How to fish two people out of a boat

[livemusic]

Surprised I couldn't find anything on this with google and youtube searches. Maybe it's not the right search terms. Or maybe it doesn't exist!

 

The problem is... I fish a lake where, at this time of year anyway, the casting target is a line of cattails that grow along the shore. I fish alone alot and it's not a problem, obviously, if I'm alone but would like to take a friend now and then. Fishing alone, I position my boat pretty close to the line of cattails, from one to six feet. I then make casts straight ahead, usually, as the cattails grow in pretty straight lines. But you find some clumps of them here and there such that you do make some casts that are not straight in front of the boat. But 95% of all casts are straight ahead. I just cast, work the bait through the new water, and fast retrieve back while advancing the boat forward a bit with the troll motor. Repeat. So, you're always moving, off and on, and your casts' target zone are always in water you have not cast to yet. On average, the ideal cast is, say, less than a foot away from the cattails and you work it back on that line. The bass stay real close to those cattails. Actually, many of them are inside the line and move out and grab your bait.

 

So, if you have two people, this is a problem, lol. If you position the boat farther out, you can both cast to the line of reeds. But your target zone is tiny. Because you are casting perpendicular to the line of reeds. If you do as I do alone, your target zone is far, far longer.

 

One thing you could do is allow each person to man the troll motor for, say, 30 minute stretches or something. But, still, it's certainly not a good situation, because the guy in the back, he really can't cast forward. And casting backwards, you're working water that the boat has just traveled through plus it has been worked by the guy on front deck, lol.

 

Hmmm... you could manufacture a way for the guy in the back to make casts. When it's his turn to cast, you could, at the very end of when you throttle the troll motor, you could push the bow at little bit toward the open water, which would allow the guy at the back to make a cast parallel to the reeds. There would be some dead time as each angler waits until it's his turn to cast. Your boat would actually be kind like weaving in and out along that line paralleling the cattails.

 

Anyone have a better solution?

 

I have fished a lot of cypress tree studded lakes that we have in this area. Believe me, this is not a problem! Every tree looks like it should hold a bass and you're like, fishing through a forest, lol. Targets left and right all over the place.

[Deephaven]

Both stand on the front casting platform.  

[Bluegillslayer]

Me and my brother are able to fish out of a 14 ft rowboat together, I stand and fish/control the trolling motor while he follows my one rule when he is in my boat, ALWAYS sit. That way I can cast over his head at any time, we also tell each other when we are going to cast.

[Sam]

The guy at the front of the boat has a tremendous advantage over the guy at the back of the boat.

 

This is called "back boating" when the guy up front hits all targets first, leaving very few targets for the guy in the back of the boat.

 

Solution: As you mentioned above, change positions every 30 minutes. 

 

This gives each of you time at the front of the boat to hit the best targets without getting feelings hurt or making the guy in the back of the boat angry.

 

And yes, if you can have both of the guys on the front fishing deck that could work, too, but you will still be in each other's way and both will want to cast to the same targets at the same time.

[Catt]

6 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Both stand on the front casting platform.  

 

Pretty much the only option ?

[livemusic]

6 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Both stand on the front casting platform.  

 

You are right, that could be a workable method. But for me, that's too crowded. Plus, I have a bad back, and I have to sit some on the buttseat I have.

[E-rude dude]

When I bring someone else, I always give them an alternative bait. 
If I’m paralleling shorelines to work cover, I give them a bait the works in the water they will be in to fish. 
Some examples;

If I’m pitching cover, give them a buzzbait to work the openings behind the boat.

If I’m casting a square bill on weed edges, give them a Thunder Cricket to cast over the weeds if submerged or a frog in emerged. 
If I’m fishing deep water with a crank bait, give them a Texas rig to work the bottom.

 

If you fish with someone regularly, this really gives the area a 1-2 punch. Plus the two of you can really cover water eliminating dead areas faster and waypoint good areas in half the time.

[Deleted account]

If I understand the situation correctly, and you want the two people to have a somewhat similar opportunity at the fish, back off and pitch to the strand line. Sounds like pitching into it might be an option, a T-rig or swim jig might be the ticket. In reality one angler is always going to have a better angle at the fish, but unless you are fishing clear, calm water, the fish can be caught from "used" water from the back. Also pick lefty fishing buddies if you are a righty, and vise versa. Fished out of a 12ft cartop Jon for a long time, you make it work.

[OkobojiEagle]

Fishing with a 2nd angler is a great time to explore new lakes or new areas of this lake...

 

oe

[Deephaven]

2 hours ago, livemusic said:

 

You are right, that could be a workable method. But for me, that's too crowded. Plus, I have a bad back, and I have to sit some on the buttseat I have.

I lean on the butt seat in the front.  Makes it easier for the second angler up front as he knows where I am always.  Makes it so 3 can fish up there.  Pitching and roll casting off the side is fine for them.  Super easy.

[J Francho]

Get a bigger boat.

 

One of the things I liked the most about my Bullet was the gigantic front deck.

[Sir Shamsalot]

Having spent alot of time in the back of the boat I've found that different lures on different handed gear works, even same lures different colors. So approaching the target area off the right side of the boat, the guy up front uses right hand gear, the guy in back uses left hand. Sounds silly, but you'd be surprised at the water it opens as well as changing the direction angle of the presentation. Not always, but sometimes that change in presentation direction really scores. This is also a spot where being ambidextrous really shines as well. Even fishing "unfreash" water, it has really worked for me over the years as I have been known to out catch the guy up front.

 

I do have to add that I don't put alot into "boat shy" fish.  I use a technique where I basically drift in clear water just dunking a lure behind the boat as the wind pushes the boat. It slays them. Then if you've ever casted right into the wake of a passing boat, you'll find another little treasure spot.

[J Francho]

Seems like this is more about casting to targets and lines the baits run back to the boat.  Another thing I thought of was a learning a back hand cast.  Pretty useful for the back of the boat guy and doesn't require any special gear or a new boat.  Pretty sure Glenn has a video about it in the basics section.  I got pretty good at it when I was in the back.  Not sure if I could be as good now, but I at least know how.

[WRB]

Be aware you have a partner and control the boat accordingly. You are simply working the outside edge and passing up all the bass inside the tules. Your partner can pitch or flip the inside pockets and a different lure along the outside break if you slow down a little.

Tom

 

[Deephaven]

19 minutes ago, WRB said:

Be aware you have a partner and control the boat accordingly. You are simply working the outside edge and passing up all the bass inside the tules. Your partner can pitch or flip the inside pockets and a different lure along the outside break if you slow down a little.

Tom

 

Exactly, look at it as an opportunity to cover all the spots you were going to with two different lures at a higher speed than you can alone.  Position the boat to maximize it for both of you....or even better, position it so that your co-angler succeeds first.

[Bankbeater]

11 hours ago, E-rude dude said:

When I bring someone else, I always give them an alternative bait. 
If I’m paralleling shorelines to work cover, I give them a bait the works in the water they will be in to fish. 
Some examples;

If I’m pitching cover, give them a buzzbait to work the openings behind the boat.

If I’m casting a square bill on weed edges, give them a Thunder Cricket to cast over the weeds if submerged or a frog in emerged. 
If I’m fishing deep water with a crank bait, give them a Texas rig to work the bottom.

 

If you fish with someone regularly, this really gives the area a 1-2 punch. Plus the two of you can really cover water eliminating dead areas faster and waypoint good areas in half the time.

Quickest way I know to put a pattern together.

[roadwarrior]

I always fish with a partner and have never had an issue. My preference is the back of the boat with my buddy running the trolling motor.

[livemusic]

55 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I always fish with a partner and have never had an issue. My preference is the back of the boat with my buddy running the trolling motor.

 

Fair enough. But please explain how you get a cast in working a reed line as I described? What's the technique? Do you alternate casts as I described as a possible solution or how?

[K1500]

Key question...who owns the boat?

[WRB]

I haven’t fished a reed wall that was straight and dense like a rock wall. No reason for the boat to be up against the reeds unless you are flipping inside the reed wall. 

Move the boat about 8’-10’ away from the wall, this opens up a casting corridor. When you look forward cast to a target area. After you cast the partner has a corridor between where you are fishing and can fish. There will be targets about every 10’ or so, small pockets or flipping into the reeds. The partner can also fish behind the boat hitting targets with a different lure passed by, lots of choices.

Tom

[Luke Barnes]

My thinking is the guy in front fishes ahead. If I'm understanding it, pretty much straight ahead. Guy in the back fish straight back from the back of the boat at the same cat tail line. 

[Deephaven]

As Tom implied, I see room for three.  Cast accurately and you guys can really work the area.

[Ski213]

Two guys on the bow is the easiest I think but it sounds like that’s not good for your particular situation. I have no idea what your boat setup is or what the specific technique your using is, but it seems like you could come into the reed line at a steeper angle with the boat and just park the bow close to the line where you can both parallel cast a section at a time. Not as efficient as running the boat parallel to the line and casting straight off the front while constantly moving but would allow the co angler to stay in what you’re saying is the productive zone longer.

 

We’ve had some limited success using the outboard as a rudder. Turning it so the boat wanted to track at an angle while working down a bluff wall or whatever. It made it where the guy in the back wasn’t as blocked. Not a perfect system by any means. Requires a lot of repositioning as you work your way down the line. It’s fine for covering water though. Once we’d hit a productive area we’d get the boat more perpendicular to the line and parallel cast that section more thoroughly. 

[K1500]

On a more serious note, have the guy in the back fish a Ned rig behind the boat. They will likely out fish the front angler. 

[Deleted account]

15 hours ago, livemusic said:

 

Fair enough. But please explain how you get a cast in working a reed line as I described? What's the technique? Do you alternate casts as I described as a possible solution or how?

Back out about 12-20 feet or so and each of you cast or pitch parallel to each other towards the reeds, anywhere between parallel and 60 degrees or so to the reeds. If you picture a grid of the water you are covering, it isn't much different than a single angler casting along the reed line, you are just sharing the water. Sure each cast will spend less time in the zone, but that's not going to be a significant issue. In situations like this, I find fish are in clusters, and you can do a long stretch and then circle back latter.