Being front ended? 2024
deeds reply :
I have only been bass fishing for a year. I recently went to a tourny and for eight hours fished off the back of the boat at warp speeds. We fished right on the bank 3 inches on one side 3 foot on the other side of the boat. 2nd half of the day we fishing reeds, the boater threw spinners then ran over targets leaving a trail of muddy stained water in wake. Not to blame the boater for he was fishing what worked for him. What techniques can I use in these conditions that may help me produce more fish?
CJ reply :
Welcome to the Forum.
This topic has been discused in the "Tournament Talk" category before.
Anyway,it's hard to say what would have worked in your sitiuation,having not been there.I may have tried a smaller spinnerbait than what the boater was fishing or a shallow crankbait.I would have thought plastics but you mentioned the boater fishing warp speed.Regardless I would have been thinking finesse unless the boater was whackin' em' on the spinnerbait.One thing,I feel,for a back deck angler to do is fish to his/her own element whether it is the same or different of that of the boater's.
Other things I may have tried:
swimming a jig or finesse worm
buzzbait or spook
rat-l-trap
Deuceu72 reply :
I agree with cjbasswacker...........Try fast moving baits that are a little different and I would also try swimming a jig behind him........One point............In our club, the non-boater has the right to have 1/2 the day in front of the boat and run the trolling motor and go to his spots and the boater gets the back........Do you have this rule in your club and if so, invoke your right next time.......... ;D
guest reply :
I think the "secret weapon" for the non boater is the carolina rig.
the boater usually wants to move fast and can dominate the likely shallow targets or throw fast moving baits into the deeper portions.
A c-rig dragged along the drop off will pick off less active fish and it is perfectly suited to being in the back of the boat.
Give it a try.
avid
deeds reply :
Thanks for the responses 1/2 day rule was not in effect. BFL tourney. I did manage to catch a few working worm of the drop. Fishing slow was tough at fast speeds. I was not able to cast past windsheild. Was not sure if it was app. to ask ? I'll keep practice these other techniques for the next time thanks again.
roadwarrior reply :
Welcome aboard!
I had your experience the first, last and only time I fished in a club tournament. I put up with that crap for two days and caught three bass. Although I never really got to fish, I still finished in the top five (which says more about the other fisherman's skill than mine).
Never went back, never looked back, never going back.
Grey Wolf reply :
WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man that sounded rough. That's why I DON'T FISH COMPETIVELY.
JT Bagwell reply :
Boaters will fish from the front deck of the boat only. Co-anglers will fish from the back deck of the boat only. Boaters will have complete control of boat operation and waters to be fished. Any boater who, in the judgment of the tournament director, operates the boat in a manner that unfairly handicaps their co-angler partner will be disqualified for that day. In multiday tournaments, co-anglers who share their boater partner's fishing locations with other competitors will be disqualified along with the person utilizing this information.
That is straight from the FLW Outdoors rules for the BFL.
JT Bagwell
Gr8wall reply :
"Any boater who, in the judgment of the tournament director, operates the boat in a manner that unfairly handicaps their co-angler partner will be disqualified for that day."
what kind of techniques qualify for this rule???? any examples would be great
Siebert Outdoors reply :
QuoteAny boater who, in the judgment of the tournament director, operates the boat in a manner that unfairly handicaps their co-angler partner will be disqualified for that day.
Sounds like you got that. I had this happen to me. I asked the boater to please give me some water to fish. He didnt. So I casted up towards the front of the boat and fished like that. The guy in the front casted and hooked my line and backlashed his reel beyond repair. It didnt go over well but from then on I didnt have a problem. I dont recommend that, but its what I did. I would point out the rule to the boater that JT posted.
Shad_Master reply :
I have fished as a non-boater with my club for the last 4 years, even though I own a boat. I elected to do this to begin with because I didn't know the lakes we fish well enough to think that I could put a non-boater on the fish. In that four years, I feel that I have only been "back boated" twice. Once was when my boater found a fish on a bed in about 15 feet of water and spend almost an hour trying to catch it. The other time was when my boater was fishing canals and positioned the boat in the middle while he casted to both sides from the front. In that case, I just fired over his shoulder toward the front of the boat sevel times until he finally got the idea -- btw I managed to catch fish while throwing ahead of him which really didn't sit well. All the other times that I have had problems it had more to do with fishing style than actually being limited on the water (trolling along at warp speed or pulling out to really deep water for instance) but if the boater was catching fish, I really couldn't fault him and tried to learn to adapt. The result has been that I have increased my arsenal of techniques by watching and learning. However, having said all that, I do believe that the non-boater should protest whenever he feels that he has been put at a disadvantage otherwise the boater will keep on doing this and others will be put at a disadvantage as well.
cbfishalot reply :
I think avid has the right idea with the c-rig. I would ask the boater in a nice way if they could pull off the shore. If he don't then I would throw a c-rig behind the boat. You probley won't catch alot of fish but the ones you do should be quality ones. When you hang up make your boater stop to get you rig undone. After a couple of hangups he'll give you some fishable water.
Catt reply :
A quick but firm slap behind the back of the head works quite well ;D
Avid, GMAN, and JT got it right
KYbass1276 reply :
QuoteA quick but firm slap behind the back of the head works quite well ;D
Thats funny I can just picture someone doing that ;D
Garnet reply :
It's a skill to fish slow when the boats going fast and the only way to practice is doing.
Garnet
R520dvx reply :
Sometimes in the BFL, you have to remind the boater that you have to sign for him at the weigh-in !!!
20_lb_sack reply :
Shad_Master, if he was in the middle of the canal, you had access to both side same as him. Casting over my line in that circumstance, may have gotten your butt dropped on the bank and forget the weigh in slip. Not having first shot is not unfairly handicapping the co-angler by any stretch of the imagination.
Shad_Master reply :
20-lb-sack - by "the middle of the canal" I meant he was putting me in a situation where there was no room to fish to either side - a little sportsmanship goes along way in any sport and if somebody is hogging the water from the front of the boat they are not likely to stay with a club for long. This particular guy has a history of putting his non-boater at a disadvantage and has even openly admitted that he does that, but he will never be voted Miss Congeniality in our club. BTW, the canal was very narrow and he eventually got the message - we fished one side going in and the other side comming out -- thus no problem.
jdw174 reply :
Do whatever the boater isn't. If he's tossing a jig, toss a worm. If he's throwing big baits, throw something smaller. The first (and only) time I fished with a club here in TN, I was treated to a boater who made absolutely sure that I had NO shot at anything. It was fall and he was hitting every exposed brushpile and stakebed with topwater/spinnerbaits, then kicking the TM on HIGH and away we went to the next one. He wasn't getting bit at all, and I had absolutely no chance to pitch a jig to any of those pieces of cover. I put everything away but a crankbait rod with a Cordell Spot on it and just started fan-casting behind the boat. He ended the day with 0 fish....I ended with 4 
KYbass1276 reply :
From the few responses I have read here sounds like fishing tourney as a non boater is something I don't want to do
roadwarrior reply :
You got that right!
Alpster reply :
It pays to fish with a regular partner if you can. I have a couple of fishing partners that I fish buddy tornaments with. I will even give them the front of my boat, especially the youngster, I am entertained all day. I wouldn't fish a tournament with a stranger. JMHO
Ronnie
CJ reply :
QuoteFrom the few responses I have read here sounds like fishing tourney as a non boater is something I don't want to do
Fishing as a non-boater does have it's ups and it's downs.It can be an excellent learning experience especially if you are fishing a good division.Now I got lucky in 05' which was the only year I co-angled.I drawed up with Billy Schraeder(alot people may not know but this guy is the smallmouth king on Ky.Lake).I learned more in 8 hours than I could have in 8 years.I didn't even weigh in a fish,but it was the best $100 I ever spent.Billy answered every question I asked and acted like he enjoyed doing so.He also taught me alot about deep,offshore fishing.That day was a setup for the next event where I drew another one of the best,Britt Cone.Just like I did with Billy,I picked Britt's brain a little and learned alot.Only this time I was going home with more than a lesson.I was going home with a trophy and a fat check!I had 19lbs.1oz. and big fish at 6lbs.14oz.,Britt had 20lbs.15oz.That's an even 40 lbs. between the two of us.I won first and Britt took home 2nd in each of our divisions!
So,I wouldn't knock it until you try it!
Its a big one reply :
Talk about a FAT check when I front end my wife (shes about 400lb) she comes up front with me and water comes over the bow. I try not to front end her.
jdw174 reply :
QuoteFrom the few responses I have read here sounds like fishing tourney as a non boater is something I don't want to do
I wouldn't necessarily say that. You may end up with a couple of super experiences like Bassnut. BUT.....it only takes one front-ending, hole hogging SOB to absolutely ruin your day on the water. If you really want to fish tx's, get yourself a good, dependable fishing partner and enter some buddy/team tx's. That way you're working WITH someone and not against them.
R520dvx reply :
I fish both team and draw tournaments ... some of the draw tourneys I fish as co-angler .... so far, I think draw partners follow the 80/20 rule. 80 % will be awesome guys .... 20 % will be a__holes.
Mike D reply :
You just have to make the best of the situation. Back in November I fished with a very popular midwest angler on day two of a tournament. He told me he was going to throw a buzzbait all day long so I knew in advance that it was going to be a fast and furious day. So i threw a spinnerbait behind him and used it as a jig, slow rolled, burned it and stop and go. I had three keepers for 9lbs to his 2. I actually caught about 8 or 9 fish and had my three keepers before he had any. He could of put down the buzzbait and thrown a spinnerbait in front of me but he told me he was to far out of it and would just keep doing what he was doing to help me out. So hang in there not all co-angler experiences are bad.
BillyBob reply :
Hey RW, wasn't that the first, last and only time I'll ever be a boater, in a club tourney, and drew YOU?
tunnelengineer reply :
Wow. Someone just got burned!
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