boated by my club buddies. I can name four right off the top of my head.

 

In one Region 3 tournament on the Mattaponi River I filled in for the team's nonboater (he had to do something with his daughter) and I caught three and missed one while the boater caught one. The boater was really surprised and glad that I caught my three as it helped him in the standings. And he told everyone at weigh-in that I caught the three and he nailed only one so there would be no misunderstandings that he caught all four.

 

Another time, about 12 years ago, on the Chickahominy River in Virginia after a club tournament, I had a melt down. A total yelling and cussing melt down. I will never forget this. And my melt down lasted for about two hours after weigh-in.

Since I am usually a quiet guy, the club members were really surprised by my going nuts.

 

The guy, who is one of my best friends now, was the boater. The problem was that we sat in one place for four hours because he caught a bass in this area when he prefished a few days earlier. He had caught a bass by a Cyprus tree in a creek off the main river. He refused to move or speak about moving. We just sat there. Four freaking hours.

 

All I did was feed the crabs my Senkos and all he did was sit in one position with his Zoom trick worm on the bottom, waiting for a bite. True dead sticking in the middle of the summer.

 

Another guy in the club laughed at us as he went by and told the guys at weigh-in that he passed us four times as he moved from place to place and thought we would win the tournament with a big bag since we never moved.

 

Finally, through my polarized sunglasses, I saw a bass swim around the tree and I told the boater where to throw his worm. Since he did not have polarized sunglasses he did not see the fish and after I yelled at him for about five to six seconds, he moved the worm to where I was pointing and the bass hit it. Only fish we caught that day.

 

Four hours in one place with no bites. And he refused to move.

 

I blasted him at weigh-in and the club president and vice president had a conversation with him as I was not the first club nonboater to have a problem with him back boating and not moving around enough.

 

He is set in his ways and he will not give up on a pattern even if it is not working. And he asked me a few months ago why he was not catching the bass at the same rate as the rest of the club members. I just smiled and said he will, one day.

 

Today, as I penned above, we are good friends and we have no problems. I have no idea if he back boats any of the other club members when they fish with him but since we went to a "team concept" it does not matter. I fished with him only one time since and we had to follow his milk run even though we were not catching them.

 

Guys, four hours in one place. No bites. No conversation. It can drive a guy to drink.

Think I would have gone wade fishing. ?

[HOG727]

It's really easy guys, just treat the boater or non-boater how you would like to be treated.   Some people have empathy and some don't.   I can't catch fish behind a guy paralleling rip-rap and moving 3 MPH with the boat side 3 feet from the bank.  But if my boater does it, I'm still pulling for him and don't mind if it's not all day.

      One of my worst boater stories- I'm fishing my first B.A.S.S Nation regional at Lake of the Ozarks and draw a stud of a stick from Texas-Tom Jessup.  I'm super respectful and he is a fishing machine but his style allows me very little opportunity.   Then, he has to work very hard in windy conditions to position the boat on a spot.  I wait until  after he cast and then make a parallel  crank-bait cast that was  behind the console line.   We both hook up and he shakes off his small one and I call for the net as mine is going to be close.   He dutifully nets my fish and holds the net on both sides and as I start to reach in for it, he shakes the net violently and the trebles tangle the net into a mess.   I have to sit down and pick it out while he cast to the school.  I just would never consider doing that to anyone and was in stunned disbelief. 

[RB 77]

On 9/5/2018 at 5:24 AM, J Francho said:

One of my favorite moves. 

 

That line in that movie is quoted so regularly with me and some of my co workers its ridiculous! haha

On 9/5/2018 at 10:05 AM, BassNJake said:

Scariest boater- I got tossed out of the boat at about 60 MPH as we ran into a submerged rockpile.

We both ended up ok, his boat not so much. Scariest 5 minutes of my life as my inflatable pfd never opened.

 

Racist boater- I got back boated the entire day we were on the water while my boater was bed fishing.

We stayed on one fish for 3 hours and he never changed baits.(no wonder he couldn't get bit)

To top it all off he said some racist things about another competitor and had me boiling mad wanting to fight him.

He refused to take me back to the ramp so I spent the last 2 hours doing the Guntersville slap everytime he would pitch to a bedding fish. This got him boiling mad as well and thats when we left. When we got back to the ramp he went right to the tourney director to report me disrupting his fishing on purpose. Tourney director suspended him as he did not deny what he said, he tried to pull the I'm not racist, my best friend is (insert minority here) card.

 

Wedding boater- I had a boater take a call around 11am telling him he was supposed to be at a wedding at 1pm.

We left on the spot. I ended up missing first place by 2 ounces after weighing in at 11:30, while everyone else fished until 4.

 

Hissy fit boater- I had a boater break 3 rods in about 20 minutes. He was fishing a deep brushpile with a jig. He broke off on the hook set the first time and just instantly snapped the rod over his knee. He flips back into the brushpile, this time he hooks the fish and its a pretty good one. He fights it for a short time before it gets hung up in the brush. after about 5 minutes the fish gets off but he's hung up and its his last PB&J jig. He gets a lure retriever slides it down his line and it was never tied off so it just keeps going and we watch the rope sink. He gives it a pull and the line breaks again. He hops around on the deck and then breaks rod number 2 over his leg. He picks up another rod in disgust and as he goes to pitch it out he snags the console and gets a major blow up. He then smashes the rod on the gunwale about 20 times. I bet he dropped the F bomb and other variations of it a hundred times in those 20 minutes.

 

Best Boater Ever- I drew a boater once and he ran a bakery with his wife. We had these amazing donuts and scones in the morning and some type of pastry wrapped ham and cheeses for lunch. We had a pretty good day and he ended up taking third. At one point I let him have a pack of Keitech swimbaits as he ran out. After the weigh ins he took me to his truck and gave me 2 left handed Shimano Citicas he had bought off of ebay by accident. 

 

I was a co angler for about 10 years and had about half a dozen bad boaters and they were downright awful.

I did learn a ton and wouldn't trade it even with the jerks mentioned above.

 

 

I like that you included the "best" boater ever guy as well to offset the "other" boaters. That  sounds like an awesome guy to fish with! The other guys, well... good grief some of that nonsense sounds awful!

[Rpratt]

1st tourney I ever fished, within the first 20 minutes of lines in the water, I caught 3 bass that weighed a total of 11 lbs on spinnerbaits by bumping them off logs. The boat owner said I was done, moved the boat out into open water and stayed out there for the rest of the tournament. This was early 90's to where light line was starting to really take off, however I had nothing then to compensate for it. Lesson learned there. 

 

It just stunk to go from total excitement of being in your first tournament and doing well, to bottom of the barrel what the heck are we doing?  We caught no more fish being out there for the next day and a half either. 

[dam0007]

On 9/4/2018 at 3:26 PM, looking45 said:

It didn't happen to me but this sucked big time. I was doing live well checks with another guy for a Pro Am. After all the wells had been checked, we walked down to the dock for the blast off. After blast off, this guy was walking on the dock with all his rods and gear. I was talking to the TD and we asked what he was doing, if he was in the event or what. He said he launched his pro, parked the truck and when he met him on the dock, the pro had put all his gear on the dock and told him he wasn't going to fish with him because he backed his trailer off the road trying to launch him. The guy asked the TD to DQ the Pro for unsportsmanlike conduct but the TD didn't, because the pro was a big name. He told the guy he could transfer his entry to another event. I don't thing this was fair as the Am drove 6 hours to fish. He could have fished the next day but would have been at a big disadvantage. The Am was *** and said he paid for the entire year and wanted all his money back. I don't know if he got it or not

That’s insanity. 

[Cheetahsneverprosper]

Quote

The guy told me at the meeting the night before that he hadn’t fished the lake in years and wasn’t on anything. He kept the boat 1 ft from the bank the entire 8 hrs and threw up front. He also asked me where I wanted to fish, which was illegal the way I understood the rules.

As far as I know, this is not at all illegal in the BFLs.  If a boater isn't on fish, I'm pretty sure it's fine to ask the Co if he has any good spots or ideas.  Only thing you can't do is contact others by electronic means about fishing spots or methods during the tournament.

 

As a Co, I shut up and keep suggestions to myself unless I'm specifically asked though, figuring that most boaters have been there practicing and already have a game plan.  If they want my two cents worth, they'll usually ask for it at the pairings meeting.

[RobbyZ5001]

I'll play. I've fished as a co-angler for BFL's for awhile. I only had two bad experiences out 21 fished.

 

1st- Dude was just a terrible fisherman and inexperienced with the boat. He had a brand new 21' Ranger, we were fishing the potomac out of smallwood. It was blowing putting maybe big 3s on the river. We sat on trash point a few hundred yards away from the launch ALL day in an area maybe 30x30. I was the only one to catch a fish and it was a snakehead. I suppose I rather have him do that then spear some waves tossing me out of the boat I guess...

 

2nd- Potomac again boater fished hard maybe 2/3 the day (lot of time left, not far run from weigh in). I had 4 in the boat with one being 5+ boater had 2 dinks. He literally put his rods away tossed the dinks over and let us drift to the back of the creek and wouldn't run the trolling motor or fish. I continued fishing because I had a shot at a check, but couldn't finish out my limit since we were in garbage water from drifting. This one sucked. 

[clark9312]

I stick to team tournaments where I can choose who I fish with. Typically I have one partner who also owns a boat. It sounds a lot easier than the boater non boater thing. If we’re fishing and I break off my parter jumps on the trolling motor and picks right up. If I’ve ran the trolling motor 3-4 hrs and want a break we switch. Sometimes we’re both up front sometimes one will go to the back. I’ve thought about trying out BFL as a non boater but it seems like there’s a lot of complaints. I like winning but at the sane time I work 60plus hr weeks so I like to enjoy it

[RobbyZ5001]

7 minutes ago, clark9312 said:

I stick to team tournaments where I can choose who I fish with. Typically I have one partner who also owns a boat. It sounds a lot easier than the boater non boater thing. If we’re fishing and I break off my parter jumps on the trolling motor and picks right up. If I’ve ran the trolling motor 3-4 hrs and want a break we switch. Sometimes we’re both up front sometimes one will go to the back. I’ve thought about trying out BFL as a non boater but it seems like there’s a lot of complaints. I like winning but at the sane time I work 60plus hr weeks so I like to enjoy it

I think you should give it a shot. It's cool to see different peoples strengths fishing certain water certain ways. 

[FordsnFishin]

As of right now I just fish local club tournaments.  So we choose our partners which im sure helps a lot. I tend to stay vocal and will try what the other person has to say as well.  

 

I feel the more you work together the better the day will go. The guys I fish with we typically will switch boats each tournament to keep it fair.  Don't cast in front of each other.  Fish on, buddy helps net. If you're removing a fish or retying other person takes trolling motor. 

 

Keep things fair and the day goes smooth.

 

This article is nice because this year I plan on co angling bigger tournaments in hopes of further learning and seeing how others fish. Im a fish to the last minute guy,  even if im beating a dead horse.  So interesting to see what guys on the boater side say about co anglers.

[th365thli]

I've only fished two tournaments as a nonboater. Both were with the same local club. Team format. 

 

First time was great, the guy was a hammer but he was very chill. Think a "cool confidence" and he was giving me tips on how to bed fish and it was just a very pleasant time. Now, I don't expect every boater to be like that, I'm perfectly fine just quietly fishing from the back. He was just uncommonly nice. 

 

The second guy was an *******. He was one of those that took club tournaments very seriously. I understand if we were fishing a Pro-Am or a BFL or whatever, but this was just a club tournament. He was grouchy, condescending, and would yell at me if I didn't do things quick enough. I'm not going to get into this whole "what constitutes back boating" argument. All I'll say is that throughout the day I was consistently put in a disadvantageous position. At the end of the day he ordered me to put the fish in the bag and yelled at me when I didn't get out of the truck fast enough, as if I were his child. I have a lot of pride and don't take it kindly when people disrespect me like that. The icing on the cake was he would litter on the water. He would through trash, cigarette packets and butts, into the Delta. That experience caused me to quit the club. 

A year later I toyed with the idea of rejoining. It's the only bass club in the area. Went to the website and saw that he was the president now. Nope, I'll stick with fun fishing. Now, when I take friends fishing, I do my d**n hardest to be the opposite of guy #2. 

I could've easily reported guy #2 but in my shoes it was a touch call. I was a newcomer, and that was only my second tournament. The guy was established in the club and had a lot of friends. Tough situation. 

[zeth]

Well lets see....

1) boater takes a business call. 30 minutes. swearing, yelling and so on. boat floats off into middle of river. I have nowhere to fish. I was catching them before that. same boater flipping 2' away from reeds on river in current leaving me nowhere to cast. i'd stand there and wait for him to get a birds nest (there were many) and drift off a bit, flip in my dropshot and catch one once the boat backed off. same boater goes right over a school of fish. he has 0 at this point. about 10-15 bass all well over 8lbs just chillin on the bottom cruising this outside edge of reeds. I flip in the dropshot one chases it down but misses it because he's blasting off with his trolling motor to go flip some shallow reeds in 6" of water where there are no bass. bad day.

 

2) shared weight format. boater back boats me all day running as close to the bank as he can on a almost vertical bank with trolling motor on high leaving me nowhere to cast. couldn't just drag a bait either since he was moving so fast. ho got 0 fish of course.

 

3) bed tournament shared weight boater would not let me flip to any of the bass.

 

4) bed tournament boater has like a 25lb limit by 10am. lets me flip on one. rest of the day he spend looking for more bedding fish and never let me flip in and get some of the 3 pounders. hw would only stop if they were over 5. we roll up on some guys that were going for this bass. they trolled off and said it was uncatchable. it swam out the the edge of the tules. I drop my bait and it sucks it in and I said it ate it at which point boater puts trolling motor on high. it was a 10+. 

 

5) have had boaters run around all day like a chicken with their heads cut off when I figured out the pattern in first 5 minutes of fishing.spent all day convincing boater to go back to an area we saw a bunch of fish.  bedding smallies on laydowns in 10' or so. i'd flip a dropshot to each one and get bit. he got jealous after I had 3 fish in about 5 minutes and went in about 45 minutes early. could have had a limit for both of us.

 

6) had a boater make a run down Winnebago in 6'+ waves lightning everywhere. thought for sure I was going to die. couldn't walk the next day. 0 fish because he back boated me on the one spot he wanted to get to. we should have never even gone out. a lot of guys bailed and like 6 boats sunk that day. 

 

7) probably a bunch of other bad boaters as well. 

 

? when I do 8 it makes that smiley for some reason. on  a more positive note I have my own boat now. have had a few great boaters, Heath Ahnen (the main reason why I fish today is because of this guy giving me a very positive experience in my first year of tournament fishing redmans), Ryan Friend, a few other guys I don't remember... a good boater will chill out and not take low level tournaments so d**n seriously, they will help you out show you the ropes, give you a bait to try if they're catching them, actually let you get some casts in, treat you with respect, not demand money from you (imo everyone gets money unless they back boated you on purpose and demand money which in that case I just walk away)...

[FishOn!GetTheNet]

This is not bass fishing story but I went with a coworker to a catfish tournament once.I paid 50$ To enter he had a 18’ flat bottom with 40hp I had a 12’ v Hull with a 6hp so of course we took his. It was an all night thing 7 to7 cold and rainy but the worst part is this guy had no rod holers no depth finder and no anchor how do you catfish without that? Well you drive the boat right up on the bank and hold one rod and sit there and curse and think to yourself I have a way better setup at home just less room and speed not that we needed the speed we never went more then a mile from the ramp he brought every kind of bait chubs gills salamander frogs probably 50$ I brought worms from my yard and caught the only fish 5lb channel lol

[mheichelbech]

On 1/20/2019 at 8:00 PM, clark9312 said:

I stick to team tournaments where I can choose who I fish with. Typically I have one partner who also owns a boat. It sounds a lot easier than the boater non boater thing. If we’re fishing and I break off my parter jumps on the trolling motor and picks right up. If I’ve ran the trolling motor 3-4 hrs and want a break we switch. Sometimes we’re both up front sometimes one will go to the back. I’ve thought about trying out BFL as a non boater but it seems like there’s a lot of complaints. I like winning but at the sane time I work 60plus hr weeks so I like to enjoy it

Curious about the BFL complaints.  After a hiatus from tourney fishing to raise my kids, I’m considering buying a boat and getting back into tourney fishing.  I’m thinking that fishing a BFL tourney as a co-angler would be a good way to judge if I have the desire and competitiveness to tourney fish again.

My main concern is getting paired with a jerk.