A question for non-boater tourney anglers. 2024

angler1 reply :

I myself am a non-boater tourney angler and I am always asking myself before every tourney how many rods is too many to bring. I usually end up bringing 5 or 6. There is never a good place to store them b/c I am fishing from the back of the boat so they end up next to my boat seat sometimes tangled together. Does this happen to you? How many rods do you bring? Thanks.

Bassn Blvd reply :

Man, my last year tourney partner would bring 8 rods with him and it would drive me NUTS. Especially since he only used 2 or 3 each tourney.

I too made him put his rods next to his seat and off my front deck.

You should be able to narrow your rod selection down a bit by studying the lake you're going to be fishing. Consider the time of year and the type of fishing the boater will be doing. If he spends his time in deep water then a flipping stick and jerkbait rod probably won't do you much good.

Even though I don't, I could get away with 3-4 rods in a tourney. I may have to re-tie often but at least my rods will be safer and less tangled.

Catt reply :

Stick Jackets Casting; problem solved

http://www.***.com/descpageJACKETS-SJC.html

RobbyZ5001 reply :

Quote
Stick Jackets Casting; problem solved
http://www.***.com/descpageJACKETS-SJC.html

Too much time for me. Do what J Francho said.

b.Lee reply :

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/article.cfm?id=140596

They have more articles about co-angler etiquette as well

Fishes in trees reply :

I've fished BFL tournaments as a co-angler for several years now and I don't think six rods are too many. You ask yourself, "Is there a good chance I'll need this rod today?" and if there is bring it. There is an upper limit to this question so don't be stupid.

Here is what I always brought to tournaments:

Shakey Head Rig - Flippin stick - Crank rod - Jig rod - Spinnerbait rod

This gives you a starting place. I found that being organized from the truck to the boat was just as important. I have a rod bag that will hold 9 rods in a pinch - it will hold 6 rods easily. All rods are riggged with first choice bait on each. Lure wraps cover the hooks on the baitcasters . Spinning rods get a lure wrap over hooks and a rod sock cover. Do whatever you can to avoid tangles. When you are switching back and forth between different rods, take the 10 seconds required to put the rod sock back on the spinning rods.

I bought an inflatable life jacket and always wore it to save time putting on and taking off the foam one.

Jeez - There are a whole bunch of things I did to try to stay organized - some worked and some didn't. I don't want to write a book here. Send me a PM if you got more questions.

UPS VT reply :

Quote
Stick Jackets Casting; problem solved
http://www.***.com/descpageJACKETS-SJC.html

x2 They go off and on very quickly. I have brought 7 or 8 rods with no problems using these.

SWMIBASSER reply :

Is it ok to bring up tackle bags here or another thread??

Anyhow, what is acceptable to bring for a tackle bag. If you bring a box of tubes, box of stick worms and shakey worms, another box of misc plastics-beavers, soft jerks, drop shot etc, box of spinnerbaits, and box of cranks, as well as your tools, maybe an extra reel and next thing you know the tackle bag is huge.

bmadd reply :

I think the best thing is that if it's a draw tourney, talk to your partner in advance. Ask him what his plan for the day is? The depth and areas he plans to fish should help you narrow down what lures and rods you'll need for the day. Then ask him how much room you'll have on his boat.

GreNation reply :

I have been a co-angler for three years now and I usually bring 5 rods. 4 bait-casters & 1 spinning.

ghamm reply :

if someone was to show up w/ 7-8 i would ask them to leave three behind .that's just way to many bring 4-5. usually in Ohio fishing your not going to need to guess alot most anglers will inform u of what u will b doing most of the day and u will soon find out 2-3 was sufficient

NJBass12 reply :

5 - 6 rods is fine, along with a tackle bag, lunch and of course your life vest. Keeping the rods along side your boat seat is fine. One word of caution becareful not to get your hooks stuck in the seats. This can upset a boater pretty quickly. The important thing is to stay neat and organized. Don't have your things scattered all over the boat. Usually the boater will have one empty compartment for the non-boater. Talking to the boater the day before the tournament discussing patterns (how and what you will be fishing) can greatly help narrow down your tackle selection.

Reelady reply :

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if someone was to show up w/ 7-8 i would ask them to leave three behind .that's just way to many bring 4-5. usually in Ohio fishing your not going to need to guess alot most anglers will inform u of what u will b doing most of the day and u will soon find out 2-3 was sufficient

I personally would never limit the amount of rods that I would allow my co-angler bring.

I have, on the average, 12 setups on my boat, and a few are duplicates.

No, I don't "use" all of those rods during one tournament... but they are there... just in case :-*

I may be on the extreme side when it comes to "being prepared", but that's just how I am. I would much rather know that I have access to something should I end up needing it, then to need something and realize that you don't have it.

I can think of quite a few occasions where what worked during my prefish totally bombed on tournament day. This is when I pick out something radically different that I would have never dreamed of throwing during my prefish because I was convinced that I had the fish figured out... Good thing I kept that "unimportant" rod on my boat I earned a paycheck for that tournament

Besides, how does the number of rods that my co-angler bring on my boat affect me? It doesn't. They are the ones that will have to deal with rods getting all tangled up, they are the ones dealing with no foot room because they insisted on bringing a tackle store with them. I say this only because I have BEEN that person before ;D

I would much rather deal with the inconvenience of dealing with too many rods, then to deal with not having the rod or bait that I need.

The only downfall would be the additional weight of a heavy tackle bag, but I'm only 115 pounds, so me plus my tackle is probably still lighter than your average male co-angler

J Francho reply :

I've always wondered why a boater cares what a non-boater/co angler brings, as long is its out of their way. Its not like they stow the stuff right up front. The issue is when it comes time to run. As a non/co, you've got to be organized and prepared to run, as a boater, you've got to give the non/co a minute to get situated, and keep up the communication.

Reelady reply :

I really don't get it either, as it does not have any affect on them.

I have fished with people that have brought anywhere from 3 to 9 rods. From my experience, the number of rods that my non-boater brought had no bearing on how quickly they were packed up, ready to go, with their life jacket secured.

I would always give them a "heads up" when I started to feel antsy, that way they could make sure the little things are all put up and the only thing they would have to deal with would be the one rod in their hand.

Willzx225 reply :

The only time I have ever asked a coangler to limit the amount of tackle they brought was when I was cutting my tackle in half myself in order to get over a sandbar. Other than that, I agree with most of the responses. I don't care if they bring 10 rods as long as they can keep them under control and it doesn't get in the way my job.

(My co angler in the above story brought what looked like a body bag worth of tackle that spent most of the day on the front deck by my feet ;D Guess I asked for it)

Hot Rod reply :

I don't care too much about how much gear my co brings. As long as it does not weigh too awful much.

I always give them an empty compartment for gear and room in the cooler for food/drinks.

I just ask them to keep it down to enough, eh, "stuff" that it all fits either in the alloted comparment and/or under their console (my boat has a dual console) while we are running.

Number of rods doesn't concern me either as long as they stay next to co's seat and are strapped down to the rod ramp when I'm ready to run, though 6 to 8 rods is probably about right on tournament day. On "practice" days, bring a dozen or more, I don't care.

As someone else said I always announce a couple minutes before I fire up the big engines to make a move so the co has time to stow.

That being said, if I draw a guy that is 300+ lbs I might have to change my "rules" on co gear

I also had a guy show up at the launch with a giant garbage bag he could hardly carry cuase the bottom was about to tear out. It held about 150 lbs of plastics in every color/size/style you can imagine and enough sinkers for 10 years (all he fished was Trigs). The weights were in a couple of tackle boxes but the plastics were just in the original bags. He dumped/cramed it all into the compartment. Then stood on the lid to get it to latch.

I had to stop the boat halfway to the first spot to redistribute the weight >

jonnylee82 reply :

I keep my tackle limited to 5-6 rods and one tackle bag. I find that it's the perfect balance between being too cluttered and not having enough stuff.

Also, I'm thinking of getting a Bac Rac for next season. It might be pretty helpful for us co-anglers.

bocraw reply :

Quote
I myself am a non-boater tourney angler and I am always asking myself before every tourney how many rods is too many to bring. I usually end up bringing 5 or 6. There is never a good place to store them b/c I am fishing from the back of the boat so they end up next to my boat seat sometimes tangled together. Does this happen to you? How many rods do you bring? Thanks.

Draw tournaments are such a downer for me because it literally is luck of the draw as to how considerate your boater is. This is a major reason why I don't tournament fish more than I do. My thoughts are these:

If you are fishing a tournament that is co-angler against co-angler, then you should take 4-6 rods max and try to limit your tackle as much as possible. One bag to leave on deck and food, rain gear, etc... should stow in one compartment. It is rude for the boater not to leave you at least one compartment to store your gear. I have fished with many many rude boaters who have way too much crap in their boat--and yes, this includes friends of mine.

If you are fishing in draw tournaments where you are fishing against the guy in the front of the boat--as the Alabama Federation Nation tournaments are--then it is rude for the boater to have 18 rods and 300 lbs of tackle and then expect you to not be prepared. In this case the boater should allow you to stow some rods in a front rod box too. Which, I have had guys leave me more storage than they take themselves, which is extremely cool. But in some cases when the boater is being an inconsiderate ., you just have to take the usual 4-6 rods and that is the way it is.

bassfishign62 reply :

I get the front deck alot but when You fish in the back, reel the lure up all the way or everytime put them back on the keeper.

I usually bring 6-7 rods and dont usually have a problem If I do this.

Matt Kremers reply :

Fishing out the back is tough. I only have 5 combo's so far, so that makes the decision easy. Plan on having around 7 on the boat with me by the end of the year. For our college tournaments we are only allowed 5, which is difficult for us because we often don't get a chance to prefish. I think 7-8 is a good number AS LONG AS YOU USE THEM

JohnnyBigger reply :

As a non boater normally it 5-6 rods, in the larger tounaments you can get away with bringing more because of the money involved. I also think it depends on the size of the boat, try to bring less if your on a 16-18 foot boat otherwize most new boats have slots for about 8 rodsalong side your seat. Personally as a boater as long as it doesnt get in my way you could bring 20 and I dont care.

angler1 reply :

Quote
Is it ok to bring up tackle bags here or another thread??
Anyhow, what is acceptable to bring for a tackle bag. If you bring a box of tubes, box of stick worms and shakey worms, another box of misc plastics-beavers, soft jerks, drop shot etc, box of spinnerbaits, and box of cranks, as well as your tools, maybe an extra reel and next thing you know the tackle bag is huge.

As for tackle storage, I never bring anything larger than what will fit between my legs or in a locker on the boat. Soft side bags I have found to be the best.

n8casCT reply :

has any non-boater used the bac rac ? I'd like to know if it was a pain to set up and if it got in the way at all and how many rigs it fits comfortably....

JohnnyBigger reply :

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has any non-boater used the bac rac ? I'd like to know if it was a pain to set up and if it got in the way at all and how many rigs it fits comfortably....

That look like a very good design but when I was a non boater I liked to be able to hold onto my rods,I have had bad expierences with losing tackle and almost a rod before

n8casCT reply :

With 5 or 6, they do get tangled if you don't take the time to properly store it next to your other 4 or 5 rods. I would like to bring 8 this season myself, and I think I could do it with some rod jackets and lure wraps (for some - not all). It would be a pain to take the rod jackets on and off, but if it meant bringing the amount of rods I feel confident with, then I'm going to do it. Any boater who asks or tells me to take some back to my car is a DB in my opinion. My rods in the back should have no affect on you in the front.

Bigdawg48 reply :

I usually bring 6 rods with me on tournament days. You really want to make sure you stay organized, like other guys said before. I have brought 8 before and touch all of them during the day at some point.

I think you should stack ur rods according to how your day or pattern will go. This will keep your first choice at the top while c-rigs, jigs, etc, will be ready after you have done ur early morning cast.

I have a bag with everything in it. I try to keep it clean and stocked right. I am 270 so my boaters usually dont say anything...LOL.

I am also 6'6 so I might not look like a jalardo! 8-)

Taylor Fishin 4 life reply :

what about those rod racks

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