Is the front of the boat an advantage?

[Dixon]

My buddy who always fishes the front of the boat with all that room and first cast at most spots doesnt seem to think so.  Thoughts?

[BassThumb]

IMO, if you're fishing reaction baits and covering a lot of water, there is no doubt that it's an advantage to be the first to present your lure to an active fish.

With bottom contact baits and less active fish, it's a more ever playing field, but probably still a slight advantage to be in the front because of the better choices of casts.

[Osprey39]

If you want to make it so, it can be a huge advantage.  You can position the boat so that the guy in the back can't throw at spots until you already have, maybe multiple times.  I personally wouldn't do that, even to a guy I don't know but you certainly can.  The only time I would do it is if they guy kept cutting me off by casting by throwing out in front of the boat.

[topwater.va]

Not if the boat is going backwards... ;D

[natalex1208]

IMO fishing in the front is not an advantage for most bass fishermen assuming someone that is good is in the back.

I fished tournaments for a long time as a non boater.  I was only beaten by the boater (the guy running the trolling motor) ONCE.

I believe the reasons are that I was a more accurate caster, knew more in general, and wasn't having to deal with running the trolling motor.

I think the main reason is casting accuracy and ability to get my lure where others can't or won't.

[Fishes in trees]

yes

[scaleguy6]

I like the back of the boat, that way you don't have to run the trolling motor.

I own my boat, but most buddie tourney's I let them run the trolling motor and always catch at least 4 to 1.

I guess I'm just good.

were fishing out of Dunkirk, NY on Lake Erie

Were gonna really go gettum' tomorrow.

Any help about whats goin' on would be great.

[gobig]

I do not think this is a strait yes or no answer. There are quite a few variables. Generally speaking though the boater has the advantage. He has the ability to get into position to make the best possible presentation at the most productive angle. Only once have I truly ever been back seated where I had no where to fish. If your fishing a hump in 40' of water the playing field is somewhat levelled. I think the key to the back seat is fishing or doing something different. I have fished behind guys that are like vacuum cleaners and if your doing the same thing its going to be a long day.

[cart7t]

Not if the boat is going backwards... ;D

That's not as funny as it sounds.  On really windy days I'll often point the nose of the boat into the wind and allow for a slow, controlled drift backwards using the TM for course correction and to keep the backwards drift under control speed wise.  It actually works out way better than attempting to fight into the wind.  The obvious advantage is to the guy in the back of the boat.   

[Catt]

Patrick Miller and I have fished together for 30 years both of us taking turns in the front of the boat and my records show no distinct one way or the other. Now keep in mind we fish as team knowing that the 5 biggest bass is money so there is no back seating going on.

I have been back seated on several occasions and when the angler in the front of the boat does this it becomes his advantage.

[NBR]

Fishing T's may cause different reactions but when a friend and I fish together I try not to hit all of the likely spots. If you are sharing a day you should share the spots. If he doesn't see a spot I point it out.

[Grey Wolf]

I like the back of the boat, that way you don't have to run the trolling motor.

I own my boat, but most buddie tourney's I let them run the trolling motor and always catch at least 4 to 1.

I guess I'm just good.

were fishing out of Dunkirk, NY on Lake Erie

Were gonna really go gettum' tomorrow.

Any help about whats goin' on would be great.

When your GOOD you don't need any help.

[Ontario Bass]

In most cases on my boat the person at the front is throwing far different baits than the person in the back.  The last two times out the person in the back out fished the person in the front almost 2 to 1.  Now this was pike fishing but i've experienced days where i clean up from the back and other days where the person in the front takes more fish.  In my boat everyone on the boat is given a fair shot at the fish.  No point in trying to hog fish.  After all this is a sport that is suppose to be fun for everyone.

[fishfordollars]

Depends on who is in the front and how they are fishing. They certainly can make it an advantage if they try.

[Bigs]

I always fish from the front of my boat and I always outfish the person in back. I think fishing in the back is alot easier tho , running the trolling motor all day is alot of work.

[junebugmn]

I agree with bass brat I f you are good it does'nt matter where you are in the boat, if you're just fishing for "fun" It's alway's a "turn on" to get a porker the guy in the front missed ;D especially when dock fishing. Junebugman

[Raul]

It depends upon who is on the front of the boat.

[Jig Man]

It depends upon who is on the front of the boat.

Exactly and the type of baits.  Jigs, senkos, etc. the guy in the back can do as well if the guy in the front cares and keeps the boat in position for the guy in the back to fish.

A good spinnerbaiter or crankbaiter can rape the bank so the guy in the back only will get a few if any fish plus he can fish so close to cover that anything not caught may be spooked out by the boat.

[senile1]

It depends to a great extent on the attitude of the person in the front of the boat and the type of fishing.  When I fish with another person I try as much as possible to position the boat to equalize opportunity between me and the person in back.  When continuously moving the person in the front does get to fish the water first which can be an advantage, though the back person can use a different lure and/or different angles which can sometimes be what the bass are looking for.  In a strong wind without an anchor if the person manning the trolling motor is trying to equalize the odds between the front and back, he can spend a lot of time and effort keeping the boat positioned and this can affect his fishing. This is especially true when one is trying to hold the boat in position to fish an area thoroughly.  If the cover and structure allow the boat to be positioned with the bow pointing into the wind and the area to be fished is parallel to the boat, then the odds are fairly even. 

[bass or bass ?]

Not necessarily. The back seat can cast at the same targets as the front seat, but at different angles as the boat passes those targets, so a fish may be holding on the opposite side of the target that the front seat misses.

[backpain...]

I agree with the general consensus that it depends on who is in the front. I am fairly new to boating, having only had a boat for a few years and getting limited time on the water each season. When I am fishing with my brother who is very good, I let him take the front. He does a way better job of boat control and positioning and we both do better. In team tournaments that makes ALL of the difference. When I am in the front, I would have to say the both fisherman are at a distinct disadvantage at this point!  ;D

[Fishohio]

It depends upon who is on the front of the boat.

I think the guy in the front has an advantage, unless he's controlling the boat so both of you can fish.

I like fishin out of the back in this situation, just concentrating on catchin fish and nothing else! ;D

Althow most of the time I'm runnin the trolling motor.My nine year old doesn't have very good boat conrtol YET!

[BrASSmonkey]

As others have stated, fishing the front of the boat can be an advantage if you purposely make it so.  My brother tends to let me take the front of the boat because he does not want to deal with the trolling motor.  I have no issues with this, as it allows me to target weddlines that we are following before him.  However, he saves on the aggravation that can be controlling the trolling motor.

BrASSmonkey

[BassThumb]

While beating the bank with reaction lures, I believe you can even the playing field a bit by speeding the boat up. The front angler will miss more opportunities this way and leave a few more bass for the guy in back. Oftentimes the two of us will catch more fish put together because we cover more water, and the splits will be more even. The person in back needs to be paying attention to what I'm not hitting to really make it work, though. If you work together, the two of you can really kill it.

When I fish alone, the troller is usually set at 20-40%, but with a buddy in back, it's often set at 40-70%.

Don't forget that you can use the outboard skeg as a rudder to swing the back of the boat toward the cover to give the back angler better casts. I rarely see people doing this, but it really helps at times, especially when the back angler has less experience and cannot cast as well as the angler in front.

[Nitrofreak]

I wish I could say one way or the other.

I have only fished from the front of the boat, But from my experience there always seems to be something else you have to watch for and on really windy days it gets pretty difficult to concentrate on fishing and making sure you don't put the boat in dangerous situations especially when there are a lot of boats on the water and they have no concern for you at all.

I would have to give the person on the back the advantage since he or she only has the fishing to focus on.