Back seat etiquette. 2024
Comfortably Numb reply :
So lets say I am on the bow using the trolling motor. Passenger is on back deck. Fishing a bank 20-40' out paralleling moving slowly.
I was once told that the rear angler should not cast forward of the center of the boat. I'm in the front and cast slightly forward. Lets say I have a jig on so not fishing fast. Back guy constantly throw forward of the boat to get to that dock or laydown. Needless to say we tangle all day. I tell him to stop but he keeps doin it. Now I hear through a common friend he gets ticked when I "block" him. This is usually just fun fishin. Isnt the back angler supposed to "clean up" and not neccarilly fish fresh water or am i being selfish? I purposely leave him good pockets and cover and he keeps goin forward skipping those spots that I would normally cast to if alone. ty
BuzzHudson19c reply :
To me, if it's your boat, it's your call. Guy in the front gets the first crack at it and the guy in the back mops up.
LxVE Bassin reply :
Make sure and set the rules before u let someone on the boat. The least someone can do is abide by the rules if you are nice enough to let them on.
visagelaid reply :
As someone who often fishes out of the back of the boat: the boat owner makes the rules. Ive never had any need to cast forward of the middle of the boat because I dont want to take the same angles to spots as the front boater is taking anyway.
fishballer06 reply :
As a person who fishes as a co-angler, I'm in full understanding before ever getting on someone boat that I am not going to get clean water unless I fish the side of the boat that the boater isn't fishing. It's just a fact of the situation. Anyone who feels entitled to clean water from the back seat is just wrong.
Big Kahuna Ranch reply :
Another back seater here to chime in.
I always ask what the deck person is throwing. If he is throwing spinners or crank, I usually throw plastics, but I always let him have the lead and pick the best spots.
Ironically I catch more fish at least 40 percent of the time.
i think he agitates them so they end up hitting my lures.
JG233 reply :
I'm a back-seater going on a couple years now of fun-fishing. I never tangle with anyone.
Angry John reply :
Seems like the guy in the back needs to chill out a little. If fun fishing then let it be fun. Friends should should understand each other and not quibble over little crap like this. If you are paying big money to fish the back of the boat in a tournament and being blocked the entire way then that sucks... If fun fishing have fun and dont be a jerk...
wdp reply :
Yeah, that's def a bit rude to say the least. I've never had that issue when fishing with friends, unless we were doing it to goof around & mess with one another.
Sounds like it might be somebody you don't know all that well. If that's the case, I would def NOT be inviting them on another fishing trip.
RPreeb reply :
I've never owned a boat, so I've never been in control (I've only been out a couple of times in my life on a boat with a trolling motor, so position and control, front and rear, were usually a bit vague). I've never fished competitively aside from bragging rights with my buddy, and I've never thought it to be a good idea to cross lines, or even come close. Regardless of where I might be in the boat, I generally try to fish where the other guy ain't. Seems to keep the peace.
In years past, I've fished with 2 and 3 in a canoe, working along a Wisconsin shoreline and the only issues came when a hooked fish got us crossed up before the other guy could reel in. As in so many things, a little common sense goes a long way.
CroakHunter reply :
I fish out of the front of my friends boat, it has a rear mounted trolling motor. I always leave him fresh water, even if we are just fun fishing, and sometimes I point it out to him if he doesn't see that I didn't cast to it. We have only tangled a few time and that was due to schooling fish and 25mph winds. A lot of times we will throw similar things. If he's throwing a spinnerbait I'll throw a chatterbait. Communication is key.
fissure_man reply :
Agree 100% with @Angry John that bickering with your friend over this stuff is BS. Tangling lines is no good for either of you; figure out a system that works. If they don’t know better, teach them. If they’re just being a ____, take someone else next time. A fishing partner is a special relationship (lol) – your buddy whining to a mutual friend and you whining to the internet is maybe a sign that this relationship isn’t meant to be 
Just be happy to have the company, and work together to catch fish. Some patterns are easier to share than others, and the OP example of pitching shoreline docks and laydowns is probably among the hardest. If "front seat envy" is an issue, maybe try moving offshore where the playing field will be more level. If buddy is capable of running the TM, let him have a go up front – it’s nice to take a break sometimes.
If you’re worried about losing the front seat advantage, just go on your own. lol Guaranteed you can have all the fish and spots to yourself.
WRB reply :
On 6/20/2017 at 3:32 AM, Comfortably Numb said:So lets say I am on the bow using the trolling motor. Passenger is on back deck. Fishing a bank 20-40' out paralleling moving slowly.
I was once told that the rear angler should not cast forward of the center of the boat. I'm in the front and cast slightly forward. Lets say I have a jig on so not fishing fast. Back guy constantly throw forward of the boat to get to that dock or laydown. Needless to say we tangle all day. I tell him to stop but he keeps doin it. Now I hear through a common friend he gets ticked when I "block" him. This is usually just fun fishin. Isnt the back angler supposed to "clean up" and not neccarilly fish fresh water or am i being selfish? I purposely leave him good pockets and cover and he keeps goin forward skipping those spots that I would normally cast to if alone. ty
You are the Captian of your boat and make the rules. Make sure your backseater understands your rules regardless of how he feels about them. If you don't want your backseater casting beyond the bow of your boat and he does, offer to take him back to the dock or he needs to stop fishing.
Tom
RoLo reply :
On 6/20/2017 at 6:57 AM, WRB said:You are the Captian of your boat and make the rules. Make sure your backseater understands your rules regardless of how he feels about them. If you don't want your backseater casting beyond the bow of your boat and he does, offer to take him back to the dock or he needs to stop fishing.
Tom
A co-angler who has a problem with guest protocol,
can rectify his woes by purchasing his own boat.
Only then will he realize the long list of boat-owner expenses & captain liabilities
Roger
CroakHunter reply :
On 6/20/2017 at 7:11 AM, RoLo said:
Any co-angler who has a problem dealing with guest protocol,
should be in the market for his own boat.
Only then will he be awakened to the long list of captain expenses & captain liabilities.
Roger
Exactly! When I am co-angler, I pay all the entry fees(only 50 bucks), buy breakfast and lunch and drinks. And offer to pull the boat with my truck. I feel like that is an even trade for the captain being nice enough to let me in his boat and to fish some of his spots.
frogflogger reply :
The rule for me is - whether front or back - treat the other as you want to be treated - if this doesn't work out - fish alone or with someone else
RoLo reply :
On 6/20/2017 at 8:00 AM, frogflogger said:The rule for me is - whether front or back - treat the other as you want to be treated - if this doesn't work out - fish alone or with someone else
It's not a matter of Front or Back, it's a matter of Owner or Guest
Comfortably Numb reply :
See for me its not about him catching more fish than me. I feel that when I take someone out I enjoy seeing them catch fish. I am retired and can fish alone when ever I want and catch all the fish I want.
I take others out and they wait till I cast and cast behind me. I do the same if i am in the back seat. This one guy is a very experienced older gentleman who actually has a Ranger that has been down a couple years. I thought we had good times fishing together despite the tangles. Hearing behind my back that he is disappointed fishing with me is why I am asking as I thought maybe I was wrong.
I even ask him every so often is this distance, placement, spot,etc good for you?.
Oh well...his loss. Ty all
BassGirl71 reply :
It sounds to me like this "fun" fishing isn't very much fun for either of you. Maybe you should both find other people to fish with. I agree the guy in the back shouldn't throw toward the front - neither angler should throw over another angler's line. As someone else said, as the "guy in the back" for years, I would throw something the guy in the front wasn't - if he had on a search bait, I'd throw a jig or soft plastic and often times get more bites. I do have to say it's not a very fun day when the guy in the front hoovers every spot before you get a chance at it... but it is what it is.
If he can't seem to work with you, maybe it's time to get him out of the back of your boat. Whether you're fishing with or against the other person in the boat, you kind of have to approach it as a team where you both know the rules and help each other out (or at least have some common decency). JMO
Toad Master reply :
On the other hand I fish as a non-boater in my club, and I compete with the boater. So since I pay half the launch fee and half the cost of gas to the lake and back home I feel as long as I don't cross his line or interfere with his cast and retrieve, I should and have cast forward of the center line. And don't get any complaints from any of the boaters I've fished with. Maybe I just belong to a great club.
Bucky205 reply :
I enjoy having people to fish with, my boats paid for and we usually split expenses down the middle. I fish pretty regularly with the same people. I fish out of their boats as much as they do mine. If we are flipping or pitching were usually on the front deck side by side, and trying to hit every hole the other guy misses. If they are on the back deck and were cranking something.I tend to throw forward into the 10 to 2 oclock areas. I've never really had an issue with the person in the back constantly tangling wih me, happens occasionaly but not enough to be a concern. If I need to retie or change baits, they can run the trolling motor for awhile and I'm happy for the break. The guy on the trolling motor really has a lot of control over where the back deck is able to fish. LOL, we pick at each other if you get put where you can't fish "Boats outta control". Fishing for fun with kids or people that don't fish a lot I just try to be patient. If it's your boat and you don't like the way the person in the back is fishing, don't invite them again.
NHBull reply :
What ever works for the owner is fine......but what starts out as fine can become a pain in the *ss.
Especially given the cost of owning a boat.
Just because the rear may pay 1/2 the cost of the day, he doesn't pay the monthly payment, insurance, and maintenance.
I don't like most people, so am content fishing alone or with good friends.
FrogFreak reply :
My son and I take turns running the boat. It's harder for me to be in the back after being in the front for so long. We have our occasional arguments but nothing to bad (mostly me still treating my 25 year old like he's still 12). I have to admit he has taught me some things about finding bass in different ways than I'm used to doing.
The other day we got into a great rhythm when I was throwing a frog and he would follow up with a Senko. It can be a positive experience with the right boat partner for sure!
Angry John reply :
I am a back of the boat guy a lot or in my yak. I always fish the same and me and my partner have a lot of fun. We communicate and we even talk threw castovers. I am fishing a swimbait or swim jig and he is fishing the bottom we cast over each other all the time. Guess if your having fun and working together even the crap things are fun. We give each other a ton of crap about getting hung up and we both keep score. Only had to untangle once in 6 tourneys so far. If your not happy change the situation.
NorthwestBasser reply :
I've been a co-angler for a while, fun fishing, draw tournaments and opens (team) tournaments. My brother in law and I are in the same Bass club. We both have had great experiences with the boaters we've fished with, and some not so great. I've been with boaters who all but re-tie my lures for me. They offer advice and wisdom beyond my years, serve up awesome opportunities at prime targets, always provide angles for me.
I've had plenty of days where I felt like slinging a 1/2oz. jig right past my boaters head because I can tell he is purposely shafting me, cutting the angle, casting back then wworking the water forward leaving me nothing but used targets. I swallow hard, fish harder and thank him for the ride at the end of the day.
I bought my own 18 and a half foot boat and now I'm captain. My brother in law fishes with me most of the time. I try my hardest to accommodate him while he is on the back deck. We don't have any "rules", just respect. I leave him targets and try to give him angles. I like to offer him half the day fishing water of his choice, even if I hate the bay or point, docks or rocks he chooses. We have fun with it no matter what. I'll be fishing my first tourney as a boater this weekend. Luckily, with my brother in law. But in future club draw tourneys, I won't be setting any rules for my nonboater, other than this. You respect me, I'll respect you. We are competitors today, but respect can still be given. And at the end of the day, I want him to have enjoyed the experience and vice versa. Those few guys that have treated me poorly while on their boat, won't be getting any invites from me though, he can burn his own gas being a jerk. And any non boater that complains about my boat, tactics or techniques, well he can fall free to buy his own boat, or beat the banks from shore. Either way, I'll be having fun.
TOXIC reply :
Seriously? You're not in a tournament and you are arguing with someone on "rules" of fishing.....? If I were you,
I'd invite him up on the front deck!! There is a certain amount of skill required to keep someone in the back of the boat positioned based on what they are throwing. As a guide, this is BURNED into my routine, for some of my fishing friends it is not second nature so, they may unintentionally back boat me when we are fishing certain situations and I am on the back deck. Or they may be on the TM too heavy for me to fish my technique. Tournaments are a different game entirely. Back boater is not to cast in front of the console(s). Period. And if the boater knowingly "front ends" you, I would have a pleasant conversation with him and tell him if it continues, you will refuse to sign their weigh slip or file a protest at weigh in. That is for professionally run tournaments. If it is a club deal, I'd approach it differently. If it's just 2 friends, it shouldn't be an issue, so you can do this like we did this weekend. HAVE FUN!!
scaleface reply :
I want them to cast in front and go out of the way to give the back seater lanes to cast . Its a lot better then having them cast behind the boat and getting snagged .
mllrtm79 reply :
I work backseat almost all of the time. Both of my usual boaters don't worry about center line so much as crossing them up. I am also quick to jump up front if I need to if there is a fish boated or my boater is re-tying. We work together, even on tournaments like this past Sunday when we were competing against each other. Is it frustrating sometimes when you get blocked from a good piece of cover? No doubt. But are there other quadrants to fish other than that one 99% of the time. Sometimes though, you just have to wait a minute to get an angle. (or learn a different way to get a lure under something)
Yakalong reply :
I don't fish tournaments but I fish out of the back of my buddies boat and he fishes out of the back of mine. We both try to put the other in a good position to fish. We just pay attention to where the front of the boat has cast. I want him to catch fish and when I'm in the back he wants me to catch fish, so we work it out.
gimruis reply :
On 6/20/2017 at 7:11 AM, RoLo said:Only then will he be awakened to the long list of boat-owner expenses & captain liabilities
Haha this is so true. Likely a RUDE awakening too
For those that say the solution is to have both people on the front deck, that can result in a bigger problem because I have taken treble hooks to the back of the head when casting in close proximity.
Most of my regular fishing partners don't have their own boat so they're usually pretty respectful and grateful just to get invited on a regular basis. As a guest in someone else's boat, they already know the rules (as they should). If your in someone else's car or house, you usually abide by their rules too. Similar concept in a boat.
buzzed bait reply :
if with a friend or my dad, we're just casting and having a good time. the guy in the front is getting the cleanest water still, but the guy in the back can cast wherever he wants too.
now if it were a tournament and i didn't know the boater, i'd be fishing to about that halfway mark, especially if you're fishing slow right beside the boat. if you don't like it, get your own boat i guess!
Ratherbfishing reply :
Having never fished a tournament, I'm sure I've cast ahead of the "console" on numerous occasions but seldom past the guy in the front and seldom to the point where hinders him or to beat him to a new spot. I feel like I am a guest on their boat and hence, just have to accept that the guy in front will have first dibs. On the OTHER HAND, the guy in front has to contend with wind and other distractions and I feel like being in the back has its own advantages anyway. Regardless, I just suck it up and count myself lucky to be out fishing at all.
Usually if I'm in the front of the boat...well, I haven't had that many idiots on my boat so I can't say how I'd respond. I guess I'd begin with a gentle request that they back off their casts some-explaining the "thou shalt nots." If THAT didn't work, I'd be a little more firm and position the boat "differently." If that STILL didn't get the idea across, I'd head back to the ramp and leave them there. But with friends where the number of fish caught (by whom) didn't matter, thankfully I've never really been confronted with this.
Pro Logcatcher reply :
If there are two people in the boat, we switch off spots so we each get a chance to cover new water.
scaleface reply :
The OP said it was mostly fun fishing not tourney . Even if it is a low scale tourney such as a club event , that is still fun fishing and I impose no such rules on the back seater .
Ive had two handicapped men win from the backseat of my boat because they were allowed and encouraged to make high percentage cast not just cleanup .
Mike L reply :
I only fish in local club or charity tournaments if not fishing in one of the national circuit's (Opens, BFL, Bass Nations, TBF etc.
90% of the time I don't know my boater, but it doesn't matter as there are certain things that are universally known and expected. (of course there are exceptions and those are known and expected as well)
I do not cast past the wheel unless there's a freak gust of wind, he's re-tying, grabbing a sandwhich, working on a backlash etc. but NEVER without asking first.
My "clean water" is on both sides and rear, and knew that going in and accept it as such. Sometimes when struggling, I've had boaters ask if I wanted to come up to the front deck but always refuse.
The only time when I really regret being a co angler is when he wants to flip weed lines all day and he's clipping along with the trolling motor on high..If he's any good, which most of those guys are, it can make for a tough day but I still have water. I just have to make better decisions and focus a lot more.
Does he have an advantage? Sure, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'm at a disadvantage.
If I or any tournament co angler feels that way he should stay home and play golf.
Mike
jhoffman reply :
Most circuits, you cant allow the coangler to take the front deck under any circumstances other than emergency and they must not fish doing so. If you do, you both can be DQ'd .
Ive never had a bad coangler, but I try to ensure they have a good day. I have had times where boat issues got us both a zero and Ive had times the coangler just WRECKS fish behind me.
sully420 reply :
Have one friend that likes being on the back of the boat because he understands that boat control is an art and that there is plenty of clean water i cant fish on a pass. My other friend is a mess i cant even take him to fish docks because he hits them all the time casts into trees and the bank. Then constantly wants to move and fish for pike and walleye witch i cant stand. Always wants to go to a lake 2hrs away or the busy lake on a holiday. But i like the guy so i deal with it
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