Co Angler Blues....

[auburntiger7231]

I recently joined a bass fishing club and have now fished 2 tournaments. Both tournaments I have weighed in a total of 0 lbs. Each day it's been more of the same. My boater reels em in while I catch a 10" bass here and there and nothing big enough to weigh. I have been bass fishing for 30 years and THOUGHT I knew a little something about the sport. I always felt that if we got on the fish I could catch them. Apparently not. I now have no confidence in my ability to even catch one keeper. I try everything I know to do and always have a plan come tourney day. It's been a disaster and chasing this life long dream has been nothing short of painful. Anybody out there have some sound advice that might help me? I'm just scratching my head at this point.

[aumdb487]

This is my first year tournament fishing as a co-angler in BFLs. I have had three tournament now. Two of them I did well and one I zeroed. The two I did well in I fished my strength the one I didn't do well I tried to chase what my boater was doing. My advice is find something you have confidence in for that day of fishing. plastics, cranking, lipless, spinnerbait... whatever it is, don't put it down... my example:

first tournament I prefished and we caught a few on a jerk bait. Tournament day my boater was throwing the A-rig all day I threw my jerk bait I had success with the previous day. I caught 4, finished in 30th.

Second tournament, I prefished and caught some on a chatterbait. Tournament day my boater was on a lipless pattern. I put down my chatterbait and threw the lipless all day caught small fish behind him and zeroed for the day while he got a check.

Third tournament, I was on a plastic craw pattern boater was on a senko pattern. End of the day I was within one pound of his weight, I came in 9th co-angler and he came in 11th boater.

so prefish if you can and find something you have confidence in and use it all day long

[aumdb487]

and war eagle

[BrianinMD]

I agree with the first reply, play to your strenghts. It doesn't matter what your boater is doing, as long as your pattern fits the depth/cover being fished stick with what works for you. Also, relax out on the water. I see a lot of guys fishing there first couple of tourneys get caught up in things, whether its the time limitation or wanting to do well. This causes you to fish to fast, relax and the results will come.

[basscatcher8]

Yeah the hard part is learning to just fish and not worry about it being a tournament or what time it is. Let the boater worry about that stuff cause if he wants to be late hes gonna drag you down with him its the name of the game as the co angler. Just go out and relax and fish what he gives ya and dont worry about what you dont have. just worry about what you got.

[Sam]

May I make a few suggestions for you to consider?

1. Visit the body of water before your tournament and use a swimming pool thermometer to get the temperature, look at the water level and view the water clarity.

2. You may want to purchase an electronic unit that has a sensor you drop in the water and it will give you the best color to use based on water clarity.

3. Check any on-line blogs or fishing reports about your body of water.

4. Check with any tackle shops servicing the body of water for suggestions.

5. Accpet the fact that you will be "back boated" and not have a very good angle to throw your baits.

6. Throw either the same bait as the boater or something different, if possible. It can be a challenge if the boater is throwing crankbaits and you want to fish the drop shot. So call the boater to see what he is going to throw so you can plan ahead.

If the boater wants to lay off the shore 150 feet and throw Carolina rigs towards the flats and you want to finesse the shoreline and wood, you have a BIG problem.

Too many nonboaters show up at the ramp, sit down, and expect the boater to put them on fish. The boater will put themselves on fish first and then worry about you catching anytning.

Sometimes the boater has less knowledge of the places to fish, the baits and techniques that you know will work or have worked in the past. What information you share with the boater is your option.

So do your homework and be ready to throw the best baits you think will work and either parallel or fish opposite your boater.

And don't get frustrated. Being a boater increases your chances of success as you are in charge of the machne and what you will be doing.

[auburntiger7231]

Thanks a bunch for the tips guys. I actually work at the lake that we fish most of our tournaments on. I make it a point to get any and all info possible as to what, when, and where, the fish may be biting. I have tried to stick to my strengths and what I do best which is a slow methodical approach. It just hasn't happened for me. The last tournament I did a good deal of crankbait fishing, which I haven't done much of. Missed a 5 lber that threw my bait about 10 feet from the boat, had some nice size "chasers" that wanted to bite and run right at the boat, and then caught a 5 lb catfish on a CRANKBAIT!!!!! Talk about dissapointment. lol I do start to feel the pressure after a few hours of no luck.

And WAR EAGLE to you too good sir!!!!

[J Francho]

Fish team format tournaments instead.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I you haven't, learn to cast with your back hand. A lot of times when the boater is beating the banks he will neglect thye back side of targets and you can hit them on the way by. You have to be looking ahead and time your casts just right. If all else fails, drag a c-rig behind the boat and you'll get bit eventually. If the boater is really pounding all the good targets, I sometimes fish off the opposite side and sometimes catch a bigger fish sitting out deeper.

[aumdb487]

Don't be afraid to fish your strength even if it's not "ideal" situation. if the guy is fishing fast you said you like to fish slow, then make every cast count and drag it as slowly as possible. No one says you have to trying to match cast for cast with your boater. if you like to fish shallow and he's on a deep bit then use your inner eye to imagine what the bottom might look like as far as targets to throw too.

[auburntiger7231]

It really isn't so much that I like to fish slow the most. I really really enjoy a faster approach and have been trying to crank more. I have just had way more luck fishing a c rig or a jig. I have had problems not really watching my boater as to which targets he missed or didn't fish well. I have also spent most of my bass fishing fishing visible structure or "humps" surrounded by deep water. I know I don't spend much time fishing the opposite side of the boat or even the back. Especially if i'm not boating fish. 99% of my time is spent fishing the same side as my boater. This may be a very good change for me if I can stick to it. My current approach sure isn't working.

You all have been a really big help!!

[zip pow]

I suggest a senko and throw till you catch one it won't take long .almost granteed to catch every fish your boater missed

[Crookedneck]

I've said it before, I will say it again, that is to get the best gear you can get afford. In the back of the boat you have to cast longer, and more be more accurate.

My advice is to slow down. Concentrate on the struture. Get your cast where you want, and due to the speed of the boater, even if you can only present your bait your way for a fraction of what you normally do, then do it. It may mean more casts and shorter presentations, but fish those your way, the way you know it works. Use your practice to throw cranks and different baits. Use the tournaments to fish what you know. A boater will always slow down when you have a fish on.

I have fished the back of the boat for 2 years. The first year I did horrible. 13 tourneys, I weighed in only 5 fish. Last year, I zeroed 1 time, co-incidently my boater did too that day. My boater took second overall last year I took 4th out of 60. My changes were a total make over in gear. And place perfect casting. (And I switched from unpainted bullet sinkers to black).

Last but not least have Fun! Build on success even if, success means a short here and there. A short is better than nothing.

Good Luck!

[ChiCityBasser]

Great tips and info and I hope more members chime in as I'll be fishing my first tournaments as a co-angler as well in a couple of weeks.

[alyswim]

I always fish from the back of the boat, except when the hubby needs to re-tie or switch out his gear. Granted I fish w my husband, but for the most part I keep quiet and let him drive. I feel very out of sorts when I am up front. I usually try to fish off the back or the opposite side that he is fishing. Some days he does better and some days I do... We tend to throw different baits or colors unless one of us has a ton of luck. I luv just sitting back and fishing and letting him worry about where to fish!

[auburntiger7231]

Thanks again for all the great info and tips. I will be fishing an unfamiliar lake this week but one that is part of the same river that makes up my home lake. It should be a challenge because due to work I will have no practice time. At this point i'm hoping for even the smallest of victories. If I weighed one fish it would please me. I can't go anywhere but up.

[ChiCityBasser]

Thanks again for all the great info and tips. I will be fishing an unfamiliar lake this week but one that is part of the same river that makes up my home lake. It should be a challenge because due to work I will have no practice time. At this point i'm hoping for even the smallest of victories. If I weighed one fish it would please me. I can't go anywhere but up.

Good Luck

[Felix77]

This was my first year as a co-angler. I fished about 5 tournaments and learned some valuable lessons which might help someone else.

1 - BOBA's (Back of Boat Anglers) need to be versatile. Even if you talk to your boater things change the day of the tournament. You need to have a little bit of everything in your tacklebox just in case. There is a fine line here too so be careful not to overwhelm yourself with choices. Fish things you have confidence in.

2 - Fish your fish. When you get to your spot make your own assessment about the conditions, depth etc. Fish what you think will catch fish in those conditions. Be persistent.

3 - Observe your boater. If your boater is killing them on a particular lure then it's ok to adjust to that lure and catch some behind them. In most cases however it may be a complimentary lure which may help you catch fish better. Example: Boater killing them on a Texas Rigged Craw. Follow up with a more "finesse" style texas riged senko, trick work , or finesse worm.

4 - Ike's "Never give up". I fished one tournament which started in 20 degree weather in the AM. We knew the bite was going to be tough. I ended up with only 2 bites for the day. My boater caught at least 6 - 8 keepers that day. I was frustrated and disappointed that I couldn't fill my limit and was really hard on myself about it. Well ... I get to the weigh in and place 6th with my 2 fish. Several boaters came in with no fish. It's truly all relative.

[midmohunter]

Learn to fish a jig alot and use the shaky head these are the two items I hear talked about alot at weigh-in.

[greenesgreen]

I've fished as a co in different tourneys for a couple of years now and out fish my boater probably half of the time. I find that as the co-angler, you has a slight advantage over the boater, sure he may get first shot at every point of interest, but you can use his failures to build a succesful pattern before he does. Pay close attention to where the boater places his bait, there will be plenty of spots he will miss and if he is not catching you will be there to place your bait in the #2 spot on that structure or cover. Ex: boater casts to points of laydowns and doent get bit, you cast to the back of the laydown and work through it. Boater casts to shade side of a stump, you hit the sun side, etc. so on and so fourth. The co-angler actually gets to see what doesnt work on a piece of cover or structure before making their cast, the boater is casting blindly until a pattern is determined. Now, if you have a very patient boater that smoothers every twig and branch with casts, then downsize your lure a bit, maybe a little more or less action, and go from there. Good luck in the future!

[roadwarrior]

Troll a Rage Tail Eeliminator C-rigged and you will out fish the boater!

[RyneB]

although i am not a tournament fisherman, i do fish with a buddy a lot. If im up front and im on a jig bite, say a black/blue jig with black rage craw trailer. He will throw a black/blue jig with a paca green pumpkin trailer, or a different color in general. Once he started doing this, his catch rate when up. I have no problem passing up some good looking spots so he can cast at them. The one thing i do hate is when he casts way up in front of me and takes away my cast. I dont mind this when we are throwing fast baits, but when we are working jigs or plastics, this bothers me a lot.

[RyneB]

Troll a Rage Tail Eeliminator C-rigged and you will out fish the boater!

Or a Smokin Rooster

[tbone1993]

Thanks again for all the great info and tips. I will be fishing an unfamiliar lake this week but one that is part of the same river that makes up my home lake. It should be a challenge because due to work I will have no practice time. At this point i'm hoping for even the smallest of victories. If I weighed one fish it would please me. I can't go anywhere but up.

If they have a big enough boat see if you can get upfront especially if you are flipping and pitching. You really need to step up your game as a co angler and get well rounded in many techniques. If your boater starts catching fish one a KVD 1.5 bouncing it off logs you better tie on a 1.5 and hit every log he misses. If he is fishing fast and running the trolling motor dont do something that requires you to sit for an extended period of time. Practice as much as you can and have your equipment ready. If you are throwing senkos have them in your shirt or jacket pocket at the ready to retie if it breaks off. You need to be efficient with your time and you need to know when to give up and try a different technique.

[J Francho]

Unless it's a team format, I wouldn't bother asking to come up front.