With all the chatter going around with tournament ethics and such, I wanted to add a few lines to anyone fishing as a co-angler this year, either as a first time or just as a follow up.


1) Remember that most boaters invest lots of time and money. They have lots of cash invested in the boat, tow vehicle, and gas and oil. (not to mention insurance)
Do your part and help out and pay your share for the expenses of being on the water. I have always tried to give at least $40 to everyone, no matter the amount of running around we did.

2) Stay organized! This is always important, as it not only helps you be a more efficient fishermen, it also helps out when you are going to be on a run and gun pattern and need to stow everything for a quick take off.

3) Respect the boat. Just because its not your equipment, you need to do more than your part to help take care of it. Help out by keeping the boat off stumps and docks. Try not to let branches scrape against anything (motor/electronics).
Don't step in the seats! This tears the seats at the seams, although it may not happen every time, you don't to be the one that it does happen to. Try not to use the Liquid Spike it, once again it normally doesn't spill, but you don't want to be the one it happens to. When storing rods under the passenger console, make sure the lures that are kept on the hook keepers are not at a position that they will catch the side of the seat.

4) Try not to give any advice to boaters unless they ask for it. Some guys would appreciate it, but most already have a game plan for the day, and don't want anyone trying to suggest patterns or areas.

5) This is a big one for me. Do not give away any of the information about your day fishing. Most anglers do not want other people to know how they caught the fish, and more specifically the areas. This is even more important during multi-day tournaments. Be courteous and don't take your buddies back to the areas the next weekend and jackpot a local tournament just because you were showed the area. The boater has put his time to locate the fish, and chances are if he is on them, he will be back to visit again soon.

6) Probably the most important thing I can think of.....
Communication! Be sure you talk to your boater about anything that you may not be sure of or don't know about. I guarantee that they will much rather you say, "I can't back in the boat," than for them to sit in the boat for 10 minutes while you take up 3 lanes of the ramp. If something isn't right like you cant back up by mirrors and they have a camper, then tell them.
Same goes for netting a fish. Most boaters are more than happy to let you net the fish, but some are apprehensive about it because one error could mean a lost fish. Ask before hand if they are comfortable and everyone should be fine.


7) Respect the boaters area. This is always an area that get a lot of attention due to the aggressiveness of some fishermen. The guy in front of the boat has control of the boat and areas he is wanting to fish. Let him have it! I like to think of fishing from the back as a co-angler is like the Match Play TV Show. Try not to cast in front of the consoles if you can avoid it. Yes, there are some patterns that you will be in a big disadvantage, but that is just part of it. The boater should get first choice and approach on every piece of cover he chooses. As a co-angler its up to you to find the one area he didn't exploit and take advantage of it. If a boater misses a fish, let him have a second chance at it. DO NOT cast right into that spot while he is gathering everything back up after a missed hook set.

8) Be responsible. Remember that no one is responsible for yourself except for you. Bring your own life jacket, rain gear, and snacks and drinks. Also remember, if you damage something, let him know and man up and take care of it. No one wants to get home and be cleaning up the boat and find where a bottle of spike it was spilled under the dash or a big cut in the seat.

9) This is a tough one. BREAK IT OFF! If your not afraid to fish with it, then your not afraid to break it off instead of retrieve it. It sucks, especially with the price of the tungsten weights and Lucky Craft crankbaits, but its really gets in the way to stop the boat and go back and let you try to get it un-hung.



I am sure there are many, many things guys will chime in with, but I really think that if you follow these basics, it will allow any two people to fish together and get along.

In my mind the perfect co-angler is one that the boater doesn't even know is back there. It sounds harsh, but think about it.

Good info.....wish a certain somebody would read this!

I'm sure that is why you have been co angler AOY the last two years in the Weekend Series. You keep it in perspective and take advanatge of your oppurtunities. Great read.

Anyone that draws Chris will definitely have a heck of a time and find a coangler that is very respectful as well as helpful...

Definitely some good words to go by there for the co's.

So if I draw you I can't smoke stogies, swill & spill coca cola and leave peanut butter cracker crumbs all over the place? And I suppose I can't stomp any drum I happen to catch into your carpet so's I can get my $.20 Tru Turn worm hook out of it's mouth? And I KNOW you'll turn right around to retrieve my hat that just blew off right after take-off, right?! Oops - guess I must have stepped in some dog doody on the way over... Fish Killer, you're just NO FUN!

I hope I have the chance to draw you Andi. This is my 3rd year of fishing as a CO-angler. Doesn't look like I will get to front end someone for a while...

Are you talking about co-angeling in a pro-am or draw or draw team tournament? If you are talking pro-am I agree with you, but if you are talking draw tournament then you both paid the same entry fee so why would you treat the guy in the back of your boat like a nusence in stead of a fishing partner? To the guy that has a new $50k boat a $12 lure may not be a big deal to break off but to the average working man it may be a big deal. Just my 2 cents.

I would like to think that these should apply across the board as being a co-angler. Both draw format tournaments and pro-am style tournaments.

Most draw tournaments you do not pay the same entry, typically the draw format tournaments are split between boaters and non-boaters divisions. The entry is different and the payouts are a lot different.

I know there will are going to be many different thoughts and opinions on what I wrote, but I feel that these are the basic rules that have really helped me over the last couple of years as being a successful co-angler.


And if you cant afford to lose the $12 lure, then you may not want to use it in any situation that you may not be able to get it back.

I always back up to help retrieve my coanglers lure if they get snagged.
I am not such an a-hole that I think that their stuff is worth less than mine. If you will take the time to get your own baits unsnagged, then show the coangler the same respect.

I know how hard it can be to fish out of the back of the boat, so I choose to show my back seater some respect.

I agree with this and do the same when I'm a boater. I've fished a bunch of co-angler stuff too though and I don't think you can really expect the "pro" to go back for everything as co.

Daren

Are you allowed to make eye contact, or is that forbidden? I understand your points of being respectful, even thankful, but seems like it needs to be a 2 way streak. I have fished in 1 tourney with my dad, so I have never seen the level of competition/pressure these tourneys can have, but why have a co-angler if they are such 2nd class citizens?

From the BFL Rules .....................

9. Boat operation
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.
Boaters may not request that the co-angler not fish.
Any boater that, in the judgment of the tournament director,
operates the boat in such a manner that unfairly handicaps their co-angler partner will be disqualified for that day.

From ABA (Weekend Series) Rules .................

12. BOAT OPERATION AND EXPENSE:
In boater/co-angler type events, boaters will fish from the front deck, co-anglers from the rear deck, no exceptions.
Co-anglers are only allowed to drive the boat in emergency situations in competition and
during loading and unloading from trailers.
Any boater, who, in the judgment of the officials, operates the boat in such a manner or
unfairly handicaps their co-angler partner, shall be disqualified.
At no time may a boater competitor request that the co-angler competitor not fish.
In view of the large expense involved in operating and maintaining a tournament bass boat,
it is suggested that the co-angler partner share, at minimum, the cost of gas and oil for the competition day.



Just thought this might be of some use. Certainly the term
"unfairly handicap" can be subject to interpretation.

I have fished as a co-angler for 4 yrs. and only ONE "Pro"
I had to call out. This was after I had 3 fish by 8 AM and he had NONE. He started "positioning" the boat so all I had left was vertical, no cating, flipping, pitching, etc. (lots of docks involved here) Basically what it came down to, he did not LIKE fishing jigs. Thought that was for crappie fishermen.
Sad. (Note: he was only 22 yrs. old, still has time to learn)


All in all, I haved enjoyed my experineces with the guys up front, offered a $40.00 minimum, helped to load, unload, and clean up afterwards. 99 percent of them are great.

FishKiller you are dead on. I had the opertunity to fish as a co-angler on Amistad with the Elites last year and believe the reason there are no longer co-anglers in the Elites is because of the co-anglers. Co-anglers ruined it themselves. My two pros finished in the top six and I spent more time watching and learning and had a blast.
One thing I about the communication on netting fish, get that straightened out before thte first cast. I personally do not want anything to do with touching their fish. I reeled in fast to be sure I got out of their way and did anything they wanted except touch their fish. They were both thankfull for my efforts. That may have been over kill in some situations and in turn they did more to be sure to help me.

I drew a guy this weekend in the BWS tourney on Palestine that any boater would love to have spend a day fishing with. Oscar Galindo sorry if I misspelled it Oscar. He was great very courteous and respectful of the equ. and water just a great guy all around. He did not say anything but I hope I was just as respectful about boat operation and things like that for him.

I know co's that are better fishermen than most pros they just can't afford a boat. So what does the pro do when the back seater outfishes him even after being front ended all day long and treated like [censored] most of the day - show him some respect I hope. The pros should learn that havin a top end boat doesn't make you a fishermen.