Co Angler Blues....

[gripnrip]

I blanked on my first 2 tournaments as well.  Most of the guys in my club have asked me if I would like to run their boat for a while.  Especially if they have a limit.  Most of the time I declined because I just don't have the experience of running a trolling motor. When I did run the trolling motor, it was to keep the boat straight and keep it out of the rocks. That particular time my boater was retying.  I just chunked and winded my crank bait and landed my 5 fish for my limit.

 

Dave, the boater was a little agitated.  He only had 3 fish.  We fished another hour and it was about 25 minutes from the end.  He was frustrated and ready to just go back.  I talked him into not quitting.  He agreed and he pulled up to some docks close to the weigh in ramp.  With 10 minutes to go he hooked a chunky 3 pound largemouth. Then 2 casts late hooked a 2 pounder.  He placed 1st and I placed 3rd.  Later he apologized for his attitude.  He told me it wasn't directed at me and didn't want me to think that it was.  He also thanked me for encouraging him to not give up and that I could run his boat anytime if I wanted.

 

I have heard that most times if you ask, a lot of guys will allow you to run the boat. I will ask Dave in the future to run his boat.  On other guy's I will jump at the opportunity if asked but I will not ask.

 

Darin

[J Francho]

Dave, the boater was a little agitated. He only had 3 fish. We fished another hour and it was about 25 minutes from the end. He was frustrated and ready to just go back. I talked him into not quitting. He agreed and he pulled up to some docks close to the weigh in ramp. With 10 minutes to go he hooked a chunky 3 pound largemouth. Then 2 casts late hooked a 2 pounder. He placed 1st and I placed 3rd. Later he apologized for his attitude. He told me it wasn't directed at me and didn't want me to think that it was. He also thanked me for encouraging him to not give up and that I could run his boat anytime if I wanted. 

Cheerleading can be a big role for the non boater. Turning a bad attitude around can often make a BIG difference, as you showed. Good work.

[jhoffman]

My buddy has a beautiful boat and he actually told me the other day that he wants to join a club and let someone else run the trolling motor to see what he is doing wrong.

[BrianinMD]

Check out the rules before joining a club, my has a rule against a co-angler running the boat. We can only do it if its a team tourney or if its a normal boater vs. boater, co vs. co tourney, if the boater has to retie and it would put us in danger to not have someone on the trolling motor.

 

Keeping a good attitude, and trying to keep you boater positive definitely is a bonus. Everyone has their days when things don't seem to go right, getting frustrated only lowers your concentration which makes things worse. Having your boater lose concentration ruins the day for both of you.

[JimmyMack814]

Being a co-angler has it's advantages and disadvantages.  My first season was in 2011 with my bass club and for someone who never does hit before, I did well and finished in 7th overall in the club and was the alternate for the state tournament.  Last year though was bad as I only brought one fish to the scale the whole year.  You have to take the bad with the good and keep your confidence.  I regrouped, got some individual sponsors and ready to get back at it for 2013.  

[TrapperJ]

I signed up for my first season on the BFL here in Oklahoma as a co-angler, might bounce to the BWS as well, glad to hear all the info out there, it helps to mentally prepare.

 

If I can weigh one fish just at least one fish my first tourney I will consider it a small victory.

 

Do they provide the tourney bags or do i need to get one myself?

[roadwarrior]

You need your own.

[Leviathan]

I have a local bass tournament this Sunday, and it's my first competitive bass fishing I've done yet, and I'm going to be co angling, but not as partners with the boat owner, ever man for himself kind of deal, and I know that if I were controlling boat movement , I'd probably come in first, but with my techniques, it calls for a lot of sittin still , but what if the boat owner drifts with a crank bait while I'm fishin Texas rig? Just curious how a co angler pulls it off sometimes? Any tips to help me this weekend?

[BrianinMD]

Leviathon, that is part of the fun of being a co-angler, learning to adjust on the fly.

 

You just have to fish your strengths in whatever your boater does, depth of water or boat speed. You do not necessarily have to fish what your boater does, a lot of times something a little different works better. Look for different angles to cast to if he is fishing visible structure, a slightly different fall rate or color may help.

[gripnrip]

I have a local bass tournament this Sunday, and it's my first competitive bass fishing I've done yet, and I'm going to be co angling, but not as partners with the boat owner, ever man for himself kind of deal, and I know that if I were controlling boat movement , I'd probably come in first, but with my techniques, it calls for a lot of sittin still , but what if the boat owner drifts with a crank bait while I'm fishin Texas rig? Just curious how a co angler pulls it off sometimes? Any tips to help me this weekend?

I love tossing cranks! But. . . if my boater was then I used a Biffle head with a biffle bug. I would slow roll it and keep bottom contact. I'd ask if his crank had a rattle. If it didn't I'd press a rattle in the bug.

Another technique I'd use is a Luck-E Strike Scrounger head. It wobbles like a crank and can be fished numerous ways. I put a fluke on it in my favorite color.

[Leviathan]

Leviathon, that is part of the fun of being a co-angler, learning to adjust on the fly.

 

You just have to fish your strengths in whatever your boater does, depth of water or boat speed. You do not necessarily have to fish what your boater does, a lot of times something a little different works better. Look for different angles to cast to if he is fishing visible structure, a slightly different fall rate or color may help.

well im planning on fishing just like i do every day in my pond, just a bit worried the boater may accelerate too often , or too fast for me to get my plastic to even hit the bottom properly, but i guess i wont know til i get out there!

[Felix77]

well im planning on fishing just like i do every day in my pond, just a bit worried the boater may accelerate too often , or too fast for me to get my plastic to even hit the bottom properly, but i guess i wont know til i get out there!

 

That is true.  You won't know until you are out there.  This is part of what I meant about being versatile.  In my opinion you have to keep pace with the boater.  That means having a power fishing technique and a finesse technique rigged and ready to go.  If the boater speeds up it's power fishing time, if they slows down it's finesse time.

 

My 2 go-to setups are a spinnerbait and a shakey head.  No matter what other rigs I carry (3 more usually) these two stay on the whole time for this reason.

 

By the way ... you can always ask them to slow down.  I don't because I have to trust they know the water and spot in particular.  That means they are moving that way for a reason.

 

Good luck

[Leviathan]

That is true.  You won't know until you are out there.  This is part of what I meant about being versatile.  In my opinion you have to keep pace with the boater.  That means having a power fishing technique and a finesse technique rigged and ready to go.  If the boater speeds up it's power fishing time, if they slows down it's finesse time.

 

My 2 go-to setups are a spinnerbait and a shakey head.  No matter what other rigs I carry (3 more usually) these two stay on the whole time for this reason.

 

By the way ... you can always ask them to slow down.  I don't because I have to trust they know the water and spot in particular.  That means they are moving that way for a reason.

 

Good luck

awesome, forgot about my war eagles, ill take those along with me! thanks alot

[TrapperJ]

Invest in some snaps!

 

I got some great heavy duty ones, make those quick changes and cut down on re-tying time.

 

I have used snaps my whole life, on my hard baits. When i comes to worms and other soft plastics i will tie though, but the biggest fish i caught this summer in a pond at 6 1/2 pounds on a ocho worm was Texas rigged to a snap, she didnt seem to mind!

[reaction-strike]

"You can not control the wind, but you can adjust your sails." My first ever bass tourney, I was fishing on the back of a club members boat. He was set up with the boat pointing where a small creek emptied into the lake. I figured that creek channel kept going out into the lake so I turned around and fired a cast to the deeper water. 3 Fish on 3casts! I finished with 14lbs he didn't catch anything. i finished first as a co-angler and 2 overall. You can get back boated, your boater can be chucking and winding while you want to present slow. Don't worry about what you can not control. Adjust, adjust, adjust. Confidence in what you are doing is huge. There will be times when you aren't going to catch anything, it happens, its fishing. Just stay positive and fish until the clock runs out.  Learn to cast with both hands, it comes in handy. 

[jcunn21]

Keep it fun, and stay confident in what you are throwing......the one famous pro bass man says, NEVER GIVE UP.......I have had days that where I fished on the front deck all day, and not one bite......meanwhile, my co-angler is stinging fish left and right.  I also have had the days where the complete opposite has happened listed above to where I would let my co-angler take the front of the boat to put one in the livewell, I move to the back, and I would still get bites.....My main thing is confidence is what you are throwing, and most importantly keep it fun for yourself and try to be as relaxed as you possibly can and enjoy the moment......eventually, it will all pay off....