Use of a GPS as a back seater? 2025

11InchBeard reply :

I am looking into purchasing a hand held GPS to help me log my catch when fishing from the back of the boat and would like some input on the Pros and Cons of doing this. I especially would like to hear the opinions of boaters on this subject. How I intend to use the GPS would be as follows:

Currently, I get home after a tournament, pull out a map, and try to find those areas on a body of water where I catch fish in order to build a log from memory. This gets pretty difficult, especially if I am unfamiliar with that body of water. I found that at times I really had no clue as to where I had been that day and it ended up being guesswork. A GPS certainly would not help as far as bait and technique were concerned, but the location would without doubt help me to remember. The waypoints would make it a lot easier to log and get to know the bodies of water that I fish.

My question boils down to how I can use the GPS ethically? Can it be used as a learning tool without compromising the boater?

All opinions would be appreciated.

Jig Man reply :

I have a hand held with lake mapping that I take with me in other guys boats. I use it for wpts and trails to help me navigate back up stumpy or shallow areas at a later date.

If I were in the back seat in a tournament, I'd talk to the boater and tell him why I want to have it on and if he objects, leave it in the bag.

SDoolittle reply :

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If I were in the back seat in a tournament, I'd talk to the boater and tell him why I want to have it on and if he objects, leave it in the bag.

Most of the time, I wouldn't care if a non-boater brought a GPS onto my boat. I fish public waters, and chances are good that I share all of my "secret spots" with hundreds of other fishermen. The main exception would be if we were fishing a multi-day draw tournament. If I'm on fish today, I don't want this guy showing up with his new partner the next morning.

backwater4 reply :

If it's a steady partner and a team tournament, no problem.

If it's a draw tournament, ask, but don't be surprised if the boater says no. Some anglers spend a lot of time and money prefishing. Just my .02 though.

boneil reply :

I would be a little offended. I've spent alot of money on electronics and alot of time finding these spots. I would feel as though you are going to be fishing these spots at a later time with another boater that doesn't want to take the time to find these spots himself. IMHO that makes you and the other boater a lazy fishermen. Now I know gps waypoints get shared all the time, but thats just my opinion. Youll become a better fishermen finding these spots on your own and you don't want to become dependant on other peoples waypoints.

GTrombly reply :

i don't think its a big deal you could just use your cell phone to do it and they would never know.

Bassn Blvd reply :

I'm kind of on the fence. I agree with the first couple responses by asking the boat captain if he minds. Then again, if it's during a tournament, then I'd probably say no. Especially if it's a draw tourny and we're complete strangers.

I consider myself a pretty good fisherman and can usually find fish, even in lakes I've never fished and I have never used or owned a GPS.

GTrombly reply :

I'm not saying bring your other partner back there during a tournament. But if your in the back of the boat and trying to learn, you can bring your boat back and study the structure and learn from the experience.

NorcalBassin reply :

It's sort of like copying the guy's paper sitting next to you in class. Sure you could do it, but you'd actually learn a lot more if you put the time in yourself and kept with your old method of mapping it out. Like it's already been said, it's a different story if it's your regular tournament partner.

Just using your phone or being sneaky warrants being backseated followed by a swim back to the ramp.

Carrington reply :

i do not usually like my backseater to have a gps unless they are a good friend that i can trust. If the person does have a gps, i will never take them to area i know work well.

bassnleo reply :

If you're my drawn co-angler for the day, and we do not know each other, and I take you to fish or areas that I have located, no way in heck are you GPS'ing my stuff.

If we go to your stuff, no way in heck am I GPS'ing it.

Now if each gives permission to do so, then it's a little different.

It comes down to ethics.....

Fishes in trees reply :

Back a few years ago, when I was fishing BFLs as a co-angler, I had a Garmin E-Trex, that I turned on the first thing in the morning and left it on all day Should I come across a point of interest,I'd mark the waypoint.

It only became a point of discussion a couple of times, primarily because none of the boaters I ever drew finished very high.

There are good reasons for doing it, primarily should anything happen to your boater, you know how to get back to the ramp. I can't imagine that a boater would be so paranoid about his "secret" spots that he wouldn't go to them during a tournament for fear of you marking them.

The boater should realize that as a co-angler, I get to these lakes maybe once or twice a year and should respect me enough to believe that I'm not going to broadcast his fishing areas to the world.

The GPS is a tool to help you get the most out of a tournament experience on a lake you're probably not all that familiar with.

A boater with a bad attitude about your GPS is something you might want to discuss with the tournament director.

I could go on and on on this subject, but I probably should stop now.

Carrington reply :

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Back a few years ago, when I was fishing BFLs as a co-angler, I had a Garmin E-Trex, that I turned on the first thing in the morning and left it on all day Should I come across a point of interest,I'd mark the waypoint.
It only became a point of discussion a couple of times, primarily because none of the boaters I ever drew finished very high.

There are good reasons for doing it, primarily should anything happen to your boater, you know how to get back to the ramp. I can't imagine that a boater would be so paranoid about his "secret" spots that he wouldn't go to them during a tournament for fear of you marking them.

The boater should realize that as a co-angler, I get to these lakes maybe once or twice a year and should respect me enough to believe that I'm not going to broadcast his fishing areas to the world.

The GPS is a tool to help you get the most out of a tournament experience on a lake you're probably not all that familiar with.

A boater with a bad attitude about your GPS is something you might want to discuss with the tournament director.

I could go on and on on this subject, but I probably should stop now.

if you understood the money in gas and the time i spend finding my spots then you would see why i do not like co anglers have gps. how would you feel if in school you worked for 20+ hours on an assignment and then another kid just took it and turned it in with his name. Its called cheating.

11InchBeard reply :

Thanks guys for the input. I'm pretty much in agreement with what you all had to say.

I can see why you tournament guys would be reluctant to have someone in the back using one. But, I don't fish organized tournaments. My fishing is restricted to the club level, and I don't own a boat and probably never will. Also, like someone mentioned above it may be that I see a body of water once or twice in 2-3 years. So, if used ethically and use restricted to the consent of the boater (afterall I'm a guest on their boat) I don't see myself as a threat to their hard earned spots.

Thanks again.

SDoolittle reply :

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if you understood the money in gas and the time i spend finding my spots then you would see why i do not like co anglers have gps. how would you feel if in school you worked for 20+ hours on an assignment and then another kid just took it and turned it in with his name. Its called cheating.

Do you really believe that you're the only one who knows about your spots?

Carrington reply :

not all of them but there are one or two spots where i strongly believe very few people know about.

fishfordollars reply :

Nope it ain't going to happen. That co angler you draw may just be a boater the next time you hit the lake. Let them go find and figure out their own fish. It takes lots of time and money to figure out a lake. You never know who they know or when they may offer up the cordinates to someone else.

Carrington reply :

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Nope it ain't going to happen. That co angler you draw may just be a boater the next time you hit the lake. Let them go find and figure out their own fish. It takes lots of time and money to figure out a lake. You never know who they know or when they may offer up the cordinates to someone else.

this is the exact same way i feel. i spend so many weekends, hours, and dollars to figure out a lake so why should they get to save this info when all they paid was an entry fee.

Red Bear reply :

im pretty sure i could remember most spots you took me too without a GPS and using my own memory, and im sure others can as well, so i dont see the real issue with someone else saving the coordinates. no one owns those coordinates. if some of you are so worried about someone else fishing 'your spot' later then dont even take them there. if its that good of a spot, i will get back there if i want without GPS coordinates and i will fish it. people can often associate landmarks with fishing spots probably just as well as punching them into a gps. i really dont care about the gas and time and money you spent finding one spot, thats on you. bottom line, if youre so worried about someone else fishing your spots then dont even bother taking them to the spots

Carrington reply :

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im pretty sure i could remember most spots you took me too without a GPS and using my own memory, and im sure others can as well, so i dont see the real issue with someone else saving the coordinates. no one owns those coordinates. if some of you are so worried about someone else fishing 'your spot' later then dont even take them there. if its that good of a spot, i will get back there if i want without GPS coordinates and i will fish it. people can often associate landmarks with fishing spots probably just as well as punching them into a gps. i really dont care about the gas and time and money you spent finding one spot, thats on you. bottom line, if youre so worried about someone else fishing your spots then dont even bother taking them to the spots

yes i do not own the coordinates, but i do own the boat.

Red Bear reply :

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im pretty sure i could remember most spots you took me too without a GPS and using my own memory, and im sure others can as well, so i dont see the real issue with someone else saving the coordinates. no one owns those coordinates. if some of you are so worried about someone else fishing 'your spot' later then dont even take them there. if its that good of a spot, i will get back there if i want without GPS coordinates and i will fish it. people can often associate landmarks with fishing spots probably just as well as punching them into a gps. i really dont care about the gas and time and money you spent finding one spot, thats on you. bottom line, if youre so worried about someone else fishing your spots then dont even bother taking them to the spots

yes i do not own the coordinates, but i do own the boat.

thats irrelevant. because regardless of any spot you take someone too(assuming its public waters), theyre free to come back and fish it anytime, whether they store gps info or if they remember it by landmarks. dont open your boat up to others if youre going to be a ****** about it. dont take others to your most productive spots if you dont want them to come back another time. since its your boat you have those choices of where you go to fish and if you choose to have someone else aboard. but if you do take someone to one your hot spots, remember its then that you essentially shared it with them so theres really no harm in them making note of it at that point, whether electronically or mentally...

Lund Explorer reply :

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im pretty sure i could remember most spots you took me too without a GPS and using my own memory, and im sure others can as well, so i dont see the real issue with someone else saving the coordinates. no one owns those coordinates. if some of you are so worried about someone else fishing 'your spot' later then dont even take them there. if its that good of a spot, i will get back there if i want without GPS coordinates and i will fish it. people can often associate landmarks with fishing spots probably just as well as punching them into a gps. i really dont care about the gas and time and money you spent finding one spot, thats on you. bottom line, if youre so worried about someone else fishing your spots then dont even bother taking them to the spots

yes i do not own the coordinates, but i do own the boat.

thats irrelevant. because regardless of any spot you take someone too(assuming its public waters), theyre free to come back and fish it anytime, whether they store gps info or if they remember it by landmarks. dont open your boat up to others if youre going to be a ****** about it. dont take others to your most productive spots if you dont want them to come back another time. since its your boat you have those choices of where you go to fish and if you choose to have someone else aboard. but if you do take someone to one your hot spots, remember its then that you essentially shared it with them so theres really no harm in them making note of it at that point, whether electronically or mentally...

Well said! I sure do miss the good old days when we had to blindfold the backseaters so they couldn't triangulate their positions from reference points on shore!

Fishes in trees reply :

A few more observations on this topic:

The money & time you've invested learning a lake are in the past. Don't live in the past. It isn't a good idea.

There is alot of sharing that goes on in draw tournaments. Should a boater have issues with sharing, maybe draw tournaments aren't for them. The co-angler isn't in the boat for the boater to have someone to bully for 8 hours.

Basically, in my opinion if a boater is worried about a co-angler "stealing" his spots, there is an unhealthy level of paranoia present.

Could go on, but I probably ought to stop now.

Carrington reply :

and for these reasons i dont fish draw tournaments. i just feel that people should find their own spots and not use someone else's spot unless that person found the spot on their own. its kind of like cited works. If you go out and ifnd the same spot i use on your own then i am completely fine with you fishing it whenever you like. you found it the same way i did.

fishfordollars reply :

If you bank beat during a tournament sure, go ahead and let them mark all they want. My offshore humps, ridges, creek bends, offshore grass, are private knowledge until someone else takes the time to locate.

Again, these are locations I have spent the time and money to figure out, you are not welcome to them. Go spend the money for your own boat and electronics and have at it. Otherwise, stay away.

The only boat i ever protested in a tournament was sitting on one of my locations that a coangler showed him the second day of a tournament. My first day coangler went out in the first flight, I was in the second flight the second day. They were sitting on a hump I found in practice exactly where we put over 25lbs. in the boat day one. It held up and they lost their weight for that day.

Carrington reply :

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If you bank beat during a tournament sure, go ahead and let them mark all they want. My offshore humps, ridges, creek bends, offshore grass, are private knowledge until someone else takes the time to locate.
Again, these are locations I have spent the time and money to figure out, you are not welcome to them. Go spend the money for your own boat and electronics and have at it. Otherwise, stay away.

The only boat i ever protested in a tournament was sitting on one of my locations that a coangler showed him the second day of a tournament. My first day coangler went out in the first flight, I was in the second flight the second day. They were sitting on a hump I found in practice exactly where we put over 25lbs. in the boat day one. It held up and they lost their weight for that day.

i completely agree with you. this is the exact point i was trying to make to the people saying that using the gps is fair for a back seater.

SharkHat reply :

I sure hope that all of that time and money spent researching "secret" spots was spent enjoying fishing

WRB reply :

Ethical or not your fishing location WP are public domain. Martens and Velvick had a debate on who's WP spot belonged to whom during the Falcon tournament a few years back. The spot belongs to who is there first, unless it's a written rule for the tournament, and I don't know of any such rule, other than good sportsmanship and that is long gone today.

It must be nice to fish lakes large enough that other boats can't find you and WP that location.

At the end of the day it's not the spot, it's how you fish it that counts.

Back seater that WP your spots is just another factor to deal with. If you don't want them to do it, say so before the tournament starts and get an agreement with the TD.

WRB

Gangley reply :

I'm a non-boater, but I completely agree with most of the boaters here.

If a boater puts the time, money, work, and energy into finding a location in hopes that it will in return provide him with some financial reimbursement, them there is absolutely no reason why he should share that information with anybody.

As an example: I put in time, dedication, and energy at work to make sure that I get a paycheck. There is no way in hades that I would let some other co-worker who invests a quarter of the time, dedication, and energy into his work, to copy my work and claim it as his own so that he can get a paycheck. If he wants a paycheck, he needs to earn it, he needs to work for it. Now if he has a work product that is different and beneficial to me, and my work is beneficial to him, then lets hold a meeting and see what we can work out together, but don't think for one second that I should freely give to somebody else what i have worked hard to obtain, this isn't socialism.

Another way to look at it, is if I spent 10 hours studying for an exam, I sure as heck wouldn't let the guy next to me cheat off my test and write down my answers as if they were his own. There will always be free loaders looking to live off of other people's efforts, but it's each individual's responsibility to make sure that it isn't them that is free-loading.

This is not Obama-nomics, this is fishing. A sense of entitlement only leaves you standing by yourself on the doc with your empty hands laid out in front of you. You only get what you earn, so if you want something, go earn it.

tyrius. reply :

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If a boater puts the time, money, work, and energy into finding a location in hopes that it will in return provide him with some financial reimbursement, them there is absolutely no reason why he should share that information with anybody.

Then don't fish draw tourneys or don't take your "unknown" co angler to your "secret" spots. The minute you take them there your spot is no longer secret.

Do you boaters put blindfolds on your coanglers and drive in circles to confuse them so that they can't find their way back to your honey holes?

The analogy of cheating of your test is ridiculous. What you're really doing is giving your answers to your coangler. It may not be "fair", but that's how draw tournies are setup. If you don't like it, don't fish it. Complaining about it just seems lame to me.

But, I'm not a tourney angler. Don't need these headaches.

SDoolittle reply :

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I'm a non-boater, but I completely agree with most of the boaters here.
If a boater puts the time, money, work, and energy into finding a location in hopes that it will in return provide him with some financial reimbursement, them there is absolutely no reason why he should share that information with anybody.

As an example: I put in time, dedication, and energy at work to make sure that I get a paycheck. There is no way in hades that I would let some other co-worker who invests a quarter of the time, dedication, and energy into his work, to copy my work and claim it as his own so that he can get a paycheck. If he wants a paycheck, he needs to earn it, he needs to work for it. Now if he has a work product that is different and beneficial to me, and my work is beneficial to him, then lets hold a meeting and see what we can work out together, but don't think for one second that I should freely give to somebody else what i have worked hard to obtain, this isn't socialism.

Another way to look at it, is if I spent 10 hours studying for an exam, I sure as heck wouldn't let the guy next to me cheat off my test and write down my answers as if they were his own. There will always be free loaders looking to live off of other people's efforts, but it's each individual's responsibility to make sure that it isn't them that is free-loading.

This is not Obama-nomics, this is fishing. A sense of entitlement only leaves you standing by yourself on the doc with your empty hands laid out in front of you. You only get what you earn, so if you want something, go earn it.

Just because you only invest one quarter the amount of time, dedication, and energy into your fishing doesn't mean all nonboaters are that way. Perhaps if you gave 100% you would understand where I'm coming from.

11InchBeard reply :

Reading the number of responses has really opened my eyes to just how sensitive this topic can be. I am in agreement with some of the arguments on both sides. When thinking about it, it boils down to ethics.

Public water is open to all, you can't lawfully say "This is my spot". However, I can certainly see where a boater I fished with on day one would be a little more than p*#@ed if he were to see me with another boater on day two camped on that spot when he arrived! This is something I would not do, ethically it is wrong. Now further down the road, if I were fishing this same body of water with yet another boater and that person asked me if I had any ideas where to go, I don't think it would be wrong to give him this location. Is this a fair assumption?

Like I said in a previous post my use of the GPS is mainly to log my catch. Yes, it is also to learn water, but I would hope I can use that information in a fair way.

Gangley reply :

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If a boater puts the time, money, work, and energy into finding a location in hopes that it will in return provide him with some financial reimbursement, them there is absolutely no reason why he should share that information with anybody.

Then don't fish draw tourneys or don't take your "unknown" co angler to your "secret" spots. The minute you take them there your spot is no longer secret.

Do you boaters put blindfolds on your coanglers and drive in circles to confuse them so that they can't find their way back to your honey holes?

The analogy of cheating of your test is ridiculous. What you're really doing is giving your answers to your coangler. It may not be "fair", but that's how draw tournies are setup. If you don't like it, don't fish it. Complaining about it just seems lame to me.

But, I'm not a tourney angler. Don't need these headaches.

it has nothing to do with taking a co-angler to a spot, its about them gps'ing your spot without asking, ie taking your hard earned work as their own. If they can find their way back to it without GPS on their own, then that's great, go for it. But plotting other people's work as their own is ridiculous.

Would you expect a guide to take you out for free and show you his best spots so that you can mark them on your GPS? No, because he put hard work into finding those spots....boaters in tournaments do the same, so what makes you think that its ok to mark their positions without asking first?

Would you have a problem if somebody came up to your boat while at the ramp and started downloading all of your waypoints from your system, then smile and walk away? Because that's the exact same thing as a co-angler who records your fishing spots via GPS without asking. It's the same end result, they took something from you that you worked hard for, without asking for permission first. They stole that information from you.

Gangley reply :

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Just because you only invest one quarter the amount of time, dedication, and energy into your fishing doesn't mean all nonboaters are that way. Perhaps if you gave 100% you would understand where I'm coming from.

I never presumed to say how much or how little i invest into fishing. However, a non boater who isn't investing the time and money into pre-fishing, lodging during the pre-fishing days, and other expenses incurred during the days leading up to the tournament, cannot say that he has earned, or is in anyway entitled, to the rights to that boaters work.

If you were invested into fishing as much as that boater was, you would be out there with him pre-fishing the tournaments with him, and wouldn't need his way points now would you?

Many people have posted that if a boater doesn't agree with a co-angler taking his locations, then he simply shouldn't take a co-angler to them, putting the boater between a rock and a hard place. I would think common courtesy of the co-angler would dictate that if the boater prefers you not to map out his locations, that you abide by his decision, but obviously the notion of common courtesy doesn't abide within all anglers.

tyrius. reply :

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Would you have a problem if somebody came up to your boat while at the ramp and started downloading all of your waypoints from your system, then smile and walk away? Because that's the exact same thing as a co-angler who records your fishing spots via GPS without asking. It's the same end result, they took something from you that you worked hard for, without asking for permission first. They stole that information from you.

Not even remotely similar.

tyrius. reply :

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I would think common courtesy of the co-angler would dictate that if the boater prefers you not to map out his locations, that you abide by his decision, but obviously the notion of common courtesy doesn't abide within all anglers.

His boat, his rules. Simple really. If the boater says no then you should abide by that, but the position you're taking is much different than this. So, don't try and make the people who disagree with you look bad by misinterpreting what they're saying.

Red Bear reply :

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If a boater puts the time, money, work, and energy into finding a location in hopes that it will in return provide him with some financial reimbursement, them there is absolutely no reason why he should share that information with anybody.

Then don't fish draw tourneys or don't take your "unknown" co angler to your "secret" spots. The minute you take them there your spot is no longer secret.

Do you boaters put blindfolds on your coanglers and drive in circles to confuse them so that they can't find their way back to your honey holes?

The analogy of cheating of your test is ridiculous. What you're really doing is giving your answers to your coangler. It may not be "fair", but that's how draw tournies are setup. If you don't like it, don't fish it. Complaining about it just seems lame to me.

But, I'm not a tourney angler. Don't need these headaches.

it has nothing to do with taking a co-angler to a spot, its about them gps'ing your spot without asking, ie taking your hard earned work as their own. If they can find their way back to it without GPS on their own, then that's great, go for it. But plotting other people's work as their own is ridiculous.

Would you expect a guide to take you out for free and show you his best spots so that you can mark them on your GPS? No, because he put hard work into finding those spots....boaters in tournaments do the same, so what makes you think that its ok to mark their positions without asking first?

Would you have a problem if somebody came up to your boat while at the ramp and started downloading all of your waypoints from your system, then smile and walk away? Because that's the exact same thing as a co-angler who records your fishing spots via GPS without asking. It's the same end result, they took something from you that you worked hard for, without asking for permission first. They stole that information from you.

the thing is, once a boater takes the person to a spot, theyre essentially and voluntarily sharing that spot, its not stealing. someone downloading all your waypoints would be stealing, but its not the exact same as someone marking a spot on their own GPS. the spending money and time to find that spot argument doesnt fly with me either. no one forced you to take another angler to your spots, if you value a spot that much then dont take anyone there, tournament or not. and if you have spent as much time and money as you claimed, then you certainly have other spots that are just as productive, yet youd choose to whine and cry over that one spot instead of moving on to the next one. because it certainly didnt cost you that much to find only one spot.

Red Bear reply :

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Just because you only invest one quarter the amount of time, dedication, and energy into your fishing doesn't mean all nonboaters are that way. Perhaps if you gave 100% you would understand where I'm coming from.

I never presumed to say how much or how little i invest into fishing. However, a non boater who isn't investing the time and money into pre-fishing, lodging during the pre-fishing days, and other expenses incurred during the days leading up to the tournament, cannot say that he has earned, or is in anyway entitled, to the rights to that boaters work.

If you were invested into fishing as much as that boater was, you would be out there with him pre-fishing the tournaments with him, and wouldn't need his way points now would you?

Many people have posted that if a boater doesn't agree with a co-angler taking his locations, then he simply shouldn't take a co-angler to them, putting the boater between a rock and a hard place. I would think common courtesy of the co-angler would dictate that if the boater prefers you not to map out his locations, that you abide by his decision, but obviously the notion of common courtesy doesn't abide within all anglers.

in that case neither does the notion of public waters

J Francho reply :

Lots of interesting viewpoints here. Let's remove the tournament aspect here.

A buddy takes you to his "secret spot." You bang a bunch of really good fish. Later, you are fishing with another buddy. Do you take him to the secret spot? Not without permission from your buddy that showed you the spot. I have many places that I will not fish or take others to without asking the person that showed me the spot.

The bottom line here, is ASK. Be prepared for "no" as an answer.

Now, put this in a tournament perspective. You really need to check the rules, as in some points series I've fished, sharing info gleaned from the back of the boat may be verboten, if you are fishing with different boaters each day.

In most cases, the boater already has a plan anyway, and as a non boater, your job is to adapt to the boater's style, and fish what water you get.

Now, dropping way points into a portable GPS....ehh, I think you should ask the boater if they mind you bringing one at all, before leaving the launch.

As with everything that has to do with fishing etiquette, level headed communication is a must.

senile1 reply :

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Lots of interesting viewpoints here. Let's remove the tournament aspect here.
A buddy takes you to his "secret spot." You bang a bunch of really good fish. Later, you are fishing with another buddy. Do you take him to the secret spot? Not without permission from your buddy that showed you the spot. I have many places that I will not fish or take others to without asking the person that showed me the spot.

The bottom line here, is ASK. Be prepared for "no" as an answer.

Now, put this in a tournament perspective. You really need to check the rules, as in some points series I've fished, sharing info gleaned from the back of the boat may be verboten, if you are fishing with different boaters each day.

In most cases, the boater already has a plan anyway, and as a non boater, your job is to adapt to the boater's style, and fish what water you get.

Now, dropping way points into a portable GPS....ehh, I think you should ask the boater if they mind you bringing one at all, before leaving the launch.

As with everything that has to do with fishing etiquette, level headed communication is a must.

Nice post. Thanks for saving this thread from the jaws of chaos and moving it into the light of clarity.

Red Bear reply :

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The only boat i ever protested in a tournament was sitting on one of my locations that a coangler showed him the second day of a tournament. My first day coangler went out in the first flight, I was in the second flight the second day. They were sitting on a hump I found in practice exactly where we put over 25lbs. in the boat day one. It held up and they lost their weight for that day.

sounds bush league to me that you would do that. who is to say that the other boater didnt find that spot himself in the same manner you did? and once again, once you show someone a spot, youve voluntarily shared that spot. its a bit hipocritical that you would complain about something thats of your own making. if you dont have other spots to fish, then you obviously didnt put in the time you claim to have put in. and the time and money you do put in, well that was your own choice and is not something you should be holding against anyone else for whatever reasons...

Gangley reply :

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Just because you only invest one quarter the amount of time, dedication, and energy into your fishing doesn't mean all nonboaters are that way. Perhaps if you gave 100% you would understand where I'm coming from.

I never presumed to say how much or how little i invest into fishing. However, a non boater who isn't investing the time and money into pre-fishing, lodging during the pre-fishing days, and other expenses incurred during the days leading up to the tournament, cannot say that he has earned, or is in anyway entitled, to the rights to that boaters work.

If you were invested into fishing as much as that boater was, you would be out there with him pre-fishing the tournaments with him, and wouldn't need his way points now would you?

Many people have posted that if a boater doesn't agree with a co-angler taking his locations, then he simply shouldn't take a co-angler to them, putting the boater between a rock and a hard place. I would think common courtesy of the co-angler would dictate that if the boater prefers you not to map out his locations, that you abide by his decision, but obviously the notion of common courtesy doesn't abide within all anglers.

in that case neither does the notion of public waters

public waters have nothing to do with the argument. People can go anywhere on the water that they want to, did anybody ever argue that, or did I ever say that people couldn't? Your not getting it, and thats fine. I am through with this thread.

Gangley reply :

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The bottom line here, is ASK. Be prepared for "no" as an answer.

Now, dropping way points into a portable GPS....ehh, I think you should ask the boater if they mind you bringing one at all, before leaving the launch.

As with everything that has to do with fishing etiquette, level headed communication is a must.

Didn't see this before my last post... Agreed. Simply ask, have common courtesy, and dont have a sense of entitlement and do it anyways if the boater says not to.

Lund Explorer reply :

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Lots of interesting viewpoints here. Let's remove the tournament aspect here.
A buddy takes you to his "secret spot." You bang a bunch of really good fish. Later, you are fishing with another buddy. Do you take him to the secret spot? Not without permission from your buddy that showed you the spot. I have many places that I will not fish or take others to without asking the person that showed me the spot.

The bottom line here, is ASK. Be prepared for "no" as an answer.

Now, put this in a tournament perspective. You really need to check the rules, as in some points series I've fished, sharing info gleaned from the back of the boat may be verboten, if you are fishing with different boaters each day.

In most cases, the boater already has a plan anyway, and as a non boater, your job is to adapt to the boater's style, and fish what water you get.

Now, dropping way points into a portable GPS....ehh, I think you should ask the boater if they mind you bringing one at all, before leaving the launch.

As with everything that has to do with fishing etiquette, level headed communication is a must.

Nice post. Thanks for saving this thread from the jaws of chaos and moving it into the light of clarity.

I think that's why he makes the big bucks as our newest Moderator! 8-)

J Francho reply :

There is another side to this equation that no one has brought up. if you blow up others' secret spots, do you think you'll get many invites to fish? Probably not.

Put the tournament spin on this. Develop a reputation of a selfish non boater, or blabber mouth, and you'll find tournament directors handing you your entry fee back, saying "No thanks." It really does happen.

NorcalBassin reply :

Being a back seater does not entitle someone to be a parasite on the host. As Francho said, it's a great way to develop a bad reputation to the point of no one wanting to fish with you. Just ask but be ready to hear a "no" more often than not.

SoFl-native reply :

If you dont want a non-boater to get on your spots then dont fish team/draw tournaments. Fish solo.

Problem solved.

Sounds like some of you guys arent a pleasure to be in the boat with anyway.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

I'm not a freshwater boater, so I can't comment directly on that. I've taken plenty of people out in the salt though. I've got no problems if people want to fish on some of the big rockpiles, wrecks, or reefs that I deep drop for grouper and such on. If you're that anal about having secret spots, don't share them with people. If you're the non-boater with a handheld GPS, I think you should at least have the courtesy to ask beforehand.

What ever happend to the days of just going out to enjoy fishing. I suppose if there is big money on the line, I can sort of understand the desire to keep your spots secret. Honestly though, the spot doesn't catch the fish, the angler does.

Grey Wolf reply :

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If you dont want a non-boater to get on your spots then dont fish team/draw tournaments. Fish solo.
Problem solved.

Sounds like some of you guys arent a pleasure to be in the boat with anyway.

Agree 100% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lund Explorer reply :

The other questions I would have for the secret spot crowd would be if any of them have ever fished a spot where they have seen others fishing. Almost any place is a spot that was discovered by someone else at some point in time.

So that's the question, have you ever drove by a point, sunken island, or some other spot where you've seen someone fishing, only to return to that place at some other time to check it out?

Are the only sacred spots the ones you have found?

What do you do if someone beats you to your private spot before you, and they've never fished with you before?

Finally, do you fish with your super secret lures when you have a backseater on board, or do you just toss flying lures all day to throw them off what works?

flyboy reply :

This is a bit off topic but related. A number of years ago, before GPS, I fished a BASS tournament on Toledo Bend. I went there a few weeks prior with my brand new Ranger 350V and tried to learn the lake. I fished with, Johnny Slack, one of the greatest guides I have ever fished with. I met several of the up and coming pros to include Tommy Martin, Bo Dowden and Larry Nixon. To my surprise on the first day of the tournament I drew Larry Nixon. I chose to go as a non boater that day. I enjoyed the day and learned a lot; even placed well in the standings. The next day I drew Forrest Woods and again chose to go as a non boater. Right off the bat Forrest went to the best spot Larry Nixon had fished on the previous day. I told Forrest about that and he basically ignored me, stating that another angler had told him about this spot and that it was Okay. I really did not know any better and I proceeded to have the best day of my tournament life and ended up on the leader board ahead of big names like Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston and others. Forrest camped out on the spot all day long and at one point Larry showed up and fished the spot for a while. When he was ready to leave he made a point to come over to Forrest's boat and look me in the eye and say, "I have no respect for a man who comes in on another man's fish."

It has been more than thirty years since that happened and I have never been able to explain to Larry how it happened and that I really did not do it. Forrest Woods boat was almost exactly the same as mine and I can understand how Larry could have thought that I came there on my own.

I recently learned that Larry will be one of the featured Pros at Bass University in Louisiana this year and I plan to drive all the way up there and attend just to talk with Larry and explain what happened that day. I don't know if it will make any difference; Larry finished second to Roland Martin in the Louisiana invitational during that tournament by less than a pound if my memory serves me correctly. I don't feel I was at fault, but I have carried the memories of that tournament for more than three decades.

My point; use the GPS if you like, but don't apply what you have learned to the tournament you are currently fishing--it will haunt you.

J Francho reply :

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The other questions I would have for the secret spot crowd would be if any of them have ever fished a spot where they have seen others fishing. Almost any place is a spot that was discovered by someone else at some point in time.
So that's the question, have you ever drove by a point, sunken island, or some other spot where you've seen someone fishing, only to return to that place at some other time to check it out?

Are the only sacred spots the ones you have found?

What do you do if someone beats you to your private spot before you, and they've never fished with you before?

Finally, do you fish with your super secret lures when you have a backseater on board, or do you just toss flying lures all day to throw them off what works?

Phhht! You're over complicating it. As a boater, just put the console graph in demo mode.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

NorcalBassin reply :

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Sounds like some of you guys arent a pleasure to be in the boat with anyway.

The original question is about a back seater in a tournament potentially sneaking GPS coordinates on a hot spot that the boater took him to. That's just dirty. It would be completely different if you were just taking a buddy or someone else out fishing for fun.

Flyboy that is a heck of a story... hopefully he'll listen to your end of the story and you guys will be able to laugh at it now.

SDoolittle reply :

The original question said nothing about sneaking anything. He's asking how he can use the GPS ethically. The only answer is to ask permission. Some of you are making too much of this.

NorcalBassin reply :

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i don't think its a big deal you could just use your cell phone to do it and they would never know.

I was referring to this... I mentally merged it with the original post but it was a few replies down the page.

11InchBeard reply :

The original question said nothing about sneaking anything. He's asking how he can use the GPS ethically. The only answer is to ask permission. Some of you are making too much of this.

Thank you!

11InchBeard reply :

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The original question said nothing about sneaking anything. He's asking how he can use the GPS ethically. The only answer is to ask permission. Some of you are making too much of this.
Thank you!!!

Big Fish Rice reply :

If you're worried about your waypoints, then you should focus on fishing a little more. It's a form of scouting; which is never a private matter in the first place, no matter the sport.

I would be worried less about the co-angler, and worry about the lookie-loo's spoiling your hole more than anything.

gobig reply :

If you're worried about your waypoints, then you

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should focus on fishing a little more. It's a form of scouting; which is never a private matter in the first place, no matter the sport.
I would be worried less about the co-angler, and worry about the lookie-loo's spoiling your hole more than anything.

Well said

fishfordollars reply :

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The only boat i ever protested in a tournament was sitting on one of my locations that a coangler showed him the second day of a tournament. My first day coangler went out in the first flight, I was in the second flight the second day. They were sitting on a hump I found in practice exactly where we put over 25lbs. in the boat day one. It held up and they lost their weight for that day.

sounds bush league to me that you would do that. who is to say that the other boater didnt find that spot himself in the same manner you did? and once again, once you show someone a spot, youve voluntarily shared that spot. its a bit hipocritical that you would complain about something thats of your own making. if you dont have other spots to fish, then you obviously didnt put in the time you claim to have put in. and the time and money you do put in, well that was your own choice and is not something you should be holding against anyone else for whatever reasons...

Bush, why is it written in the rules? Co angler broke the written rules when he lead the boater in on this area the second day. First place was 25,000.00, that ain't bush. FYi, I had plenty of other spots. Enough to finish in the top five. Boater admited that the co-angler showed him the spot. Immediate loss of days weight.

SharkHat reply :

Pretty sure it wasn't the tournament that he was calling bush league...

salmicropterus reply :

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Lots of interesting viewpoints here. Let's remove the tournament aspect here.
A buddy takes you to his "secret spot." You bang a bunch of really good fish. Later, you are fishing with another buddy. Do you take him to the secret spot? Not without permission from your buddy that showed you the spot. I have many places that I will not fish or take others to without asking the person that showed me the spot.

The bottom line here, is ASK. Be prepared for "no" as an answer.

Now, put this in a tournament perspective. You really need to check the rules, as in some points series I've fished, sharing info gleaned from the back of the boat may be verboten, if you are fishing with different boaters each day.

In most cases, the boater already has a plan anyway, and as a non boater, your job is to adapt to the boater's style, and fish what water you get.

Now, dropping way points into a portable GPS....ehh, I think you should ask the boater if they mind you bringing one at all, before leaving the launch.

As with everything that has to do with fishing etiquette, level headed communication is a must.

Totally agree with this post and it was better said than I would have said it. You have to remember that as a co-angler, you are something of a guest on that boat. Maybe it's public water but the back seat of the boat is the boater's property and has to be respected as such. The comments to the effect that if a boater doesn't like it then they shouldn't take people out has the negative impact to the non-boater that fewer will go out to pre-fish. I'm kinda amazed there is this much controversy and debate about this. It's pretty simple: boater's boat/boater's rules. If you violate this, you will get a bad rep and you will sit a lot of pre-fish days, whether at the club level or the regional level. Of course, in the upper echelons like the BM Opens or FLW it's absolutely forbidden to share info as a non-boater-that should tell you something right there. The idea of doing it secretly-well that kinda tells you something right there too

gobig reply :

If I fish a spot and do well I am not going to forget it. Weather I have a GPS or not, it will not matter. I learned years ago how to use land marks and I will find it again. This is before every Tom, Dick and Hairy had a GPS and you had to find stuff the old way using compass headings and land marks. Besides most stuff can be found using the multitude of tools available today. Where I see there being a problem in where your in a tournament situation someone puts you fish and then you tell your new partner the next day and fish it with out permission. But if you fish as a co-angler and go back to a spot a week later more power to ya. That is why you join as a co-angler. To learn. If you ask effective questions about a location you may be able to replicate it down the road. This BS argument about "my water" always seems to pop up. If you want to have "your water" and do not want other guys to fish it buy a faster boat. This argument is almost as valid as the guy who whines about people fishing his dock that sits over or on public water.

Catt reply :

Sounds to me like some of y'all can't find fish on your own

Under the Center Bass Fishing section I have an ongoing topic titled So y'all want to learn Toledo Bend? it is 83 pages with 1,243 replies and has been viewed 105,352 times. Found within these 83 pages are GPS coordinates of the overall structure but what is not found are my sweet spots on those structures.

In my opinion y'all may as well follow a guide a GPS his locations, it's no different!

hitchhiker reply :

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Sounds to me like some of y'all can't find fish on your own
In my opinion y'all may as well follow a guide a GPS his locations, it's no different!

You are absolutely correct! Why is it wrong to not allow a non boater to gps your spots? Granted they are on public waters, where no one owns the lake, but how about doing your own legwork and research to find your own hotspot?

With all the tools that are available to fishermen in this day and age people have gotten so lazy that good fishing and being able to push a button and call it their own has blurred the fact that someone took you there. No need for them to mark a dotted line and X marks the spot far anyone.

Fishing points and bank beating aside, if you can relocate offshore structure by memory and land ranges, then more power to you. Leave the gps at home and get back to it by memory alone, graph it out, then record all the waypoints you want. Figure it out for yourself and become a better angler. In that way you have made the spot yours.

Grey Wolf reply :

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Sounds to me like some of y'all can't find fish on your own
Under the Center Bass Fishing section I have an ongoing topic titled So y'all want to learn Toledo Bend? it is 83 pages with 1,243 replies and has been viewed 105,352 times. Found within these 83 pages are GPS coordinates of the overall structure but what is not found are my sweet spots on those structures.

In my opinion y'all may as well follow a guide a GPS his locations, it's no different!

Bravo !!!!!!!!!

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