How Many Of You Fish From The Back Of The Boat

[fisher of bass]

I do alright fishing from the back of the boat,i mostly use reaction baits,rattle trap,chatterbait,spinnerbait.i used to be pretty good at jigs,texas rigged soft plastics,senkos,but since the driver of the boat goes 90mph and gets the good spots,laydowns,beds,i cant focus on the finnesse lures,i had a boat but had to sell it due to medical reasons.

Does anybody have any tricks or opinions on how i can do better. tia

[Crestliner2008]

Since I sold my boat last year to cover medical expenses for my wife, I am forced to fish from the back of the boat quite often now. It does present it's challenges, that's for sure. Like you, I have to adapt and use more aggressive presentations to stay in the game. Finesse has a very low percentage of being employed in this situation, unless the boat owner is a finesse type individual.

I look at it this way. I thank the Lord that I have an opportunity to fish - period. And I'll make the best of it at each time. I would suggest, however, to some of you boat owners, to try to empathize with your partner's plight. Take a piece of cover you approach yourself, but then give the next one to your partner. Then alternate. You should also talk over presentation strategies PRIOR to launching. So he can have some idea of what you want to try as well. Common courtesy, as I see it. It's what I always did when I had people fishing from my boat. JMO!

[BrianinMD]

I fish from the back of the boat and mostly finesse fishing. Most of the time this works, but if the boater is trying to cover water it has to be scrapped. My club is boaters vs. boaters, and coanglers vs. coanglers. I do not expect and will not ask that he pass up a spot so I can have first shot. He is fishing for a win himself, not guiding me. The most important thing to learn as a coangler is to adapt, look for different angles or other ways to present baits the boater isn't doing.

If its a team tourney then its all different, a plan of attack should have been discussed prior to hitting the water.

[bassin is addicting]

since i don't own a boat....i fish from the back every club tournament. (finished 3rd yesterday) and it's every guy for himself. i wish it was boater vs boater and non vs non but i can;t get the needed majority votes from the boaters to go for that (wonder why lol!!)

most of the guys are pretty good about not "back boating" me too bad. i certainly don't expect if to be 50/50 for the best spots. if i can get 65/35 for a decent shot then i feel like the boater is being fair. it's not like either one of us is fishing for big money in our club.

i certainly have had to adapt how i fish since i was used to fishing from the bank and really working the areas i had walked to. i mainly had used plastics either weightless or very little weight, spinnerbaits and topwater since cranks or jigs would get hung up too easily. since joining the club i've had to learn to fish much faster and i've had to invest in a lot more cranks to be able to effectively fish the areas and keep up with the speed that the boater is going since most of the guys are like you say "going 90 mph" . there are a few that fish slow, but not many. i sometimes think if they slowed down they/we would do better but i'm at the mercy of the boater.

a lot of the time i'll try to throw something a little different than he is. it just depends, if he is killing them, i'm not too proud that i won't use the same bait. and i'm always looking at what we are approaching and if i can cast on the other side of the boat to something good like a stump or a point as we come up to a cove.

i'm interested to hear what others try too.

[SENKOSAM]

I've been a co-angler at times with different parnters and its sometimes tough to adapt to a boater's style of fishing and boat positioning, though it has helped me be more considerate of the angler in the back of my boat. If you're fishing with someone who fishes totally opposite the way you do and has to be reminded every 10 minutes to slow down, get closer to potential target areas, fish deeper or fish shallower or just try fishing structure you're confident fishing, etc. GOOD LUCK! It's even worse when your fishing new water and have to depend on the boater to put you on fish or a pattern. It can make for a V-E-R-Y L-O-O-O-N-G day. Good luck!

[Siebert Outdoors]

Once in awhile I'll choose to fish the back because I do not feel like driving the TM. Just relax and fish!

[J Francho]

I love the back of the boat for that very reason. Besides, I like to get any opportunity to fish with someone better than I to see the "whole package" in how they fish. Some of the best fisherman I know spent a lot of time honing their craft on the back deck.

[TommyBass]

Once in awhile I'll choose to fish the back because I do not feel like driving the TM. Just relax and fish!

Exactly... I hate to be a debbie downer but its almost impossible to take fishing seriously as a non-boater. You have to have a boater who cares, and the truth is most won't unless your a teamate. Your along for a ride and seconds that he misses.

If your tournament is boater vs boater and nonboater vs nonboater, its different that way. The guy with the best skill won't always win, but the guy who has the best combination of skill and good boater will.

I fish with a non-boater that is my teamate. I think this is much more fun and fair than trying to segregate the two. There is then zero territory or presentation issue, if the boater catches all the fish, or you split the bag, it dosn't matter... your both in it for the 'boat'. My buddy won't hardly drive the boat even if I need him to. Our chemistry has gotten so good with me driving and him fishing next to me that we just share the front deck and know what the other one is doing. We duck on hooksets, point out casts, plan out the day together, etc. Its just plain fun.

I personally think that if you are in it to be serious, either fish alone or fish as a team. Its the only way its fair really. Competition as boat vs boat is the only way to go in my eyes. You skip all of the drama between eachother. If you are fishing as nonboater vs nonboater and are getting highly annoyed, I highly recommend you join a team league and sign up with someone who has an opening.

[backpain...]

I love fishing from the back. I often get fish that the boater misses. I like not having to worrt about boat position and concentrating on the fish.

[jkarol24]

I just bought my first boat, but fish all of last year as a co-angler...

The single most important thing for me wasn't the lure to throw, a certain technique, or anything like that. IMO the most important thing is how well you can cast. Im not talking distance, but accuracy, skipping, backhanded, and pinpoint casts. Up here in the north, guys fish alot of docks and shoreline cover. For instance, i was fishing with a boater who could pitch to the edges of docks and pontoon boats, but could not skip lures under the boats or far back into them. It just so happens that fish were not on the edges of boat docks, but were way in the back in the shade. Therefore, my casting proficiency allowed me to outfish the boater. Docks are the same way. If you can skip a lure further back and more accuratly, you will be fishing new and untouched waters that the boater simply couldnt get to.

[fisher of bass]

thanks for all the replies,now,dont get me wrong i am very grateful to be fishing and love just being able to enjoy being on the water,its not a tourney or anything like that,but at times its very frustrating,i tried teaching him how to flip and pitch with a jig and soft plastics[brush hog,rage tail, senkos,etc.] and slow down, he did pretty good.all he wants to use is buzzbait,frogs,lipless crank,and spinnerbait, i'm sure some people are thinking, ''just dont go with him anymore,'' but i'm just trying to get an edge and think outside the box on how to better myself and be a better fisherman

[Hooligan]

I love back-seating. It's given me more opportunity to up my game than any other thing. I've won many, many checks from the back, even while I own my own rig. If you think you're not going to get the prime spots, you're not. If you think you can't get fish from where the boater has, or hasn't you're not. I've made many boaters angry because I will catch a 20lb sack out of their "trash." I'll fish behind anyone, I don't care if it's KVD. He's not going to hit everything the same way I will, he's not going to catch every fish off of every piece of cover or structure. It's partly about the belief in your ability, and it's partly in having the versatility to do so. If you cannot pinpoint a jig from the 20' mark, start practicing. If you can't skip a tube under a dock that your boater may not have, start practicing. If you can't read transitions and pick apart a piece of cover or structure and see which angles have been missed- learn. I'm not saying it to be cocky, but I'm very confident in my abilities to do so. If I weren't, I wouldn't do it.

In terms of angler and co "sharing" water? That's bunk. It's something you live with being a back seater. Adapt and overcome, don't try to compromise in the situation or make some sort of excuse about it. It's got nothing to do with mutual respect unless you're friends fun-fishing. In which case, I'd be planting myself on the front deck right beside anyone I fish with.

[retiredbosn]

When I have someone in the back I take into consideration their fishing as much as mine. I don't fish tournaments and we both are out there for the enjoyment of the sport. I'll actually alternate laydowns or fish one side of the cover (left or right) and they can fish the other side, however they want to do it. I have also spent a lot of time in the back one trick that will help you is learning how to cast backhanded. Glenn show how to cast this way on a video entitled Advanced Spinnerbait tactics, lets you get behind cover that they guy in the front can't. Additionally I have also caught fish out of cover that the guy in the front just plain missed, don't assume for a second just because the guy on the bow fished a spot that he caught the fish. I always make sure I'm fishing a different color or profile whatever. Sitting in the back you don't have to worry about navigation or anything, and can concentrate of the fish. Tight lines

[Dave P]

Lots of good advice here. I would add that you need to make sure that what you are doing is complimentary, but different from the angler in front unless he's just killing them. I often outfish the boat driver 2-3 to one just by doing different things. If he's shallow cranking, I'm pitching spinnerbaits at stumps and laydowns. Accuracy is key. Be able to pitch baits forehand, backhand, underhand and overhand. Even if they're flipping or pitching jigs you can get angles they can't and get bit. Dropshotting can be difficult unless they are TX rigging or C Rig. Persevere!!!

[Deadeye-1]

I have a friend I fish with. Sometimes we use his boat, sometimes mine. We both catch fish. He goes a little faster than I do, so when I'm on his boat I adapt. Even if we're fishing the same bait we both catch fish. You simply can not hit EVERY spot. I throw where he does not and so does he.

[Crookedneck]

I fish from the back of the boat almost exclusively. I have been for the last 2-3 years. It has taught me to adapt. I think the best advice I can give is to have the best gear you can afford. My first year I had low end gear. I missed alot of fish that year. I have been lucky to have boaters that I have learned to work with and we actually work well as a team. There are days that the back of the boat will get the sweet spot first. Just depends on wind, current and conditions. My main partner and I initially had 2 different styles of fishing. He liked deep water. I spent most of my time shallow. In the last two years, we have both learned to fish each others tactics. It has made us both better. Funny thing is now he feels more comfortable in shallow water and I love fishing deep now.

[Catt]

Some of y'all need new friends or should I say real friends

Regardless of whose boat we are in my friends & I take turns running the boat. We always position the boat to give equal opportunity for each to catch.

Most tournaments we fish are "Team" tournaments where only 5 bass are allowed between both anglers.

[lou304]

I don't fish tournaments(at least not yet) but fish with 2 buddies who have boats all the time. Whenever I might get a thought about being slighted, which is extremely rare since my buddies are pretty considerate fisherman, I say to myself "Dude, his boat!!" I look around at the big motor and all the fancy electronics and just feel lucky to have the opportunity to fish out of the back. they have a lot more invested than I do! I've learned a lot in the past couple of years and everyone in my family knows of my desire to own a bass rig. The first time i fished with my one friend he let me drive his Triton back down the lake to the launch. One of the coolest experiences I've had in years.

I'll own my own rig one day, and will hopefully remember how cool these two guys were when I fished with them.

[flippin and pitchin]

Communicate !!!!!! My old fishing partner used to plant me on the bank he was so close. I simply asked him to give me some space and he abliged, no problem. I would do the same for him when we took my rig. My new tournament partner is a gentleman and gives me ample opportunities. I actually don't mind the back seat. It's easier on my back, that's for sure.

[riskkid 2]

I always fish as a co angler. Our club rotates partners but I've never had a problem. I always talk to the person I'm fishing with for that tournament and discuss a game plan. Hopefully we get to pre fish one day before the tournament. I just like to know if we'll be fishing fast, slow or both so I can bring the appropriate gear. I will try to throw something different (ie...if he throws a jig I may try a worm). When one of us starts getting bit we can both start using the same thing. Our club also divides the standings between boaters and non boaters so we are not directly competing with each other. As a side note, I always enjoy the few times I beat the boater I am fishing with.....makes for some fun smack talk!!

[TommyBass]

I love back-seating. It's given me more opportunity to up my game than any other thing. I've won many, many checks from the back, even while I own my own rig. If you think you're not going to get the prime spots, you're not. If you think you can't get fish from where the boater has, or hasn't you're not. I've made many boaters angry because I will catch a 20lb sack out of their "trash." I'll fish behind anyone, I don't care if it's KVD. He's not going to hit everything the same way I will, he's not going to catch every fish off of every piece of cover or structure. It's partly about the belief in your ability, and it's partly in having the versatility to do so. If you cannot pinpoint a jig from the 20' mark, start practicing. If you can't skip a tube under a dock that your boater may not have, start practicing. If you can't read transitions and pick apart a piece of cover or structure and see which angles have been missed- learn. I'm not saying it to be cocky, but I'm very confident in my abilities to do so. If I weren't, I wouldn't do it.

In terms of angler and co "sharing" water? That's bunk. It's something you live with being a back seater. Adapt and overcome, don't try to compromise in the situation or make some sort of excuse about it. It's got nothing to do with mutual respect unless you're friends fun-fishing. In which case, I'd be planting myself on the front deck right beside anyone I fish with.

Very good points. I agree, its definately possible to do well like this from the back. However, you are making one huge assumption. Your assuming your boater gives a lick about your casts. If he pulls up on a piece of structure in the middle of the lake, nose first into a 20 mph wind, only his cast may get to the good spot. Your stuck in the back fishing a 30 foot flat while he fishes stumps on a 10-20ft break. Or hes flipping grass and trees with the front of the boat up in their grill, leaving you to hope there are a few straglers out in open water. Sure there are times when you can always cast to a productive spot, I'm just saying not all boaters are as considerate as you would want them to be to give you a fair chance against a guy whose boater is putting them on spots.

[Deadeye-1]

I don't fish tournys, but since I work in a Sporting Goods Dept, I talk with a lot of guys that do. Most of them around here are set up as a Boat Team. I like that style. Both anglers work together to get the 5 best fish in the boat. There is no reason for the boater to try and shut out the partner. Most guys say that they use different things and see what is going to work.

Most days when I fish with one of my buddies we always throw different. I know what he likes to use, so I'lll use a different color or lure. One day we were out together and by the end of the day I had caught 14 and he had caught 15. He was in the back of the boat that day. We work together so that both of us, no matter whose boat we're in, get a chance to put fish in the boat.

[bwell]

I love fishing from the back of the boat, I dont have to worry about the trolling motor and get to focus on working my bait. Everyone I have fished with has been great and never keep me out of the fish...

[scrutch]

I love the back of the boat for that very reason. Besides, I like to get any opportunity to fish with someone better than I to see the "whole package" in how they fish. Some of the best fisherman I know spent a lot of time honing their craft on the back deck.

I am a boater and am usually at the front. However, I would enjoy the opportunity to do this very thing. Especially at Guntersville for the Roadtrip I think it would be fun.

[scrutch]

After reading the rest of the posts another thought comes to mind...

When I'm driving the boat, if my backseater is somehow left too close to shore, or left dangling out in deeper, unproductive water, I would expect him to speak up. Sometimes I get so into my own pattern that I forget about the other guy. I'm a naturally considerate person and if I'm making the day miserable for another guy, I want to hear about it! Even if that means both of us on the front deck, I'll make the necessary adjustments without a second thought.

This goes for pattern issues too. If I'm struggling and you think you know where they are, speak up. Unless you want to go out into 70 ft of water and bobber fish, I'll probably change in a heartbeat.